Low beam not coming on

[DuncanS]

First of all--'91 2WD tiptop, WBX 180k, daily driver.

An odd thing has developed with my headlights. They are relayed and have worked well for many years since the modification. Recently, I discovered that although the low beams worked when I started and drove the car for a few minutes they would go out after switching to high beams and back to low with the dimmer stalk switch. Then after driving on high beams for a few more minutes and trying it again it might work OK with the low beams coming on. Toggling the main instrument cluster headlight switch didn't change anything. Then again they might not come back on. By the way, both right and left are effected so no lights at all when switching down from high beam. Completely random, but for the most part after a few cycles everything would be normal.

In looking at Bentley 97.211 and 212 I'm convinced that the high/low beam dimmer/flasher switch has a faulty contact. What seems odd to me is that the low beams even need to go through this switch. If I turn on the main headlight switch on the dash, power is sent to the low beams and if I activate the high beam switch it adds both the high beams in the round and square lights together. What do you suppose the rationale was for switching the low beams at this switch?

Unfortunately, in New Hampshire we just got an inch of snow last night and it is expected to be below freezing for most of the week. This means that disassembling the steering column electrics is not high on my list for projects for a while given there are other things that also have priority.

My question is; what do you think of just bypassing the stalk switch for the low beams and jumping across between the white/black and yellow wires where I can easily get at them once the steering column plastic is removed? I can't see that this will change the function at all nor send power somewhere that might otherwise cause a problem.

Thoughts?

[crazyvwvanman]

No, you misunderstand your headlights. When you switch on high beams the low beams turn off.

The outside bulbs have dual filaments, low and high.
On low beams, the weaker filament is on in the outer bulbs.
When you switch to high beams the weaker filament turns off and the stronger one turns on.

The inner lights come on with high only, as you know.

Mark

[dhaavers]

You mention both "round" & "square" lights...WTH kind of setup do you have...??? (Pics, please...)

Got good bulbs? You may also be experiencing poor ground connections...not uncommon.

Every van can benefit from local grounds up front at the headlights: Cut the brown ground wires,
add sheet metal screws to the frame behind each headlight bucket, scrape paint & clean to bare
metal, add dielectric grease for weatherproofing, run them through a few cycles & report back...

- Dave
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[DuncanS]

The low beams turn off when the high beams come on--I've continuously had numerous T3's as daily drivers since the first air-cooled one came out and I never knew this. I just assumed that if you wanted more light to see better then both filaments would light up together. Is there a heat issue here and this is why they aren't both on together? Are there any dual filament lights where they both light up?


Dave--My ground wires go from the headlights directly to a #8 marine wire to a custom made ground by the fuse panel. They all (both high and low ) use the same ground so just the lows wouldn't be effected by a ground problem. Dielectric grease at every connection.

So it has to be the stalk switch and I have to get in there. Groan/moan

[DuncanS]

Two pieces if information that might or might not be pertinent either wrong or omitted. 1. Outside high/low beam headlights are not round, but rectangular. 2. They are Sylvania H6054 SilverStar Sealed Beam Headlights replacing the OEM sandblasted useless ones.

[jlrftype7]

[DuncanS]

Thanks type7 for the comments. I guess I don't really care either about the laws or blinding oncoming traffic. That sounds harsh, so let me harangue a bit on those issues. First, I'm super careful to never have my highs on when I see someone coming or when I can see their taillights and am following as we all know how annoying either of those can be. True, I'm not infallible, but bat in the very high 90's on this one. It's called being polite or doing the right thing. I don't even drive on highs on Interstates if I can see a guy coming in the opposite direction, even if there is a 150' median. In addition, a mentor a thousand years ago when I was first learning to drive told me about a trick where you look to see if the phone and electric wires on the poles by the sides of the road are being illuminated on their undersides and reflecting the light towards you. That means there is a car you can't see yet, but is coming and so dim your lights now. So I don't think having too much or illegal wattage poking out there into the night is a problem if I kill the extra lights (whatever high beams might be on at the time--either just the regular dual filament rectangular guy on high only plus the square highs, or both high and low filaments in the rectangular and the high squares as well) as soon as I see him or even before by watching the pole wires. It seems incredibly unlikely that light police would ever even be able to tell, especially if I don't have them all powered up when Smokey is on the scene. And if caught, I would say something like, "Gee, sorry Officer. I didn't realize that something was shorted out inside my lights and I'll get them fixed." But the reason I don't care about the law is that what I'm talking about here (whether it's physically possible even to do is another matter altogether) is that the law is supposed to make people be polite and do the right thing, which we all know is not really possible. I plan to be polite and do the right thing with or without the law. How it this really any different compared to the guy who has the gigundus Hella rally lights up front and may decide to turn them on? Yes, I know they are supposed to be covered, but then what about the guy with the full width light bar on the roof?

So what I'm down to here is; can this be done? Seems two issues. 1. Extra current draw, but since everything is relayed through oversized wires, I'm not worried about that. For me the problem is I don't want to overheat the sealed beams because there are two filaments running inside instead of one and will that burn out the light? The way I put the Sylvanias into the buckets is with JB Weld. It's a super pain to torch the old glass out and scape away the epoxy and then re epoxy the new ones in place and wait a day for the cure. And you have to be really careful not to damage the 27 year old plastic spiders that house the adjusting screws right next to the area where the torch flame is being directed.

So does anyone know if I can run both filaments together for--let's say four hours while out in the far west--without burning out the light? Normally, in the crowded East a half hour would most likely be the max while being on a remote road in the wee hours of the morning.

Duncan

[82westyrabbit]

When that happened to my van it was a lose block connector. There is a connector on the headlight switch and one in the steering column. Probably a few more I can’t think of to. Other then that it’s just a matter of chasing wires. First is there power at the fues if yes is there power at the head lights? I have had customers show up with 2 bad headlights more than once. John

[crazyvwvanman]

When headlight relays are added, the hi/lo switch no longer carries much current since that job is now done by the relays. I'd try replacing the low beam relay before I would do much with the hi/lo switch.

Mark

[DuncanS]

Did replace the low beam relay as at first I thought this might be the problem. Now I hoping 82westy's thought about the plug may be the issue. Unfortunately, I just had this whole area apart cleaning the contacts for the windshield squirter motor and took apart the plug he's talking about a couple of times which I assume might have polished the contacts a bit. The problem with the headlight occurred prior to the work on the squirter, so I doubt it's the plug, but will of course, clean it up and put dielectric grease on it anyway. All this is just part of having a 27 year old car. First step is to see if the high/low switch contacts are even accessible. If not will have to get a new one.

My interest in combining the low beam operation with the high beams at the same time is now not a question of having to skip working on the stalk switch, but think it might actually give more light while driving on back roads which is something we all want. I'm thinking of getting a spare Sylvania light and wiring it up with both filaments. Stick it in the back in a big box so heat is not a problem and drive around with it in the daylight so the light is not distracting and see if the light burns out prematurely. All of this is $ and a pain so if anyone out there has any experience with this, please give a shout.

[jlrftype7]

Use the Link I posted. Contact Susquehanna MotorSports and explain what you want to do. If you read their posted Library on lighting, you’ll see that a large limitation on lighting is bulb/reflector shape. Large Round is more efficient than rectangular.
Please call them before you spend a cent. Might mean you convert the front of your Van to Round Lights, might not.
They are very knowledgeable....
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[DuncanS]

Will at Susquehanna MotorSports said that if both filaments of any high/low head lamp are activated at the same time it will burn out in seconds because of the heat. So there you have it. No trying to cheat and get extra light by having both filaments on at the same time. Thanx guys. I'm happy with the amount of light I have, but thought there might be an opportunity to......................but I guess not.

[jlrftype7]

[DuncanS]

Thanks type7--When I upgraded from the sandblasted 20 year old OEM lenses to the Sylvanias, I was amazed at what a difference it made. For the first time in ever having any of my numerous T3's I was finally able to see and drive safely on low beams alone. I then later relayed them with a 30 number 8 marine grade wire to the relays and then heavier than stock wire to the headlights themselves. The hot lead goes straight from the fuse/relay block via a 75 amp fuse and probably isn't any longer than 20". My relays are outside behind the left light buckets and encased in plastic. Haven't had any failures due to water or road crud in the 5 years I've had them rigged this way. What was really interesting was that the lights were noticeably brighter with the shorter current path than going through the headlight switch up the column to the dimmer switch and back through the fuse panel and finally the lights. Wires going to the right side were upgraded as well, so the stock wire is now only the 5" section to the lights themselves. I considered going to H4's, but since the Sylvanias are J B Welded in and it was more $ when I had pretty darn good lights now anyway, I decided to wait until something burned out, but it hasn't yet. Would love a full width LED light bar above the windshield for those nights when I pull up to the site and need general lighting until I can get set up. But since that happens three times a year and the light bar costs $$$ and the pain with wiring and switching................... Well maybe someday--Would be really bummed to spend the time and money and holes only to find I had an annoying wind noise issue.