Lights!

[jpmillington]

Hi All

Last Wednesday I checked my lights and found an issue. Checked again today and the same issue is still there - not sure why it might have gone away in the meantime!!!

On my Hunter I have separate full beam spots. The usual dipped beam headlights were changed to halogen lights a while back with no issues. The issue is as follows:

- If I turn the dial to side lights - the side lights on the wings come on - no problem

- If I turn the dial to dipped beam lights, both lights come on, but there is what I can only describe as a fairly faint horizontal slit of light a couple of inches wide and a couple of mm deep (viewed from above), but generally not very bright

- If I push the stalk forward for full high beam, the 2 spots come on properly, the left dipped beam comes on properly, I think, but the right dipped beam goes off completely. If I then return the stalk to the normal position to turn off the full beam spots, the spots remain on - I need to check what happens to the dipped beams - too many combinations!!

- If I try to flash the lights by pulling back the stalk (with the lights otherwise off), the 2 spots come on properly, the left dipped beam comes on properly (I think, though I ought to double-check if it comes on as a full beam), but the right dipped beam remains off

Does any of this make any sense?!!

Thanks

John

[greyV8pete]

Re: Lights!

First check all the wiring connectors under the front apron. Pull apart each separately in turn and spray with contact cleaner and replace. Then check all earth connections to chassis by undoing the earth tag bolt, scrape off any rust/ corrosion and remake good connection. Recheck switch operation and let us know the result ;-)

Also remove the headlamp units and check the connector plugs are ok. My after market plastic ones had melted! Replaced with ceramic ones and no further problems. Peter.

[jpmillington]

Re: Lights!

Thank you, I’ll take a look at this as soon as I can.

John

[chris_cussen]

Re: Lights!

Weird lighting faults are usually caused by a poor earth connection.

[HairyDave]

Re: Lights!

Electric faults on fiberglass cars , first check the earth. Part of the electric tool kit should be a wire with clips to go from the battery Neg/Earth to the problem item . This can save hours of messing.

[jpmillington]

Re: Lights!

Thanks All, hopefully I’ll get round to this in the next few days

[David]

Re: Lights!

Electric faults on fiberglass cars , first check the earth. Part of the electric tool kit should be a wire with clips to go from the battery Neg/Earth to the problem item . This can save hours of messing.

Good tip, has saved me many times in the past...

[jpmillington]

Re: Lights!

I’ve had a few minutes this morning and removed both headlamps. I do indeed have partially melted connector plugs. I imagine I should replace these to start with.

[jpmillington]

Re: Lights!

Finally got round to changing the connector plugs for ceramic ones and guess what...... exactly the same situation as before! Well, at least I no longer have melted plugs! Now for further investigations when I get a moment. John

[jpmillington]

Re: Lights!

Hi, I was feeling a bit frustrated with all of this, especially as earlier on I had been trying to repair my Quad tuner (which I’ve had for 35 years or so and which decided to blow up the other day) - replacing capacitors etc to no avail.

So, I thought I’d have a look at the connectors under the apron and the earth before it got dark - guess what? 10 minutes of cleaning/scraping and everything now appears to work fine. All I can say is thanks everyone.

Now, back to the Quad....

[greyV8pete]

Re: Lights!

Hi, I was feeling a bit frustrated with all of this, especially as earlier on I had been trying to repair my Quad tuner (which I’ve had for 35 years or so and which decided to blow up the other day) - replacing capacitors etc to no avail.

So, I thought I’d have a look at the connectors under the apron and the earth before it got dark - guess what? 10 minutes of cleaning/scraping and everything now appears to work fine. All I can say is thanks everyone.

Now, back to the Quad....

As the saying goes, many hands make light(s) work! Glad you sorted it. Peter.

[HairyDave]

Re: Lights!

Not to rub it in , with fiberglas cars ally caravans in fact most auto electric problems check the earth return first. Use a jumper lead from the battery earth to the iffy component, then work back. With caravans especially lighting faults are usually earth faults. Sometimes it is easier to put in a permanent earth return wire rather than fid a hidden corroded conection.

[jpmillington]

Re: Lights!

A little knowledge.... thanks, Dave