Wiring question

Ok so I rewired the front on my 56 mercury headlights, turn signals, ect. I used a harness that was made for my car, the only part I made myself was from the headlights to the junction boxes. Now the right side lights on my car are dimmer then the left. Any ideas on what could cause this? And how to fix it?

Thanks

Ryan


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Bad ground

 

check your grounds.

 

Agreed, I'd start at the ground.

 

Do check the grounds as advised,also stop by here and join up:http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=332 50's Fords and Mercs seem to be plagued by dim headlights after converting to 12 volts and Halogen bulbs here is a fix:http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/tips Click on the first link and read the section on headlight relays,I installed them and WOW! what a difference in brightness.

 

Thanks for the quick responses guys! Ill check the grounds again and see if I can work it out.




Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Bad ground. Double check for proper gauge of wire used for larger amperage loads as well.

 

I checked all my grounds, none made any difference. All the new wires are thicker then the original wire. I'm going to make sure all my wires are seated in the junction box. Not realty sure what to do after that


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

You have a voltage drop on the dim side headlamp. I would read the voltage at the lamp and work back to power source to see where the drop is.

 

Double check the headlight plug on the right side, I'm betting you have the ground wire in the wrong spot.

 

bingo. That's your best bet. Basically like diagnosing a no spark problem. Start at the plug, then plug to wire, then wire to cap, and ect. Work backwards with the the volt meter. Also make sure no wires are being pinched.

Another simple test would be to see if the headlight itself is the problem. Switch side with the lights, and if the dimness stays on the same side then it is on that one side, but if the problem jumps to the opposite side then it is your light. Might want to do that first since it is free and won't take anything but 5mins or so.

 

Easy, make a jumper that starts at the "good" side from the +12 connection. Touch it to the equivalent +12 feed on the "bad" side. If the light gets bright like the good side, go backwards until you find the spot where there is no change.

No trouble found? Do the exact same thing with a ground wire from the "good" side.

This ***umes you've already swapped the headlights to make sure they are the same?

 

Forgot to add...

What kind of ground strap do you have from the engine block to the body? Sometimes there is only a ground strap from the engine block to the frame and that can cause problems.

Grounds - It's best to have a ground strap from the engine to the frame and a second strap from the engine to the body. You may even need a wire connecting the body to the fenders if the headlights (or anything else) is using the fenders for ground.

This old sheet metal can get corrosion, paint, owner installed windlace, etc,etc,etc... over the years. This is why so many posts said "check your grounds" as it's the reason for what your picture shows 90% of the time.

 

You may not have any ground at all they will back feed through both elements both low and high beam and be dim.

 

Another check (after swapping headlight bulbs) is to run a temporary large wire from the headlight ground on the back of the bulb directly to the negative battery post. Eliminates all of the existing grounds.....if it gets brighter, it is a ground problem.

 

Thanks guys! I'm not an expert in wiring by any means. But I think I can figure it out now with all the ideas you guys gave me. I'm going to start by ground the bulb directly to the battery and see what happens. Then ill break out the volt meter and start figuring it out from there. Ill let you guys know what I figure out

Ryan


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Yesterday's result of bad ground. Actually missing.

Right side head lights dim as in subtle glow on both high and low filaments.
Flashers had a fast click and when on would also flash the right side headlights in alternating pattern like an emergency vehicle. The turn signals being on also flashed the dash display lights in unison.

First impression was the thing was possessed !!!

One broken ground ringlet behind the battery caused all this.
Autozone installed a battery the day before Lol

 

Success!! It was a bad ground in the headlight harness. Thanks guys!


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!