Headlights not workin!

[Powerhouse]

I don't know what it is...I checked every connection...grounds and everything...pins line up in sockets just fine...The little lights work...but the headlight bulbs don't light up. Really annoying..they worked fine yesterday then I blew a fuse in the relay and replaced it...now they don't run. The relay is working fine...the power goes to the sockets fine...but the dang bulbs won't lite up. The elements are fine no breaks..even under a magnifying glass.:confused:

[55 Fargo]

I don't know what it is...I checked every connection...grounds and everything...pins line up in sockets just fine...The little lights work...but the headlight bulbs don't light up. Really annoying..they worked fine yesterday then I blew a fuse in the relay and replaced it...now they don't run. The relay is working fine...the power goes to the sockets fine...but the dang bulbs won't lite up. The elements are fine no breaks..even under a magnifying glass.:confused:

That is strange, since you usd a tester to confirm you have power to the light sockets, all else confirms to be okay. I would try a different sealed beam, just to confirm......

[Powerhouse]

yeah...I just don't get it. The bulbs are prefocus type ...they are in my 39. I can see the element really easily...

[1950 Special Deluxe]

It might be that you have a bad/weak fuse or relay and as soon as the load(light) is applied, the fuse or relay drops out. Without the load/light there is enough continuity to run the voltmeter but once the lights are turned on it drops out. As obvious to everyone I am not a great old car guy(yet, hopefully someday?), but this is a common problem in my electrical trade troubleshooting. I would try the new sealed beam first to confirm.

Good Luck

[greg g]

Check your grounds at the headlamp bucket to fender there should be a wire, and that wire connects to a point that gets a lot of kicked up stuff from the tires.

[desoto1939]

If you have a 6v battery charger you can hook up the clips to the flange and then to each seperate contact on the prefocused bulb. If the bulb lights up then at least you know the bulbs are good or y0ou could have bad bulbs.

Another thing is do you have the refelctor out of the metal frame when you are testing the bulbs, remember that the frame that holds the refector to the light bucket is what make the ground and if they are not grounded then they will not light up. I had theis happen to me and then when I assembled the reflector into the bucket then the lights worked.

I have a 39 Desoto so I basically have the same setup that you have on the 39 Plymouth

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Powerhouse]

Thanks all.

I got the brights workin' with the help of a little..nothing at all. It just started working after changing nothing. I went to show my wife that the lights didn't work, pulled the switch on...and they worked. I'll have to keep her around...hahaha.

I ran a new ground wire to the buckets just for the heck of it. But the regular headlights don't work still. Bulbs work fine...relay does to when i manually push the circuit closed. Next step is to check the floor dimmer switch...again.

Seems like everyone I know around here has had trouble with headlights in the last few weeks...must be the rain.

[greg g]

Check the dimmer switch, Just do the bristol stopm on it a few times. All the power goes through the switch, and the switch shuttles it between high and low beam. If the contacts in the switch get corroded or oxidized, it will kill one circuit or the other.

[james curl]

Sometimes while getting in and out of the car you inadvertently step on the dimmer switch and it will go about half way down and stick so that you have no head lights when you pull the light switch on but all of the other lights work just fine. If you will press the dimmer switch several times it usually will unstick and you will have head lights again.

[desoto1939]

Powerhouse,

I noticed that you stated you had a headlight relay. I added one to my 39 Desoto just to get more juice to the lights. This unoit has two fuses inline for each circuit, one for low and one for high beam. Sometimes the unit sticks and the low beams willnot work and I have to tap on the unit and then the lows will come on. You might be having the same issue since the units are old and there might be a lose connection in the relay

rich Hartung

[W.F. Brown- III]

I have a similar problem with the headlights on my '48 Plymouth. The lights work fine on low beam, but when switched to high they don't work (although the indicator light on the dash does work). Running lights work on both high and low beam.

Would the problem most likely be in the dimmer switch?

[james curl]

Yes, try stomping the buttom real hard a few times and see if the high beams don't come on.

[W.F. Brown- III]

Yes, try stomping the buttom real hard a few times and see if the high beams don't come on.

I'm 6'-6" and 360 lbs. If I stomp anything real hard, it'll break!

[Cpt.Fred]

i agree on the highbeam switch.

had the same problem, including measuring everthing and panic attacks,

after swapping from sealed beams to EU lenses and back for getting roadlegal.

when i put the sealed beams back in, nothing worked, though i had current on my indicator.

found out that if i slightly touch the button down there by accident, while getting in or out of the driver'ss eat for example, headlights don't work.

step on it and they come back...

[W.F. Brown- III]

I tried "lightly stomping" the dimmer switch today. The lights still work fine on low beam, but will not work on high. Looks like the next step will be to replace the dimmer switch. How much trouble is that?

[claybill]

20 minutes on the dimmer switch. the wires might be loose..

bill

Edited August 5, 2010 by claybill
additions

[Young Ed]

Dimmer switch is available new from napa for about 16 bucks. Two issues-if the illustration is correct it only has 3 terminals instead of 4. Two wires will have to go on one spot and it shows that it uses spade connections instead of the OEM bullet type. So while you are switching to space or loop terminal ends you could put the two wires that go together into one terminal.