The Low Down On Low Beam Headlights

[GODTHRILA]

Hi guys... I have posted this in the maintenece section... but I know people from WA are smarter and more helpful (shameless ass kissing), so please check out the link below to the full thread and help me out so I don't resort to driving with no lights on and using "the force".

full thread here

[342Four]

do what i saw in the "dodgy things you have done to your car thread" in GA - tape aluminium foil over the top 1/3 of your lights, and just use your high beams

apart from that, have you traced the wiring back?

i know it prob be a bitch of a job, but you could spend the $200 on a switch to find that its not that....

[GODTHRILA]

do what i saw in the "dodgy things you have done to your car thread" in GA - tape aluminium foil over the top 1/3 of your lights, and just use your high beams

apart from that, have you traced the wiring back?

i know it prob be a bitch of a job, but you could spend the $200 on a switch to find that its not that....

Nice one Ash!!!... can i put a summernats style beer carton shaker scoop on the bonnet too!?!?!

The wires were traced using a multi meter by the auto sparky and 2 techs here at work for good measure... it is definately in the switch.

I have also tried the "dodgy things you have done to your car thread" trick of banging it while swearing at it and throwing salt over my left shoulder... I had no joy

[ossie_21]

Ah the good old dipper switch, had to replace mine as well when my headlights were screwing around & only having one on at a time. A lot more expensive then I thought as well at the time

ps try throwing the car over your left shoulder not salt kk

[Shayde]

Well, I can tell you a way to get them working..

You're gonna need some 2amp red cable, a good earth, a relay and some higher amperage cable, probably at least 20amp red/black (figure 8) cable.

I just wrote up a quick 1 step guide, but I'd recommend getting someone who would know what to do with those materials to install it.

Edit: I'll be doing the same (only to my high beams) because my lights flicker when my low and high beams are on at the same time.

(They were wired that way when the xenons were fit and the xenons just seem to draw too much current for the existing cables.

Usually when you put high beams on, the low beams switch off and vice versa).

[GODTHRILA]

Thanks for the input guys... a little more searching found that the light circuits definately DON'T use relays so the full current for low and high beams is running through the swtich... bad news.

Changing or fixing the switch is only a partial fix... the current will still flow through the switch and so will burn out what ever replacement you use. The only sure way to fix the problem is to remove the current from the switch by using relays. I have attached a circuit diagram I found on the forums so its just a few wires and 2 relays.

I am going to rig this up over the next few days and probably fit it into the car over this weekend... I'll try and take some good pictures and let everyone know what wires should go where... I would recommend everyone to make this mod before your lights play up, as it is inevitable that it will happen to all these switchs... unless you only drive during the day?

[Boss-zilla]

hey godthrila,

i had the same problem with my r32 gtst. that fix you have found is what i did and i had no problem after. If it helps i know a little in this electrical area, pm me and ill give you my number if you get stuck. I also have a r32 english work shop manual with all the wiring diagrams.

rtk

[fr0st]

I have the same problem at the moment, my driver's side HID won't turn on properly because they draw 20 amps on startup and the switch is old. A relay should fix it... I'm just lazy

[KeeFy]

I have the same problem at the moment, my driver's side HID won't turn on properly because they draw 20 amps on startup and the switch is old. A relay should fix it... I'm just lazy

That is why hid kits come with the relay wires ? *slap*

[heller44]

As I posted in the other thred, make sure you use a fuse on the supply line. Don't want burnt wiring / engine fire now do we..

You'll still have to service the switch assembly, but that will only take you about 1/2 hr to do.

Clean up the contacts, stretch the little springs out a bit and make sure it all goes back together correctly and you'll be fine.

james.

[GODTHRILA]

As promised, here is the basic details of how I put an end to my head light problems:

1) Removed trim pannels to gain access to dash cluster surround

2) Unplug wires and remove switch assembly (the switch knob will pull off, and a couple of tiny screws hold the switch in place)

3) Carefully seperate the switch assembly and clean the metal contacts

4) Repair the spring loaded plastic contact selectors. The springs on the outside 2 selectors (left and right low beam) seemed to be suffering, so rather than adjust the spring I rased the seat of the spring by adding a small piece of hard plastic (offcut from a cable tie). The middle selector (park lights) was fine, probably due to less current flow, so I left this.

5) Re-assemble switch and test

6) Using a test light I worked out the which wires are for what. Being a switch, there is a input and an output (see below)

Ground - Black/Double Grey Dot

Drivers Side Input - Red/White Stripe/Grey Dot

Drivers Side Output - Orange/Black Stripe/Grey Dot

Passenger Side Input - Red/Grey Dot

Passenger Side Output - Orange/Blue Stripe/Grey Dot

Park Light Input - Green/Red Stripe/Grey Dot

Park Light Output - Red/Blue Stripe/Grey Dot

7) Cut plug and prepair the loom side and plug side to be wired to the relay set-up.

8) Wire up as per diagram but use 1 relay for drivers side and 1 for passengers side (not low beam/high beam as per diagram)

9) Test the modification has worked and the head lights and park lights are all working and the relays are "clicking"

10) Neaten everything up, there should be plenty of space along the factory wiring loom to secure the extra wires and relays to

11) Re-assemble the dash cluster and trim pannels

Dash cluster with switch removed

Black cable tie off cuts in the 2 outer contact selector spring seats

Contact selectors all level now with good spring tension

Plug cut away from loom

Relays wired into factory loom and plug

Wiring diagram (Use as drivers side and passenger side, not low beam high beam)

Parts and tools you will need:

2x Relays (I used these from Altronics)

1-1.5m of high current cable (I used this from Altronics)

electrical tape (a small amount of heat-shrink is also usefull)

solder

soldering iron

phillips head screwdriver (fat head #2 and thin head #1)

small flat blade screwdriver (watchmakers flat head or similar)

testlight (or multi-meter)

cutters

toothbrush (or something to clean the switch contacts)

contact cleaner (or some kind of alchol cleaner)

I hope this is easy enough to follow... if it's not, show it to your auto sparky if your headlights ever start to play up and ask them to fix it... hardly any parts and only a few hours work so it shouldn't cost an arm and a leg either.

Now that I have "enlightened" you (very bad joke but had to throw it in there)... go fourth and brighten up your nightlife (the bad jokes continue).

Scotty

[GODTHRILA]

As I posted in the other thred, make sure you use a fuse on the supply line. Don't want burnt wiring / engine fire now do we..

You'll still have to service the switch assembly, but that will only take you about 1/2 hr to do.

Clean up the contacts, stretch the little springs out a bit and make sure it all goes back together correctly and you'll be fine.

james.

Thanks for the tip James but there is no need for any additional fuses... there is already a factory headlight fuse for both drivers side and passenger side in the engine bay, and so long as the job is carried out properly (i.e. all connections securely soldered and no bare wires) there shouldn't be any wires sparking and burning. Using high current relays and cable is also a good preventative measure... the relays I used are rated at 40amp when the factory fuse is only 15amp per side.

I wouldn't recommend simply servicing the switch assembly. Doing this is only treating the obvious problem, it's not solving where the issue is originating from (too much current). If anyone is going to take the time to pull their switch apart... do yourself a favour and wire up the relays at the same time... it will mean that it is the only time you will need to repair the switch.

[heller44]

Since you are not using the diagram you posted, but working around the switch mechanism itself, my comment isn't quite as accurate in your circumstance, because you are working inside the circuit protected by the headlight fuses, but others should still be advised to use a fuse if they are going to follow the diagram to do this.

One con of doing it your way is that you will still have the volt drop of all that wiring to the headlight. Have you measured the difference between the battery voltage and the voltage at the lights? Some have seen up to 2v dropped in that run. Using relays right up front of the engine bay will increase the brightness of the headlights, which is the main reason that I have to get up off my lazy ass and get around to this as well. R32 headlights really are crap.

Nice way of getting rid of the switch as an issue though. Tidy work.

James.