One Bright One Dim Headlight |
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46CJ2A
Member Joined: 06 Feb. 2007 Location: Hartsville, SC Status: Offline Points: 144 |
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Posted: 26 Feb. 2010 at 2:27pm |
I'm finishing up the wiring harness coupling and installation on my Jeep and have a problem with the headlights which I hope someone can help me trouble shoot.
I'm using a new Walck's 12V harness with a new dimmer switch and a new light switch. I temporarily put this harness and the switches on another Jeep a couple months ago before I decided to sell it and everything worked fine at that time.. Now however, the problem is that while I have working turn signals, parking lights, emergency flashers, and brake lights, when I pull the headlight switch all the way out I get one bright headlight and one dim. Then when I click the dimmer switch I have no headlights at all. If I click it back I have the same one dim/one bright scenario. I've tested the headlight bulbs and both have working high and low beams. I've also checked and rechecked the connections on the light switch, dimmer switch, turn signal controller, and amp meter and all are as called for in the Walck's harness instructions. Anything come to mind by way of a solution? Jack
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1949 CJ3A
1951 M38 |
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bkreutz
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 17 Oct. 2006 Location: Fruitland Idaho Status: Offline Points: 7037 |
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Sounds like a ground problem to me, make up a jumper wire and run it from the negative battery cable to the headlight bucket and see if that cures the "dim" condition. I'm thinking the dimmer switch problem is separate from the dim condition. (probably a bad switch or incorrect connection).
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sean
Moderator Group Sponsor Member Joined: 20 July 2005 Location: North Idaho Status: Offline Points: 7388 |
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It may be a short-circuit in one of the headlight wires.
What does the ammeter tell you (engine off) in both positions? In the "dim/bright" position you should have on the order of 10-15 amps discharge (depends on headlamp wattage). Then hit the dimmer switch:
If that doesn't cure the "dim/bright" condition, remove one wire at a time between junction block and headlights. 4 possible combinations, you should find one combination where the dimmer position gives you 2 beams "on", and the other dimmer position will have one beam "off". That's the shorted wire. Sean
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scoutpilot
Member Joined: 30 Dec. 2008 Location: Asheboro, NC Status: Offline Points: 4373 |
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Are these headlights new or old? Are they the same model number?
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rocketeer
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 26 June 2008 Location: Lehighton, PA Status: Offline Points: 3473 |
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Also double check the wiring at the dimmer switch.
Larry |
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46CJ2A
Member Joined: 06 Feb. 2007 Location: Hartsville, SC Status: Offline Points: 144 |
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Thanks guys. With your suggestions I solved the problems.
Dim headlight problem = poor ground.
No low beam lights problem = bad terminal on a brand new dimmer switch. VO meter showed I had 12 volts to "power" terminal, 12 volts to high beam terminal when selected and 0 volts to low beam terminal whether selected or not. I checked my wiring/connections with dimmer switch I had previously taken out of another 50+ year old Jeep (I rarely through anything away :) ) and brights and dims both worked.
Great advise. Chalk up another "save" for the forum.
Jack
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1949 CJ3A
1951 M38 |
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ralf
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 06 May 2008 Location: Fayetteville WV Status: Offline Points: 4861 |
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Sounds like lack of education to me. Some of us are dimmer than others.
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1947 CJ2A
1948 CJ2A 1953 Ford NAA Golden Jubilee Tractor 1941 J-3 Cub 1957 Farmall Cub Low Boy tractor 1942 Clarktor WW2 tug |
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hillbilly21
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 18 June 2006 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 4964 |
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I DISAGREE RALF.... THATS WHAT THIS SITE IS ALL ABOUT...HELPING OUT A FELLOW CJ2A OWNER WHO IS DOING A RESTO..... |
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ralf
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 06 May 2008 Location: Fayetteville WV Status: Offline Points: 4861 |
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Sorry, I forgot to use the smiley faces. It was a pun, on one is "bright" and one is "dim", ie one light was smarter (brighter) than the other. The internet has no emotion, no inflection, had I said that in your presence you would have known I was joking. My bad for not loading up on the Emoticons.
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1947 CJ2A
1948 CJ2A 1953 Ford NAA Golden Jubilee Tractor 1941 J-3 Cub 1957 Farmall Cub Low Boy tractor 1942 Clarktor WW2 tug |
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p3ferris
Member Joined: 22 July 2005 Location: Norfolk Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 3812 |
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I got it right off of the get go. He was talking about the headlights in a joking manner
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Ed
cj2a lefty |
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46CJ2A
Member Joined: 06 Feb. 2007 Location: Hartsville, SC Status: Offline Points: 144 |
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As a life time journalist and university journalism professor, I love a good pun. But I have to also admit to "lacking education" when it comes to AC or DC dealings. I've always considered electricity a black art and I never hesitate to ask those who know about it to help me when I have to deal with it.
So, let me reiterate - thanks guys. My Jeep is fixed and I'll be going to bed tonight pleased at the results. I'll not let anyone dim my enthusiasm tonight. Jack
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1949 CJ3A
1951 M38 |
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p3ferris
Member Joined: 22 July 2005 Location: Norfolk Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 3812 |
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Close thy headlights and get some sleep
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Ed
cj2a lefty |
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Bruce W
Member Joined: 29 July 2005 Location: Northeast Colorado Status: Offline Points: 9611 |
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In England, under the Lucas system, it is! BW
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It is NOT a Jeep Willys! It is a Willys jeep.
Happy Trails! Good-bye, Good Luck, and May the Good Lord Take a Likin' to You! We Have Miles to Jeep, Before We Sleep. |
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CJTWOA
Member Joined: 14 June 2016 Location: Nanticoke, PA Status: Offline Points: 173 |
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Hello.
What are "tracers"?
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As always: thank you.
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Lee MN
Member Joined: 13 Aug. 2008 Location: Harris, MN Status: Offline Points: 4923 |
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Tracer!, if you have a red wire, wth a white stripe on it, the stripe is the tracer..... This way the engineers can use multiple red wires with different color "Tracers' in the same harness. Or purple/yellow or any other combo.
Lee |
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LEE
44 GPW-The Perfected Willys 49 2A “If you wait, you only get older” 67 M715 American Made Rolling History |
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CJTWOA
Member Joined: 14 June 2016 Location: Nanticoke, PA Status: Offline Points: 173 |
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Thank you!
I'm considering using THHN and running the wiring myself - so I guess I wont have a tracer! I want to get the wiring harness but WOW .....$300!!!!!!! Thank you very much.
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As always: thank you.
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SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A
Member Sponsor Member x 3 Joined: 22 Jan. 2016 Location: S.E. Kansas Status: Offline Points: 3183 |
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Look at the wiring harness you have installed and the high beam wire leading to the terminal block should be red insulation with 3 white stripes or "tracers" on the insulation. The low beam wire would have black color insulation with 2 white tracers. If you look at the horn wiring, there is one blue with 2 white tracers and one black wire with 2 red tracers.
I have picked the left fender and an example because it is easy to locate and see those wires. The color and tracer is a system that helps locate which wire goes to what... Now you know...
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46 CJ-2A #64462 "Ol' Red" (bought April 1969)(second owner)(12 V, 11" brakes, M-38 frame, MD Juan tub)
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer(ret.) U.S. Army Vietnam veteran and damned proud of it. |
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SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A
Member Sponsor Member x 3 Joined: 22 Jan. 2016 Location: S.E. Kansas Status: Offline Points: 3183 |
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Lee beat me to the subject at hand! He explained the same thing with fewer words!
If you wire it yourself, make sure you use the right gage wire for each circuit. Too small a gage can cause overheating problems. You will need to find a system for permanent labeling each end of each wire so that if you have a problem later, it can be traced down without sorting through every wire in a bundle of wiring. The $300 for a wiring harness may seem like a lot, but it will come with all the terminations and proper lengths all bundled up neatly so the wires end up in their proper locations and all wire will have the proper gage and have standard original equipment colors and tracers. It will also come with a harness wiring diagram so that the right connections can be made with the proper wires. If you get the wiring harness from Walck's or some other vendor be sure to specify what set up you have; that is, turn signals or not, right hand tail light or not. etc. Either way, good luck with your wiring project... |
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46 CJ-2A #64462 "Ol' Red" (bought April 1969)(second owner)(12 V, 11" brakes, M-38 frame, MD Juan tub)
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer(ret.) U.S. Army Vietnam veteran and damned proud of it. |
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