Hey all.
I'm having troubles with my headlights in the Baja.
Ever since I wired the car when I switch from high to low beam the little blue light on the speedo stays on, it just gets dimmer. I've also noticed that when the high beams are on the low beams are also still on. The wire is run from the high beam wire that runs from the fuse box to the back of the headlight.
I've just added driving lights to the car and I've also run the feed for the switching relay off the other high beam wire that runs from the fuse box to the back of the light. But the spotlights are always on, high or low beam makes no difference, the same as the dash light. As far as I can tell (I've checked ten times) all the wiring is correct and brand new. I made a whole new harness for the car when I built it and it's only 3 months old.
Can anyone help or make suggestions of what to look for?
Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
hi
It could be an earth issue.
Steve
1303Steve wrote:hi
It could be an earth issue.
Steve
With the headlights?
Smiley
😎If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
got a spare headlight relay you can try?
sounds like its not latching properly
Joel wrote:got a spare headlight relay you can try?
sounds like its not latching properly
It doesn't have a headlight relay.
There is one on the spotlights, it's brand new and working.
Smiley
😎If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
Oops was forgetting its a 6 volt bug
Your getting feedback on both sides so your dipper switch mustnt be switching between both sides properly
probably got moisture or crud in it
Joel wrote:Oops was forgetting its a 6 volt bug
Your getting feedback on both sides so your dipper switch mustnt be switching between both sides properly
It's a 6V car but it's all been converted to 12V.
And I tried three different dipper switches including a brand new one, made no difference
😀😀😀
Any more ideas?
Smiley
😎If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
If its not in the switch then you've got a crossed wire somewhere, probably the insulation has chaffed through and they're touching together
Joel wrote:If its not in the switch then you've got a crossed wire somewhere, probably the insulation has chaffed through and they're touching together
Will have another look tomorrow. The only thing that worries me about this theory is that it has been like this from day one. So unless I bared the wires during install they're unliking to have rubbed through overnight.
Smiley
😎If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
Is it a new loom?
Joel wrote:Is it a new loom?
Yes. The car has all new wires front to back.
Smiley
😎If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
sounds like you have not got a good earth at both, or one of the headlights so its back feeding through the other filament to get to earth..somewhere.
Make sure that the common return wire (the 3rd wire, not lo beam feed, not hi beam feed), at each headlight is really well connected, and follow it back under the bonnet area to where it should jump out of the loom and be screwed into the body steel.
Joel wrote:got a spare headlight relay you can try?
sounds like its not latching properly
JUST A PUSH ON PUSH OFF SWITCH - HEADLAMP SWITCH
THOSE SWITCHES DON;T USUALLY GIVE ANY PROBLEMS...
LEE
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
Ok. So I changed the earths from the headlights to the body and made them a little beefier. And checked over every single wire again, pulled the headlights out and checked the plugs on the back to make sure they weren't touching or anything.
Problem is still there.
Can anyone suggest a method of testing so I can determine where the bleed from the hi beam to the lo beam circuits is occurring. I've been messing around with a multimeter for a little while, but what can I say, I'm stupid and don't really know what I'm doing 🤪
Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
Hi
Do have the wire the correct way around on the bulbs?
Steve
1303Steve wrote:Hi
Do have the wire the correct way around on the bulbs?
Steve
Steve I owe you a drink my friend!
The wires we around in an incorrect order. I swapped them and all problems have been resolved. I would have never even thought to check there. Low and high beam work perfectly, no blue light in the dash on low beam, and the spotlights are behaving how they should.
Many thanks, problem solved.
Smiley
😎If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
Hi
Glad to help.
That image I posted is handy to have around, its the same wiring order for any car, colours may vary.
Notice the the way the VW engineers did the wiring, brown for earth, white for high beam as they are brighter than yellow for low beam.
Steve
