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Headlight problem
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Twotone77  



Joined: 22 Jul 2014
Posts: 15
Location: Watkins glen n.y

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:22 pm    Post subject: Headlight problem Reply with quote

Hello one of my headlights come on on low beam only and the other with high beam only very rarely they both come on on high beam any help
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CorsePerVita  



Joined: 25 Jul 2008
Posts: 1992
Location: Redmond, Oregon

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Headlight problem Reply with quote

Twotone77 wrote:
Hello one of my headlights come on on low beam only and the other with high beam only very rarely they both come on on high beam any help


Before going into "replace this or that" - what troubleshooting have you done and what have you tested?

- Do they both not come on with highbeam?
- Does only one or the other come on with highbeams?
- Is the issue intermittent?
- Have you verified that you're getting a good ground at the prong connectors that go to the headlights? Are the correct wires also getting 12v?
- Have you checked your fuses lately?
- How have your relays tested?
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- 1977 Porsche 924 2.0 N/A (Trackday Project)
- 1979 Porsche 924 2.0 N/A (The other daily)
- 1980 Porsche 931 (Daily)
- 1987 Lamborghini Jalpa
- 1999 Ducati 900SS
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Twotone77  



Joined: 22 Jul 2014
Posts: 15
Location: Watkins glen n.y

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Headlight problem Reply with quote

CorsePerVita wrote:
Twotone77 wrote:
Hello one of my headlights come on on low beam only and the other with high beam only very rarely they both come on on high beam any help


Before going into "replace this or that" - what troubleshooting have you done and what have you tested?

- Do they both not come on with highbeam?
- Does only one or the other come on with highbeams?
- Is the issue intermittent?
- Have you verified that you're getting a good ground at the prong connectors that go to the headlights? Are the correct wires also getting 12v?
- Have you checked your fuses lately?
- How have your relays tested?


Only the right side comes on on high beam and the left one on low beam I have checked the fuses and I don't know how to test the relays And yes I have checked the ground and the voltage they are both good
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jason c  



Joined: 13 Jan 2014
Posts: 1018
Location: Nwi

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you sure both beams of both bulbs are good? Start by checking the power supply to the bulbs and work you way back to the fuse.
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Twotone77  



Joined: 22 Jul 2014
Posts: 15
Location: Watkins glen n.y

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jason c wrote:
Are you sure both beams of both bulbs are good? Start by checking the power supply to the bulbs and work you way back to the fuse.


Yes as I replaced both headlights with brand new ones because the ones that where in it where cracked.
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CorsePerVita  



Joined: 25 Jul 2008
Posts: 1992
Location: Redmond, Oregon

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Headlight problem Reply with quote

Twotone77 wrote:
CorsePerVita wrote:
Twotone77 wrote:
Hello one of my headlights come on on low beam only and the other with high beam only very rarely they both come on on high beam any help


Before going into "replace this or that" - what troubleshooting have you done and what have you tested?

- Do they both not come on with highbeam?
- Does only one or the other come on with highbeams?
- Is the issue intermittent?
- Have you verified that you're getting a good ground at the prong connectors that go to the headlights? Are the correct wires also getting 12v?
- Have you checked your fuses lately?
- How have your relays tested?


Only the right side comes on on high beam and the left one on low beam I have checked the fuses and I don't know how to test the relays And yes I have checked the ground and the voltage they are both good


Step 1 to troubleshooting all of your wiring problems is to buy an inexpensive multimeter. Preferably one that can read resistance (ohms) and prod for 12v connections. Harbor freight practically gives them away for nothing if you don't have a huge budget.

Otherwise, I really dig these.

Another thing you can do is make yourself a test light with a known working good 12v bulb and a couple wires. Then probe each of the connectors.

Your headlights will have plug connectors on the back of them. You can use a multimeter to test each one of the connectors at the wires and see if it is getting ground, voltage, etc.

Usually in headlights that only work on high or low, you potentially have a burned out secondary filament. However, before jumping to conclusions, the circuit should be tested.

As Rasta Monsta has recommended in another thread, it is well worth your time to get a haynes manual so you have wiring diagrams at your disposal, as well as some of the common troubleshooting steps to take.

Start with making sure that you're getting a full 12v with the lights "on." Could be anything from burned out filaments, harness problem, grounding issues, relay issues, and keep in mind that just because the bullet fuses aren't blown that they can still be deceivingly bad (and if they look old are only a couple cents a pop and cheap insurance anyway).
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- 1977 Porsche 924 2.0 N/A (Trackday Project)
- 1979 Porsche 924 2.0 N/A (The other daily)
- 1980 Porsche 931 (Daily)
- 1987 Lamborghini Jalpa
- 1999 Ducati 900SS
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Fasteddie313  



Joined: 29 Sep 2013
Posts: 2596
Location: MI

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

my right gets no low, only high..

good ground

dims I get 0v to bulb plug on any pin..

high I get 12v to highs pin and like 1v to dims pin...



watch you headlight plastic covers seat all the way into the bucket when you reinstall them, if there little tongue and groove things aren't seated all the way the plastic face will rub when your lights flip up/down..

you got one Phillips screw at the bottom under the bulb in that plastic face, then the bottom hinges out and you can pull it down from the top, away, then up and out..

then there are 3 small Phillips around the ring, OD of the bulb, and the whole glass bulb comes out from behind that ring with its umbilical cord..

not the long screws that you can see there threads, those are for aiming im pretty sure..
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Fasteddie313  



Joined: 29 Sep 2013
Posts: 2596
Location: MI

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Headlight problem Reply with quote

[quote="CorsePerVita"]and keep in mind that just because the bullet fuses aren't blown that they can still be deceivingly bad [quote]

no joke, a good looking fuse stopped my fuel pumps because of a bad contact.. I was really worried for a minute over it you betcha..
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jason c  



Joined: 13 Jan 2014
Posts: 1018
Location: Nwi

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fasteddie313 wrote:
my right gets no low, only high..

good ground

dims I get 0v to bulb plug on any pin..

high I get 12v to highs pin and like 1v to dims pin...


Hijacker.
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Fasteddie313  



Joined: 29 Sep 2013
Posts: 2596
Location: MI

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jason c wrote:
Fasteddie313 wrote:
my right gets no low, only high..

good ground

dims I get 0v to bulb plug on any pin..

high I get 12v to highs pin and like 1v to dims pin...


Hijacker.


sorry.. im very new to forum etiquette...

924 board is the first forum ive really participated in...

I do apologies for my ignorance and miss steps here and there..
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jason c  



Joined: 13 Jan 2014
Posts: 1018
Location: Nwi

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just kidding with ya. That's what the smiley is for.
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Fasteddie313  



Joined: 29 Sep 2013
Posts: 2596
Location: MI

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jason c wrote:
Just kidding with ya. That's what the smiley is for.



no your probably right...

rasta bitches at me sometimes... he cant be just a prickly one... there must be some merit to it...
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jason c  



Joined: 13 Jan 2014
Posts: 1018
Location: Nwi

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fasteddie313 wrote:
jason c wrote:
Just kidding with ya. That's what the smiley is for.



no your probably right...

rasta bitches at me sometimes... he cant be just a prickly one... there must be some merit to it...


It doesnt bother me. You'll have to ask him about it though when he gets back. I think he's yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off his lawn right now.
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Fasteddie313  



Joined: 29 Sep 2013
Posts: 2596
Location: MI

PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lol
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fiat22turbo  



Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 4040
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The internal headlight switch contacts can also get dirty and cause weird issues. Luckily it's relatively easy to pull the switch and break it down to clean the internal contacts of the switch. Reassembly of the switch itself is not as easy and be very careful of the tiny internal springs and ball bearings that like to bounce across the room.

Finally if you've verified the connections are good to/from and inside the switch as well as the fuse(s) and the connections on the back of the relay board and the ground blooms on the firewall. Then you may have a broken switch on the steering column. Try pushing in, towards the center of the column, on the high beam stalk while pulling it towards you. Though that tends to impact whether you have any headlights/highbeams.

Good luck and welcome!
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1979 924 Carrera GTS (clone-ish)
1988 944 Turbo S (Silver Rose)
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