Headlight

[GV]

Hi guys just a quick lighting question. When I switch on the main headlights both work ok however, when the main beam is flicked only the n/s works with the o/s cutting out completely. When the main beam is switched off both headlights work ok. Any ideas?

Thanks

Andy

[jmorgan]

This rings a bell with regards the earth (??) between the lights. Think the loom comes in the wing passenger side then over to the other. If there is a duff connection there will be issues. Drivers side is at the end if the loom with the passenger in the middle so there are a few connections. I proved the voltage leaving the loom in the light on the passenger side and chased it down.

But memory is also saying the bulb holder was naff on one side at the time with a HR crimp.


Probably worth checking easier things first as it was lamps out to check.

[GV]

I was doing some with the instrument lights when I noticed...!!

[Wedg1e]

There are fourteen separate items needing earths amongst the front-end electrics; as Jeff says some of them do share a ring terminal. All the ring terminals are secured to a stud on the nearside suspension tower. Undo nut, polish your rings (and the nut, washers and chassis surface for best effect!) and reassemble with a smear of Vaseline afterwards to keep the H2O away. If fault persists it could be an individual connector block to the lights that is iffy or (worst case) the loom is corroded.

[jmorgan]

I had the car back after the bump when they started playing up. Tested OK at the garage where the job was done but the connector insides last saw the light of day in 1990 so started to get arsey. This not a critique of the garage. Just shonky automotive connectors, as me old age plays with my memory bit drip back.

I did use a stub needle file on one of the blocks where the leccy comes in and then goes back out to the other side. Never happy cleaning connectors that way but the alternative was replacing the connectors but the copper in the wiring would have been corroded to heck back up the insulations and it was on the drivers side lamp holder that I replaced.

And getting the main lamp out on a 400...... jesus H TVR knew how to do get the dealers rubbing their hands with glee for a bulb change (as per manual instructions)

[GV]

GV said:

I was doing some with the instrument lights when I noticed...!!

.....I was a loose connection going into a connector behind the dash. Tested the bulb first which was ok.