4 headlight Brumby question

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:42 pm

When i turn the headlights on all 4 come on and when i put high beam on the centre lights get brighter [ as there suppose to] but the outside ones go very dull, also if i disconnect the inside ones and put high beam on the outside ones still go very dull. Anyone had this problem and if so how did you fix it?

vlad13 · Post by **vlad13** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:07 pm

Sounds like they are connected incorrectly or you have bad ground

subybrumby · Post by **subybrumby** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:00 pm

I would tend to agree with the previous post. Usually when lights go queer like that its a bad earth.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:59 am

Did they work properly before for you, or just noticed this or just bought it? I found mine has been fitted with after market lights with the removable globe and the globe should be insulated from the base. On one side it was not so earthed out causing all to go to high beam always. I temporarily insulated the one bulb with electrical tape to pass rego inspection and not used hi since worried the tape will melt through. I either need a correct one for this side or fit standard lights. Two cops owned this beast (one at a time ) before me , if I ever get pulled up for no low beam always on hi , sure hope it is one of them !!

Check your lights individually and then connect one at a time to test all lights all beams to see if one is showing dodgy signs. BAD EARTH ?

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:02 pm

The car is a total rebuild and many parts including headlight loom are from various cars so i don't know if the problem existed before. The headlights are replacement halogen with replaceable globes.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:32 pm

Ok i put 4 standard sealed beam lights in and presto it all works fine. Why wont the halogen lights work? Are they earth differently?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:00 pm

Jeff wrote:Ok i put 4 standard sealed beam lights in and presto it all works fine. Why wont the halogen lights work? Are they earth differently?

Maybe the pins on the halogen lights are different, or they're using an positivily switched system (like the L series) and not an earth switched system?

Good luck with solving the problem, halogen's over the standard beam would be awesome!

Bennie

brumbee · Post by **brumbee** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:28 pm

I had that same problem when i replaced the lenses. fixed it by using the existing wiring to switch on a relay, which I was then able to wire direct from the battery, fixes the problem as you dont have to insulate the lens.
plus you get new high wattage globes and a full 12v instead of the 11 or less your old wiring will get.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:06 pm

Mine has a halogen on the left that insulates the metal mount of the globe from the retainer clip, this works fine. The problem one on the right does not insulate the bulbs metal base from the earth side of switching. If you get the bulb and make an insulator that goes on the glass side of it to insulate it from body of light reflector and retainer you may understand. i think as soon as this bit sees earth it goes all hi beams. Not on the road at the moment so I did not chase up new halogen of correct type, but looks like solved problem. Talk to lighting guys may come up with answer in catalogues

glad to help. I lost hours swapping out switches and stalks and stuff to come up with this answer. Drove me nuts !!

tex · Post by **tex** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:39 pm

I had to do a a quick fix for rego because I didn't notice it at the time meanwhile I think it was only the right hand side got dull but the earth should be screwed up somewhere near the fuse panel inside the cab (on mine it was screwed to the fuse box) also it should be just the outside ones come on on low beam!

Phizinza · Post by **Phizinza** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:28 pm

Steptoe is heading in the right direction. Non-sealed beams earth (to the body) the common pin on the filament. Because the headlights in Subarus are Common positive this causes issues and lights do weird things.
To run the non-sealed beams you need to do the relay mod to your wiring and wire them up so the relays supply positive to two of the pins while the common other pin is a good earth.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:52 pm

Have you got a wiring diagram to do this relay mod , as it sounds like what i will have to do?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:05 am

Or chase up the insulated halogens as I have tried at wreckers with no luck so far.

Phizinza · Post by **Phizinza** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 2:35 pm

I had an overly complicated one somewhere that a drew up... But can't find it on my new computer. Its simple for them in the know how. Basically a relay replaces the beam. You need a relay for high and low beam. The wiring in the car has a high and low beam wire the is dasiy chained to each globe. Note: inners should only be high beam while outters are high and low. There are two common positive wires, one for left and one for right. Wire one of these to each relay, on the coil side of the relay not the switch side. Then wire the low beam wire from the cab to the relays other coil side. Wire the low beam headlight side wire to the switch of the coil and then run a positive from a fuse off the battery to the other side of the coil. Do the same for the high beam relay using the other positive from the cab. Then wire the positive from the headlights down to earth. This way they get power from the relay instead of the common positive which comes from the cab.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:59 pm

This is a simplified diagram for driving lights that phiz is talking about, I think I've got it right, if not I will remove this post to avoid confusion for others in the long term:

85 and 86 will be where the original headlight is if that makes sense - the rest should wire in pretty easily to make the lights work as they should.

This should give you a rough I idea of how to wire it up IF I've correctly understood what needs to be done...

Good luck

Bennie

vlad13 · Post by **vlad13** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:38 pm

I believe this is what he is after: