r32 Skyline Headlight issue***

[Skyline_ron]

Currently my 1990 r32 headlights are acting up. Driver side low beam and both highbeams are on. Not getting any power to passenger side low beam. I also get no reaction from high beam switch to turn them off but both turn signals work. normally when the switches go bad you only high beams correct? Any suggestions greatly appreciated. **** What I have checked so far. Bulb, headlight fuses, wiring, rotary headlight switch plug(not burnt) the internals of the switch seemed ok. could it be bright switch? would that leave one headlight on? 

[GTSBoy]

Get the wiring diagram out. Follow from the power source to destination and work out where it is stopping.

[BK]

17 hours ago, Skyline_ron said:

the internals of the switch seemed ok

How can you diagnose anything like switches, fuses and power at connectors without a multimeter ?

Get one

[niZmO_Man]

Most likely your switch. Get headlight relay harness (wiring harness) and hook them up, use the driver's side for triggering the relays.

[Skyline_ron]

@GTSBoy I started chasing wires back, could never find any power that was leading into passenger side. @BK I was just going based of pictures and past posts from other people on what to watch out for. The switch internals on the headlight rotary switch looked new and the wiring harness that plugged into it was not burnt like what commonly happens. I have a multimeter but had a hard time figuring out how the switches functioned. @niZmO_Man Im not sure what you mean by this. What switch headlight rotary switch or the bright switch. 

[niZmO_Man]

The rotary one. Put a relay harness on the headlights.

[BK]

2 hours ago, Skyline_ron said:

. I have a multimeter

Well freaking use it. R32 switch wiring is in manual. Just because it "looks" ok means nothing.

 

45 minutes ago, niZmO_Man said:

The rotary one. Put a relay harness on the headlights.

Clearly above Op's comprehension of electrical. Look up H4 relay harnesses on ebay - that's what you need for plug in as the main headlight harness is H4.

[GTSBoy]

2 hours ago, BK said:

How can you diagnose anything like switches, fuses and power at connectors without a multimeter ?

Get one

Whilst I don't disagree with a thing you said..... he did say that 3 out of 4 headlights are working. That would suggest that the main switch on the binnacle is working and probably the dipper also. Because there is no left-right switching IIRC. But, I haven't got the wiring diagram close by and couldn't be arsed looking if I did! More to the point, I regularly disassemble the main binnacle switch to clean the contacts whenever my headlights start playing silly buggers**. (That's the price of adding relays into the circuit. The relays don't pull enough current to properly whet clean the main contact when switching.) So, I know it is very possible to dismantle and visually inspect that switch and see that it should be working. Apart from carbon build up or melting, there's very little that could go wrong in it.

Anyway, with 3 out of 4 headlights working, it's much more likely to be a dud wire/loom connector somewhere out in the field, rather than in the control room.

[BK]

26 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

So, I know it is very possible to dismantle and visually inspect that switch and see that it should be working.

"Should" be working. Using a meter would negate the need to pull the switch apart in the first place, and you would actually "know" that the switch is ok. Using a meter down at the H4 main headlight connector, same thing. You would "know" it's ok or not.

Anything else is really just guessing.

 

[BK]

37 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

3 out of 4 headlights working, it's much more likely to be a dud wire/loom connector somewhere out in the field, rather than in the control room.

I agree. Probably shitty loom H4 plug connections and / or the H4 - H3C/H3 sub harness connector connections if on projectors.

[GTSBoy]

17 minutes ago, BK said:

Using a meter would negate the need to pull the switch apart in the first place, and you would actually "know" that the switch is ok.

Actually, not so much. Meters can't pump enough current to demonstrate anything beyond mere "continuity". Even using them to measure ohms doesn't tell you what happens when you try to put actual (serious) current through the contacts. A switch can measure up fine and collapse when presented with real load, because it gets hot or the carbon/varnish moves, etc etc.

Those binnacle switches have nice wide contacts but there's really only one narrow path that the sliders run on, and the contacts pivot on fixed brass parts that give a really small contact area. There's plenty of ways for them to give trouble. Dismantling and cleaning with a little CO spray and a wipe with a clean cloth is simple enough and had brought back mine from the brink about 10 times over the last 20 years.

[BK]

If you're resistance across the contact is increasing under operating conditions compared to a measured value from a multimeter, you are severely overloading the contacts causing enough physical distortion for the contacts to move and not make properly.

1 hour ago, GTSBoy said:

Actually, not so much. Meters can't pump enough current to demonstrate anything beyond mere "continuity". Even using them to measure ohms doesn't tell you what happens when you try to put actual (serious) current through the contacts. A switch can measure up fine and collapse when presented with real load,

Actually you can see that with a multimeter. That's when you would test the switch contacts under load across each contact, looking for a potential difference between contacts. If I say have a pair of contacts that measure less than 1 ohm when closed, I would expect to have nearly identical voltage on both sides of the contacts under load. If I test it under load and have a 0.5v - 1.0v difference on the contacts, or more, you have determined you have a bad connection under load. Even if it "appears" to be working correctly, you have determined that there is a high resistance joint at that connection and the switch itself is acting as a load on the circuit. This creates heat, increases circuit current and causes shit to melt.

Still haven't had to pull switch apart, all measured with a meter and condition of contacts verified as good or bad.

[Skyline_ron]

Update, ended up being bad turn signal stock. Turn signals worked but loss function to turn on/off brights. Caused brights to be on and passenger side headlight. Bought stock brand new oem for 75 dollars. Problem solved thanks for the responses and hope this thread helps some one in future.