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headlights [message #279876]

Sun, 14 June 2015 11:49

winsumlosum

Messages: 64
Registered: July 2013
Location: Pharr, TX

Karma: 2

Member

I think I have a ground gremlin so I need the collective mind. The dash has been completely rewired and all the lights work. Except the passenger's side headlight. What? well if I disconnect that headlight the driver's side stays on like it should BUT if I reconnect it, first the passenger's side and then both will begin to blink so I think it's a ground. BUT where is the ground? The wiring diagram shows that the headlights ground (14g) and "other" (18g) grounds are connected at a single place that is a (10g) ground that I can't find. I tend to discount that ground because all the other lights work. It's only that one headlight, I have replaced it with a known good working headlight and it does the same blinking thing so the $22 question is - HELP Embarassed

Fire away with any possible fixes and I'll try them. I seem to remember that there was a similar situation mentioned on the forum but I can't find it now.

Dave Simmons, Pharr, TX 1977 26'ex Kingsley 455/Thorley's, "The Phoenix" to rise from the ashes again.

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Re: headlights [message #279877 is a reply to message #279876]

Sun, 14 June 2015 12:43

tphipps

Messages: 3005
Registered: August 2004
Location: Spanish Fort, AL

Karma: 9

Senior Member

Have you tried running a separate ground to the frame? Easy to start there.
Tom, MS II

2012 Phoenix Cruiser model 2552 KA4CSG

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Re: headlights [message #279878 is a reply to message #279876]

Sun, 14 June 2015 13:27

JohnL455

Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL

Karma: 12

Senior Member

Blink??? That's one sophistticated ground. Meter at the lamp to see if you are loosing hot or ground. Sounds to me like the switch circuit breaker is tripping and resetting. It's supposed to do that when overloaded to see if your wiring to the filaments is correct.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II

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Re: headlights [message #279879 is a reply to message #279876]

Sun, 14 June 2015 13:28

JohnL455

Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL

Karma: 12

Senior Member

So see. Iphone.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II

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Re: [GMCnet] headlights [message #279880 is a reply to message #279876]

Sun, 14 June 2015 13:38

James Hupy

Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010

Karma: -62

Senior Member

Dave, the lighting harness from both sides of the coach front have their
ground wires included in the harness. The grounds terminate at the aluminum
plate that is behind the hatches in the front of the coach. They should be
black and secured with fasteners to the plate through ring terminals. There
can be corrosion at those junctions. Check for bright and shiny as well as
tightened securely. Other place that comes to mind is the lamp connectors.
They are frequently wet and corrosion there will cause high resistance.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Or
78 GMC ROYALE 403
On Jun 14, 2015 9:49 AM, "Dave Simmons" wrote:

> I think I have a ground gremlin so I need the collective mind. The dash
> has been completely rewired and all the lights work. Except the passenger's
> side headlight. What? well if I disconnect that headlight the driver's
> side stays on like it should BUT if I reconnect it, first the passenger's
> side
> and then both will begin to blink so I think it's a ground. BUT where is
> the ground? The wiring diagram shows that the headlights ground (14g) and
> "other" (18g) grounds are connected at a single place that is a (10g)
> ground that I can't find. I tend to discount that ground because all the
> other
> lights work. It's only that one headlight, I have replaced it with a known
> good working headlight and it does the same blinking thing so the $22
> question is - HELP :blush: Fire away with any possible fixes and I'll try
> them. I seem to remember that there was a similar situation mentioned on the
> forum but I can't find it now.
> --
> Dave Simmons, Pharr, TX 1977 26'ex Kingsley 455/Thorley's, "The Phoenix"
> to rise from the ashes again.
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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>
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Re: [GMCnet] headlights [message #279959 is a reply to message #279880]

Mon, 15 June 2015 16:51

winsumlosum

Messages: 64
Registered: July 2013
Location: Pharr, TX

Karma: 2

Member

Thank you one and all. The fix? replaced the headlight switch with the "old" one. It seems that in their infinite wisdom the "New" switches have an extra blade that will produce just such anomalies as I had. The old plugin will fit the new switch (that takes the place of), so does not look like it's a problem until you have what happened to me. So now off to see if I can find a NOS switch just in case this 30 odd year old one fails!

Dave Simmons, Pharr, TX 1977 26'ex Kingsley 455/Thorley's, "The Phoenix" to rise from the ashes again.

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Re: [GMCnet] headlights [message #279969 is a reply to message #279959]

Mon, 15 June 2015 18:31

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

I do not know where you got that switch but the AutoZone (Wells brand) replacement GM headlight switch works just fine.

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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Re: [GMCnet] headlights [message #279976 is a reply to message #279969]

Mon, 15 June 2015 23:22

winsumlosum

Messages: 64
Registered: July 2013
Location: Pharr, TX

Karma: 2

Member

Ken, it seems that different (Autozone, O'Reillys, Advanced Etc.) do not always get their parts from the same place. My "new" switch was from Autozone BUT was not a Wells brand part, they did say that it was a direct replacement part. I find most (not all) of the counter people are not very knowledgeable, if the book says thus and so, that's it as far as they know and will not go beyond that. I guess that from now on will have to check multiple places on parts to see if there are alternatives to what should be an easy replacement. I just wanted it today and not next week. Thank goodness it wasn't any thing fubar! I am getting closer to the exciting part of using it on a regular basis, Laughing

Dave Simmons, Pharr, TX 1977 26'ex Kingsley 455/Thorley's, "The Phoenix" to rise from the ashes again.

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Re: headlights [message #279981 is a reply to message #279876]

Tue, 16 June 2015 06:09

skip2

Messages: 544
Registered: September 2011
Location: Winter Haven,FL (center o...

Karma: 3

Senior Member

I have the original 41 year old switch, to help it stay alive I rewired my headlights through cube relays, took most of the load off of it and the dimmer which I have seen get very hot by bad connections. And the biggest plus was the lights are much brighter. I made my own conversion, but I'm sure there are kits out there. I believe the ornamental guy in CA has them. http://appliedgmc.com/prod.itml/icOid/1388 . Money well spent.
Skip Hartline

74 Canyon Lands, FiTech, 3.7 FD LSD, Manny Tranny, Springfield Distributor, 2001 Chevy Tracker Ragtop Towd

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Re: headlights [message #279991 is a reply to message #279981]

Tue, 16 June 2015 07:04

thesmith

Messages: 589
Registered: February 2015
Location: Cary, NC

Karma: 6

Senior Member

skip2 wrote on Tue, 16 June 2015 07:09

I have the original 41 year old switch, to help it stay alive I rewired my headlights through cube relays, took most of the load off of it and the dimmer which I have seen get very hot by bad connections. And the biggest plus was the lights are much brighter. I made my own conversion, but I'm sure there are kits out there. I believe the ornamental guy in CA has them. http://appliedgmc.com/prod.itml/icOid/1388 . Money well spent.
Skip Hartline

Way back in the mid 80s I rented a GM powered Cruise America Brand New 22ft class A Winnebago..........towards the end of our two weeks in the rockies (5-8 mpg going up and down mountains) there
was a smell of burning and the headlight switch was smoking hot. Parked up overnight in loveland Colorado in an unbuilt industrial zone (which turned out to be the local teenage drinkers hangout!) fought off more mosquitos than you would think possible and the next morning went to local GM dealer who sold be a new switch and showed me how to fit it.
Not 100% sure if it was the switch that was the problem as we avoided driving in the dark after that!
I liked the Winnebago but build quality was poor.Lots of things either didn't work or broke in the two weeks we had it.

Cary, NC 1978 Center Kitchen Royale.

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Re: [GMCnet] headlights [message #280031 is a reply to message #279981]

Tue, 16 June 2015 13:48

powerjon

Messages: 2446
Registered: January 2004

Karma: 5

Senior Member

Skip,
I have also taken the loads of the factory switches using 30 & 40A relays. I have also documented every change that I have done electrically in the Coach Maintenance Log so future owners will know what was done.

JR Wright
GMC Great Laker MHC
GMC Eastern States
GMCGL Tech Editor
GMCMHI
78 GMC Buskirk 30’ Stretch
1975 GMC Avion (Under Reconstruction)
Michigan

> On Jun 16, 2015, at 7:09 AM, Skip Hartline wrote:
>
> I have the original 41 year old switch, to help it stay alive I rewired my headlights through cube relays, took most of the load off of it and the
> dimmer which I have seen get very hot by bad connections. And the biggest plus was the lights are much brighter. I made my own conversion, but I'm
> sure there are kits out there. I believe the ornamental guy in CA has them. http://appliedgmc.com/prod.itml/icOid/1388 . Money well spent.
> Skip Hartline
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist

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J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
GMC Eastern States
GMCMI
78 30' Buskirk Stretch
75 Avion Under Reconstruction
Michigan

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