Headlights not working on low beam??
Submitted: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 21:14
ThreadID:
33734
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26187
Replies:
9
FollowUps:
2
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TroopyTracker
Gday,
5.30 am, driving down same winding dirt road I have been every day for a month or so now and notice a plastic/electrical burning smell. Had just dipped the lights a couple of times for on coming traffic. Was that time of day when the lights aren't doing much but the sun isn't light enough yet. Didn't notice till I was nearly at work, but the only light coming from the front of the car was from one of the
driving lights (one must have been blown-hadn't noticed it either).
Get
home tonight, ring my auto elec father in law for some help. He says he's had the exact same thing happen to his 75 series ute (
mine is a 75 series troopy) and his camry!! Aparantly Toyota wire their headlights in the cruisers in a fairly crappy way. Heaps of currnet runs through a fairly long run of wire and the connection under the column melts/dies eventually. Pull the connection under the steering column as this is where the problem was in both his vehicles. The connection fails in the join and it's just a matter of bypassing the connector. Problem,
mine is perfect, looks in perfect nick. I gave it a spray, wiggled it around etc no change. Head light fuses were fine forgot to mention.
Funny thing is the blue high beam light comes on when you turn the head lights on but no lights, push the stalk forward for high beam and they work!! No low beam though??? I'm out of ideas (didn't have many to start with). Anyone with same vehicle know what the go is here? Theres power at the back of the lights when you turn them on but no go which I'm told means the problems in the switching/a relay somewhere?
Thanks for any help
Matt
Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 21:25
Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 21:25
Are both globes blown?
AnswerID:
171815
Reply By: Motherhen - Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 21:25
Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 21:25
Happened to me a few years back - can't remember which Landcruiser ute; the 1996 one i think - i was heading to another property with a heavy load of strainer posts. The fulls came on after a short delay, but nothing on dip.
The gap of darkness got longer each try, so it was a matter of leave them on full beam. You can imagine how popular i was with oncoming traffic; lights on full and pointing
well up due to load. Can't for the life of me remember what the cause was - something simple the auto electrician changed when i got back.
AnswerID:
171816
Follow Up By: Member - Doug T (QLD) - Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 21:47
Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 21:47
would it have the R E L A Y
FollowupID:
427308
Follow Up By: Motherhen - Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 21:57
Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 21:57
Thanks Doug - REALY may have been
FollowupID:
427312
Reply By: Bundy - Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 23:03
Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 23:03
Had a 95 Hilux with what sounds like a similar problem. It was actually in the switch mechanism. The little ball bearing and contacts weren't doing what they were employed to do. I did pull it out and fix it at one stage but found it unreliable and very difficult, extremely fiddly to access and replace. Eventually went to Rawnsleys Autos (Toyota spares specialists,QLD) and bought an new stalk assembly which fixed the problem @$80.00).
Hope this helps!
PS The stalk appeared to be working ok... just had to hold the high beams on all the time for light!!
Cheers
Bundy
AnswerID:
171840
Reply By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 08:04
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 08:04
Just been through this on another car.
Can only be :-
wiring connection somewhere.
switch
relay
bulb
bulb earth.
Start at the bulb and work back with a tester.
AnswerID:
171863
Reply By: Member - MrBitchi (QLD) - Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 08:53
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 08:53
Similar symptom in a Holden years ago, was the light switch.
AnswerID:
171878
Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 09:54
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 09:54
Matt,
If you've been running higher wattage globes than standard in headlights, then it may be the switch. Big dollars, was >$360 for a HJ60 some years back.
Otherwise, try the fusible links, which are situated on the positive lead, adjacent to the battery. One of them controls the headlights. If it is burnt out then headlights will only work on flasher, bit painful holding it on all the time, and you won't win any friends.
If the relay for
driving lights is not wired correctly, then it can put a big load on the light switch circuit, and stuff everything too.
As you have power at lights, may be low beam filaments??
Good luck...
Hooroo...
AnswerID:
171891
Reply By: Member - TPM (SA) - Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 12:08
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 12:08
It happened on my old 75 Troopy also, it was the relay under the dash. good luck : )
AnswerID:
171903
Reply By: greenant - Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 17:41
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 17:41
had the same problem with my HJ60 had to change the contact block/switch assembly for high/ low beam remove steering wheel and column shroud then take out contact block easy to change fixed my problem
greenant
AnswerID:
171963
Reply By: TroopyTracker - Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 20:13
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 20:13
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.
Greeenant got it. Turned out to be a dirty contact in the dip switch, the high beam was pretty dirty also. Gave up and went to an auto elec, had the steering wheel off and the whole assembly out in minutes- easy when you know how I spose. He also supplied and fitted a new globe for one of my
driving lights. $35 for the fix and the globe, can't complain about that.
Interesting thing is he replaced the 130watt globe in the light with a 100watt globe. Didn't tell me at first and got me to have a look to see if I could see the difference. The new one looked brighter, figured it might anyway, but I was amazed that it was a 100watt globe. Apparently the extra watts are lost in heat in lights of this size (IPF 800's). The lower heat also makes the globes last alot longer. Like to thank the ARB
shop who sold me my last 130watt globe, charged me $30 for it and I fitted it myself!
Seeing how hard it is to find a decent any type of tradesman, think I'll be going back to get the lights upgraded to H4's, rewire the headlights with decent wiring and relays. Funny my surprise to finding great service. Happened afew times recently-in country towns everytime. Service is still alive out here, the city blokes would be run out of town with the crap they dish out. I know sometimes you can get shafted in the bush also and can be hard to just run down the road to the other bloke.
Once again, thanks for the replies.
Matt
AnswerID:
171997