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dim lights

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by jumpinjoe, May 19, 2013.

  1. jumpinjoe
    Joined: Sep 6, 2012
    Posts: 6

    jumpinjoe
    Member

    hello all members, i own a 1937 ford coupe ive owned this car for over 40 years and am the third owner. over the years ive changed a lot of things on the car. 12 volt system 8'' ford rear end,52 merc engine,5 speed t5 trans,mustang front end tilt wheel. Ive painted it twice, and Im allways doing something to it. Ive tried different headlight kits and have never been happy.with the way they project the beam.so i went back to stock reflectors and 12 volt bulbs. I have a floor dimmer switch in it.My QUESTION is when i dim the lights to low beam the lights act like they are not grounded but when i put them back on high beam they are real brite. cant figure out the problem.Any help would be great.thanks for your time.
     
  2. Special Ed
    Joined: Nov 1, 2007
    Posts: 8,662

    Special Ed
    Member

    Yeah, you're on the correct track with your grounds. Clean them ALL really good (to shiny, new metal), and use a wire brush to clean the threads on any screws along with new star washers.
    How old is the actual wiring?
     
  3. 325w
    Joined: Feb 18, 2008
    Posts: 6,513

    325w
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    X twice look at the grounds.
     
  4. HOTRODPRIMER
    Joined: Jan 3, 2003
    Posts: 64,924

    HOTRODPRIMER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Definitely a ground problem. HRP
     
  5. DD COOPMAN
    Joined: Jul 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,122

    DD COOPMAN
    Member

    I'd check the connections of the wire coming off the DIMMER switch that's dedicated to the low beams. It could even be a faulty dimmer switch in the low beam circuit. DD
     
  6. mustang6147
    Joined: Feb 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,847

    mustang6147
    Member
    from Kent, Ohio

    Take a jumper cable connect it to the - of battery, and then other side to frame.... if the light brighten, then its that ground that bad, if not toch it to a body bolt.... its 1 or the other,

    that's the easiest way to isolate grounds
     
  7. big creep
    Joined: Feb 5, 2008
    Posts: 2,944

    big creep
    Member

    tilt wheel? shame on you for ruining that car!
     
  8. SleightsburghMC
    Joined: Feb 17, 2007
    Posts: 99

    SleightsburghMC
    Member

    Headlight relays are great.
     
  9. DD COOPMAN
    Joined: Jul 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,122

    DD COOPMAN
    Member

    IF you're runnung dual filament headlight bulbs, the fact that the bulbs burn brightly on HIGH beam should indicate that the bulbs (common GROUND-BOTH filaments) are sufficiently GROUNDED. Again, I'd look into the feeder circuit (including the low-beam side of the dimmer switch) that feeds the low beam filaments in the bulbs. DD
     
  10. hoop98
    Joined: Jan 23, 2013
    Posts: 1,362

    hoop98
    Member
    from Texas

    To elaborate a bit on Coopman's good advice.

    [​IMG]

    ***uming dual filament bulbs.

    The dimmer switch has a common 12 V supply for both High and Low and the grounds are the same.

    So we must have voltage drop after the dimmer switch but before the split.

    I have hi-lited that area.
     

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