help with lights

[colinrees]

Can anyone help me with a lighting issue.

When i have the lights on main beam (blue indicator on dash) they are dipped and when on dipp they are on main beam (no indicator on dash but both lamp elements on).


Really struggling with this !!


Thanks in advance
Colin

[rev-erend]

Colin - give us a clue.

What model of wedge do you have..

[colinrees]

Ahh i guess thats an important point.

its a 1983 tasmin 280i.


Thanks
Colin

[rev-erend]

So what you are essentially saying is they are the wrong way round.

Dip - is actually main (blue light on dash)
Main - is dipped ..

You can check you wiring diagram if you have a Steve Heath Bible (and I recommend one) but you should find the cable from the bulb comes from a relay - I'm looking at a 400 se diagram.

THere is a relay for Dipped and another for main.

You need to be sure that both lights are swapped around - against a garage wall at night would be easy to see..

You can either swap the cable at the back of the relay (not as easy as it sounds) or swap the dipped / main in each of the lamps..

Perhaps it got made like that.. and every other owner has ignored it.

[colinrees]

Thanks,
When you say swapp the lamps do you mean the bulbs or the wiring ?

Colin

[rev-erend]

The wires..

[jeff m]

Colin,
I second Rev's "be absolutely sure by checking on garage door at night" before getting into wiring swaps.

What happens when you flash the high beams ?
Has someone replaced a relay with the wrong type ?
Or swapped one?

With regard to electrics on older cars, a day spent cleaning every plug connection and fuse, dab of dielectric grease on each can give years of trouble free use. Ground connections too.

[colinrees]

The flashing of high beam doesnt work at all.

I am thinking perhaps its the relay, tracking it down might be a struggle though as i think my TIV has a modified relay board in it and it doesnt match any of the diagrams in the bible.


Thanks for you help so far though


Colin

[chedder]

colinrees said:

The flashing of high beam doesnt work at all.

I am thinking perhaps its the relay, tracking it down might be a struggle though as i think my TIV has a modified relay board in it and it doesnt match any of the diagrams in the bible.


Thanks for you help so far though


Colin

Colin, check the contacts on the steering column (where the stalk for the lights meets the wires) there should be two sets of contacts like a set of points, these are coated in a type of grease that hardens with age and can cause the contacts to stick in the closed position, I had the same problem when I bought my Wedge 8 years ago and it caused an awfull lot of head (and arse) scratching before I eventually found the problem.
Cant promise you have an identical fault as mine, but worth checking.
Chedder

[colinrees]

Thanks for your help so far.

Still struggling though. Here is what i have done so far.

I have removed the switch from the steering column, cleaned the connections no luck, i then removed it completely and made a connnection by connecting the wires directly together and i still get the same problem. So i dont think its the switch.

I then looked at the relays, now my relay board doesnt look anything like that in the diagram, i have an 83 tasmin with coloured wiring, seems to match the diagram on pg 250 and 251 of the bible and the chassis no. is in the correct range so i am using that.

now as far as i can tell there is no seperate relay for dimming the lights ? does it go through head lamp control or is there no relay ?.

I also checked the connections on the lights and these look fine, again only though i had was could this be a function of the bulb ?.


Scratching at straws here. Any more help would be appreciated.


Rgds
Colin

[colinrees]

Ok i am replying to my own post here.

Logic is that if the switch is working correctly.
And if there is no relay to control the power then

the power must be going directly to the bulb so it must be something at the lamp end.

either
1) Wrong bulb.
2) Bulb in wrong
3) Lamp in wrong.


help me with my logic here ?


Colin

[jeff m]

Colin, Headlamps always have relays due to power consumption.
I have an 85 280, we got manuals with our cars they are not complete but better than nothing.
I think Steve H probably used the diags from these manuals (officially of course) but I think some of the legends were omitted in the bible.

For the purpose of faulting the lights I suggest using USA diags (because I have reliable legends.)
So page 256...
Legend for the parts you need are
Switch lights on 91
switch main/dip 94
Relays for headlamp motor operation 76,77,78 (Can be ignored)
Headlamp control 74 (4 pin two contact relay)
Headlamp dip & main 75 (5 pin changeover contact relay)
Actual headlamps are 85 (main) & 86 (Dim,sorry dip)

Fuse 58 for main, 57 for dips (tip.... fuse panels make good test points)

Lights off both relays normal
Lights on (switch 91) relay 74 operates, operate switch 94 (main /dip) relay 75 should op and change over power from fuse 57 to 58.

If you find relay 75 is operating on dip, it's possible that the diode is reversed or gone bad but I thought that scewed the motor relays also and yours are ok.
Good luck.

I hope this is understandable.

Note pin 85 and 86 on relays are the coil with pin 86 usually ground.

[rev-erend]

It's starting to sound like a relay issue - why not just buy 2 replacement relays - and find the relay by listening for the click or touching each relay whilst turning the lights on / off..

Just replace it and see if it fixes the problem (or you could just swap with another relay for now)

[colinrees]

To all,
Well today i finally cracked it.

after swapping relay's taking most of the wiring apart i discovered that i had put the light pods back in the wrong sides of the car DOH !!.

The connectors are left and right handed !.


Thanks for everyones help here, good news is I now have a pretty good understand of the lighting system on the car.

Rgds
Colin

[Comadis]

STOP!!!

first you have to ask yourself: since when do i have this problem?
2nd: what happend before the problem occured?

such a problem does not come over night without anybody touching the car.