• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.

    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Lack of light

rustie

Freshman Member
Offline
Both my main beams, including the high beam are not working, ie nothing from the main lamps. All other lights and electrical systems seem to be fine.

They were working the previous day but have decided not to shine today.

Can you hook up the battery to the lamp directly to test? (I've dismantled one side) - I also shoved a test lamp into the (live) plug of the lamp with no joy - I tried all combinations as there are three connections.

Maybe the switch is playing up, but before I remove the dash I want to explore the easier options...

Also, if one lamp is faulty, will it effect both lamps?

<span style="font-style: italic">One 1970 Midget in the dark......</span>
 
The only time I had both lights go out like what you are experiencing was when the power lead came loose from the switch.
 
BULLET CONNECTORS
or
FUSE BOX
or
LIGHT SWITCH

"Can you hook up the battery to the lamp directly to test?
YES you can test the bulbs this way.
 
Or the stalk high/low switch.
 
I also would start at the fuses first, then check the switch!
 
Well they're going again - but there's a story of course.. I pryed the switch out so it was visable under the dash and they worked. I then put the switch back and they stopped again!
I repeated the process and they are still working, so I'm hoping some gremlin has been released. A new switch is over $100 in my currency so I'm not too kean on getting a new one - unless i really really have to.

+++++++++

Another really weird thing happened. I took some wires off my tacho so I could get my hand behind the dash but forgot to put them back on again. The weird thing is with these wires disconnected my engine wouldn't fire??? Turn over yes, fire no... huh?? I haven't retested this case, I'm too scared...
 
rustie said:
Well they're going again - but there's a story of course.. I pryed the switch out so it was visable under the dash and they worked. I then put the switch back and they stopped again!
I repeated the process and they are still working, so I'm hoping some gremlin has been released. A new switch is over $100 in my currency so I'm not too kean on getting a new one - unless i really really have to.

+++++++++

Another really weird thing happened. I took some wires off my tacho so I could get my hand behind the dash but forgot to put them back on again. The weird thing is with these wires disconnected my engine wouldn't fire??? Turn over yes, fire no... huh?? I haven't retested this case, I'm too scared...
I know how you feel. I was not at all satisfied with the mechanical quality, the electrical quality, or the wiring of that switch.
 
sounds to me like a loose wire. ie loose where it attaches to the switch.
 
Back
Top