Baffled by this electrical issue need help please

[62 rag cruiser]

I have an issue with the head lights on my 62. I have only 1head light working on hi/low and the other one only work on 1 setting ? I have power to both 56a and b terminals on both sides but the driver side light works on hi/low and the pass side only works when power is on 56b and when I press my foot switch I get power to terminal 56a but the light does not work. I have switched lights and the lights both work hi/low on the drivers side but both have only 1 setting on the pass side ? I can not figure out why if I have power to the terminal the light does not work ?

I must be missing something guys so please help this is driving me crazy 😜

[vwjetboat]

the spade on the end of wire is good ? its not spread open and not touching the male terminal on bulb ?

[62 rag cruiser]

The spade is good I have not even put a new pig tail on with new connectors and still the light does not work ?

[bluebus86]

please probe for voltage with the light bulb installed. Sometimes you will get voltage at the bulb connector with the bulb removed, but when the bulb is installed, the voltage drops because of load of the bulb, the voltage may drop such that the bulb barely illuminates, or not at all. If you get voltage without bulb installed, but see a huge drop in voltage with bulb installed, that suggests you have high resistances in the path of the electricity going to the bulb, it could be at the fuse panel for instance, as there is one fuse each for each beam, four fuses total. if could be a corroded fuse connection, or the spring clip at fuse being loose, it could be the connector at the fuse also, or the connector at the bulb is loose or dirty. The problem would NOT be at the highbeam/low beam switch or the main light switch, as that is common to both sides.

You can test the fuse connections by measuring voltage across the fuse holder spring clips, with the lamp connected and powered on. The voltage drop across the fuse holder ideally should be zero volts, but in reality you may see a half volt or so,, but if it is higher, then you need to clean the fuse , fuse holders, and maybe retension the the holders, a new fuse may help if the current one is very dirty or corroded, damaged. If you see a large voltage drop across the fuse holder, likely the holder and fuse will be getting warm or hot over time with the light on. Do this for all your fuse holders to test for drops across them, BUT the circuit they power MUST be on for this test to work, so if you test the wiper fuse holder, turn on the wiper, and so forth for the voltage drop test. by cleaning the fuse holder and retensioning the clips, the voltage drop will be reduced. Like wise do a voltage drop test from the output of the fuse holder to the corresponding connection at the bulb, if it is a large voltage drop, the wire on the fuse holder is dirty or loose, or the crimp is bad, or wire partially broken and so forth. also take time to clean up the ground wire connection for each lamp at the body, this too can cause problems, although it is shared by both high and low beams, but if the drop is high there, AND the problem lamp also has a huge drop say at the fuse or connector, then the light will be dim or not illuminate at all.

You only have six volts or 12 volts to work with, each drop along the path from the battery, thru the light switch, thru the high/low beam switch, thru the fuse holder and all the wire crimps and connections between are added up for the total drop. if you have a drop of 1 volt at the fuse holder, half a volt each at the light switch and high/low beam switch, and another volt drop at the ground connection, that adds up to 1+0.5+0.5+1= 3 volts total drop, so instead of six volts at the bulb, you will only habe 3 volts, and the bulb will barely glow if at all.

Remember the drop test across each connection, switch, fuse etc.. MUST be tested with the power on, and lamp connected. If the lamp is burnt out the test is invalid, but you already tested the lamp, so plug the lamp back in, turn on the power to the lamp and test for drops across each piece of the circuit.

Seeing these are very old cars, it may lay great dividends to do a drop test over all circuits, you fix the drops by cleaning and tightening and you will be rewarded with bright lights.
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[62 rag cruiser]

Bluebus86. That is exactly what it was I had a huge drop across the fuse 11.45 going in and only 1.30 going out. Changed the fuse and cleaned the contacts and now I have light Thank you very much for the help now I know for future issues to trace the complete circuit to make sure I have 12v at every connection point.

Man I love this site it is going to save the little hair I have left on my head.

[TDCTDI]

Check & clean the ground connection just in front/below the gas tank on the side that isn’t working.
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[EverettB]

I don't know if you just got the car but for what it's worth, I replace all the fuses with brand new ones and clean up the fuse box connections with my dremel on every VW I buy.

In almost all cases, this magically makes everything that was not working start working.
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