No high beams?

[Metzman510]

My 1969 510 sedan has no high beams? The lights are there, the column switch, etc, is all there, and if I jump 12V to the lights they work. I need to know if the 69 cars use a headlight relay? If they do, any idea where I should look for it?

I know the headlights are ground switching, and I'm heading towards removing the steering wheel to work on the horn as well, but thought I would gather as much info before I dive in as I can.

 

Thanks,

Greg

[banzai510(hainz)]

Hopefully your lamps are good before we and you shame yourself!!!!!  ohm out the lamp and make sure it looks like a short with a OHM meter.

 

get a test lamp or a volt meter

when the lights are OFF all 3 tabs on the low beam lamps will have 12volts or test light lamp come ON

 

on the high beam both tabs will have 12volts  in the OFF mode

 

when you hit the high beam switch a ground in the steering wheel will click the relay to put a ground on the associated tab. the relay is by the strut tower near the fuse box and hopfully you hear a click. Most time one can open the metal can and find the contacks and slide sandpaper thru them to clean the carbon off. 

The highbeam lever on steering wheel usually don't go bad but can break. One can easlily ohm out put the  ground one side of your OHM meter to the chassis and  find the connector  pin and hit the lever and so if Shorts then the switch or ground works. then its the relay. most time have lows but on HIGHs all the lights go out.

 

so go to the high lamp and see if one of the tabs go to ground. Mean the test light is not ON and the other should be.

 

horn I would ck the fuse first or reseat sometime the fuse look good but broke at the ened where one cannot see on the endcaps

Edited June 15, 2020 by banzai510(hainz)

[datzenmike]

When the headlight switch is ON there should be 12v on ALL lights. Has to have 12v.

 

Then it depends on the relay which can only choose between hi and lo beams. I believe it's on the rads support next to the rad.

 

If the relay is off (at rest) it's in the high beam position.

 

Power for the relay is provided by the parking lights being ON and if the turn signal is on low beams (grounded) the relay is energized and switches from hi to low beams. If parking lights were not working you would be stuck on hi beams.

 

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

Mike the head lights are hooked up to PLUS side battery via fuse box then the fuable link at the starter,  so all the tabs will have 12volts cause your volt meter or test light will light up  if its grounded to the chassis .  with the light switch in OFF

 

if you put to lights ON then a ground gets added. then another ground with the level on steering wheel(highbeam switch)

 

 

if your 69 is really  68 built year Im not as familiar with those

 

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by banzai510(hainz)

[datzenmike]

 

15 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

Mike the head lights are hooked up to PLUS side battery via fuse box then the fuable link at the starter,  so all the tabs will have 12volts cause your volt meter or test light will light up  if its grounded to the chassis .  with the light switch in OFF

 

if you put to lights ON then a ground gets added. then another ground with the level on steering wheel(highbeam switch)

 

 

if your 69 is really  68 built year Im not as familiar with those

 

 

 

I've got diagrams that show both. Some are hard wired 12v to lamps all the time but through L&R fuses.

 

Some go to ignition and the headlamp switch sens power to L&R fuses when on only.

[Metzman510]

You guys are awesome!

 

Started hunting around and found the headlight relay last night (Thanks for the location help Hainz and Mike). It had a broken wire, so a little work with a soldering iron and were all back in business, high and low beams work! Stoked.

 

So the stalk switch pulled toward the steering wheel is high beam and pushed forward is low beams on my car, seems backward? Anyone know if that's the normal switch positioning functionality?

[datzenmike]

I think that's right for the 510.

 

My 710 is push away for highs and pull back for low. There's a third position. If you pull even further back there is a flash high beams that automatically returns to off.