I put my lights on full beam, and it got darker...

[staffs_til_i_die 0]

Hi,

 

Driving home tonight, and reached some dark country lanes. I put my lights on full beam, and they dimmed, rather than giving me full power. I stopped and had a look, and it's both of them. Is this a wiring thing rather than a bulb issue? :?

[staffs_til_i_die 0]

Anyone?

[Dub_nut_g60 0]

Id put money on it being another case of an uprated loom relay failing

[staffs_til_i_die 0]

Thanks. I don't think an uprated loom has been fitted,but some previous owner obviously fancied themselves as a bit of an electrician, as I had a problem before when the fuel pump was wired into the indicators. If I find the man who did it...

 

If it's not an uprated loom (i.e. it's still sporting its original) what else could it be?

[neil20vtc 0]

Id put money on it being another case of an uprated loom relay failing

 

sorry to hijack your thread but this has happened to mine any idea where i could get a new one?

[Alexander 0]

Yeah when I put my full beams on, it doesn't get much brighter, although the beam goes out for a greater distance. I thought it was just because it's got xenon-effect uprated bulbs in the normal beam and not in the full beam?

[staffs_til_i_die 0]

Jeffcabbage - check out this thread:

 

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=51571&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

 

There's a bit of a queue though...

[Mystic Rado 0]

Hi,

 

Driving home tonight, and reached some dark country lanes. I put my lights on full beam, and they dimmed, rather than giving me full power. I stopped and had a look, and it's both of them. Is this a wiring thing rather than a bulb issue? :?

 

When you say 'full beam' do you mean main beam or dip? If it's main beam - ie the blue warning light's illuminated - which lights are lit up? Ditto if it's dip beam. Are you saying that when you pull back the indicator stalk to give main beam, you just get sidelights? Or just the inner or outer lights?

 

First thing I'd do is check the bulbs. For some reason they often seem to blow in pairs, probably cos they went in the same time and have roughly the same lifetime. It happened to me once and because both dips were out, I was convinced there was a wiring problem, but it was just simultaneous bulb death.

 

If you've already got some sort of uprated loom fitted, check the main beam circuit solenoid, if it dies, that'd mean nil power on that circuit. I'm guessing you've checked the fuses already?

 

Then there's the headlight switch - they die too. But anyway, I'd start off by using a test meter to see if you're getting power at the headlight connectors, if you are then change the bulbs and see if that sorts it. If you're not then the fault's before the actual headlights, so check fuses and take it from there.

[staffs_til_i_die 0]

Thanks Mystic Rado - that's a very thorough list. Will get my torch and get out there...

[neil20vtc 0]

Jeffcabbage - check out this thread:

 

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=51571&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

 

There's a bit of a queue though...

 

yeah cheers fella i think thats who my loom came from in the first place i have pm'ed him asking if he could get a replacement relay but he aint replyed

 

good luck gettin yours sorted btw

[HiAsAKite 0]

Not quite the same, but I had the headlight switch 'fail' on me a month back- rather worrying heading down the unlit part of the M1 at night with just sidelights- solution was a bit of WD40 in the switch unit which restored it to working again..

 

 

Just a suggestion before you start ripping bits of loom out etc- you never know, you may be lucky its just something 'trivial'..

 

 

Good luck,

 

Al.

[staffs_til_i_die 0]

Right. Bought myself some Phillips Xtreme 80% brighter bulbs, fitted one, and it's not made any difference...

 

Fuses then. Where are they?! I did have a PDF copy of the Bentley manual but have lost it. Anyone got one then could send me?

[staffs_til_i_die 0]

Just been out again and checked the switch. It's knackered. Lots of bits of the plastic inside have broken, and so it may be that it's not pushing on the other part of the switch. Is this a generally crap part as when I bought the car, there was the same switch, broken again in the driver's door bin.

 

Also, noticed that when I put main beam on (blue light on), something clicks behind the headlight on the near side (but not on the drivers side). Is this a relay problem?

[Mystic Rado 0]

Just been out again and checked the switch. It's knackered. Lots of bits of the plastic inside have broken, and so it may be that it's not pushing on the other part of the switch. Is this a generally crap part as when I bought the car, there was the same switch, broken again in the driver's door bin.

 

Also, noticed that when I put main beam on (blue light on), something clicks behind the headlight on the near side (but not on the drivers side). Is this a relay problem?

 

Have you seen this from the Wiki on headlight switch repair? It's a common problem caused by the switch heating up with the current running through it and the plastic getting brittle.

 

As far as the clicking goes, unless there's an uprated loom fitted, there shouldn't be a relay I don't think, so no idea what that's all about. Have a look and make sure there's not some wiring going back from your headlight plug on the passenger side to the battery probaby with a fuse on one side and some relays on the other.

[staffs_til_i_die 0]

Right, clearly I have an "uprated" headlight loom, as parts of it are zip-tied onto the car. Can't imagine Karman did that...

 

Found some fuses tucked away down the side of the battery, changed those and hey presto - lights!

 

Thanks for all the tips. Still need to get the switch fixed though as turning the lights on and off is a bit of mission!