| High Beams Failed [message #85863] |
Mon, 24 May 2010 16:56  |
 |
Bob M
Messages: 100
Registered: August 2005
Location: Carlisle, PA
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Last night I discovered I had no high beams. The parking lights and regular beams worked fine, as did all the markers. I could find no loose wires so I took off the dash cover to look for the light switch. I could not get my hand behind the dash to work on the dash switch nor could I see how to remove it. Here are my questions: Dimmer switch or headlight switch bad? How do I get behind the dash to work on the light switch and lastly, how do I remove it?
Bob Moss
'77 Eleganza II
Bob Moss
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: High Beams Failed [message #85893 is a reply to message #85863] |
Mon, 24 May 2010 18:37  |
C Boyd
Messages: 2629
Registered: April 2006
Karma: 18
|
Senior Member |
|
|
| Bob M wrote on Mon, 24 May 2010 17:56 |
Last night I discovered I had no high beams. The parking lights and regular beams worked fine, as did all the markers. I could find no loose wires so I took off the dash cover to look for the light switch. I could not get my hand behind the dash to work on the dash switch nor could I see how to remove it. Here are my questions: Dimmer switch or headlight switch bad? How do I get behind the dash to work on the light switch and lastly, how do I remove it?
Bob Moss
'77 Eleganza II
|
Sir: Does the high beam indicator in the speedometer come on? If it does it probably is the bulbs. If it doesn`t it probably is the dimmer switch. You have to remove the 2 mounting screws in floor before you can unplug it. The headlight switch sends power to the dimmer switch so it is probably doing its job. But in answer to your question the headlight switch is acessable from under the rear dash cover. 1 screw on each end.
C. Boyd
76 Crestmont
East Tennessee
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: High Beams Failed [message #85901 is a reply to message #85863] |
Mon, 24 May 2010 18:58 |
amdgmcman
Messages: 76
Registered: April 2007
Location: Long Beach, CA
Karma: 0
|
Member |
|
|
Is your dimmer switch on the floor ... or on the steering column? On my 78 Royale you pull on the turn signal stalk, instead of moving it up and down as you would when operating the left/right turn indicators to operate the high-low dimmer. When my brights wouldn't operate, I connected the extension tube to an aerosol can of electrical contact cleaner, and inserted the tube into where the stalk connects to the steering column, and shot a good dose of cleaner into the interior of the column where the stalk connects to the column. A great deal of black dust shot out as it cleaned the terminal connections and the brights have worked great since.
AMDGMCMan
Alan M DeLuccio
78 Royale with
Coachmen,Center Kitchen Floorplan
09 Harley Davidson Street Glide
65 Corvair Monza Convertible
96 RAV4 2 door Manual 4WD
Long Beach, CA
|
|
|
|
| Re: High Beams Failed [message #85917 is a reply to message #85901] |
Mon, 24 May 2010 19:38 |
C Boyd
Messages: 2629
Registered: April 2006
Karma: 18
|
Senior Member |
|
|
| amdgmcman wrote on Mon, 24 May 2010 19:58 |
Is your dimmer switch on the floor ... or on the steering column? On my 78 Royale you pull on the turn signal stalk, instead of moving it up and down as you would when operating the left/right turn indicators to operate the high-low dimmer. When my brights wouldn't operate, I connected the extension tube to an aerosol can of electrical contact cleaner, and inserted the tube into where the stalk connects to the steering column, and shot a good dose of cleaner into the interior of the column where the stalk connects to the column. A great deal of black dust shot out as it cleaned the terminal connections and the brights have worked great since.
|
Sir: the dimmer on the stalk feature is a neet option added by a PO. It is about a 6 hour job that takes me 3 days. You can also add elec wiper and washer switches, late model cruise switch, cornering lights, and the Caddy telescopic feature. However the dimmer switch is on the outside on the lower part of the column. It bolts to the same place as the ignition switch. It is controled by a rod that runs down inside the column and is pushed by the lever. You probably blew the crud out and gave the lever more room to push the rod that pushes the switch.
http://www.gmceast.com/technical/Sowers_Steering_Column_Upgrade_Repair.pdf
C. Boyd
76 Crestmont
East Tennessee
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: High Beams Failed [message #86082 is a reply to message #85863] |
Tue, 25 May 2010 20:46 |
 |
RF_Burns
Messages: 2277
Registered: June 2008
Location: S. Ontario, Canada
Karma: 3
|
Senior Member |
|
|
I checked the manual for the headlight wiring tonight. There is a 25Amp circuit breaker built into the headlight switch. As built, there is a single wire off the headlight switch contact to the dimmer switch which is a single pole double pole switch (SPDT). In other words, there is power to the low beams OR the high beams.
If the dimmer switch is operating properly, the low beam filaments should go out and the high beams come ON. If the low beams stay ON then there is something wrong with the dimmer switch, or a mod has been done to the wiring.
I'm still thinking the muted clicking you are hearing is the circuit breaker tripping and resting due to a short in the high beam wiring.
Do the low beams go out when you click the dimmer switch to high beam?
Turn on one of the dome lights at the front over the seats, if the CB is tripping you should see that light dim under the load of the short circuit until the CB trips. Or even watch the park and clearance lights at night.
Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.
1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
|
|
|
|
GMCforum
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
