headlights on hi-beams glow

pedroj · Post by **pedroj** » Sat Aug 15, 2015 6:02 pm

Hi,
I am hoping that some one else has seen this and knows the answer, started to do some work on my brumby and noticed that when the headlights are on, the high beam lights glow (dual headlight brumby).

After much thought it would seem an earthing fault is a probable cause but so far have not been able to chase it down.

Have had the combo switch out today to do the turn signal cancel fix and checked and cleaned the high-low switch contacts, which did not change the fault.

Is there an earthing point in the cabins somewhere for the headlights or does it go all the way back to the main earth point up near the battery, which I also cleaned today (been a long day so far)

any ideas ?

Regards,
Peter.

pedroj · Post by **pedroj** » Sat Aug 15, 2015 7:08 pm

Okay I should add, that I had installed the new H4 lights before I had noticed the problem, so went out there just now and plugged in the original sealed beams and the fault goes away.
This is messing with my head, I have done this conversion on two previous brumby's and not had this issue. Surely the globe have the same pin outs for earth / low / high as I felt confident it was an international standard... More investigations to do.

Peter

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Aug 15, 2015 7:14 pm

It may be the type of H4 you fitted up

OK

single or dual jobbies ?OK, I now know dual lights

you get just a soft glow on high beams until switch to high beam, or yes, you said glow

You can find stories in here re my problem, but basically it was twin lights 92 model, after market refit type globe and the bloody things were earthing out through the spring clip holding light bulb in ! I got full high beams on low beam, and no improvement on high beam switched ! I dont think blue dash light came on while it was self switched.
My L Series hi and lo in one bulb had a trickle voltage in its hi circuit while switched on lo, never see it in same light housing, until hook up relay for driving lights - needed to add diodes or rsistors to drop the small 1.4 V to stop the dr light relay triggering !

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Aug 15, 2015 7:15 pm

i insulated the wire spring clip from the metal seat of the back of the light, resolved until I stuck sealed beam quartz halogen in .Sure the insualtion woulda melted through at most inconvenient time...

on the turn signal fix ...fix it ? Just was spying an old pair of l Series S1 switches, cancel blips look same ...started to think - OUCH !

Just try insulating between elbow of spring clip and seat, on both, try and come back in ...can see you looking

pedroj · Post by **pedroj** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 7:13 pm

Well I found my answer in that the connections for a H4 globe and a Sealed beam are different. This stopped me in my tracks as I am sure I did this exact mod to my 89 brumby (quad lights) and did not change wiring loom.

Any way, you pull apart the 3 pin connector on the back of each outer headlight and shuffle the wires around an it now works a treat. Will post some details of the changes a bit later as am dog tired now, been a long Subaru fix up day.

pedroj · Post by **pedroj** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:42 pm

for anyone else that stumbles across this, here is a graphic of what was done to go from sealed beams to H4 globes.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 8:37 am

well ..I'll be ..... !! This is the outer light with high and low beam - no changes to the inner high beam only light body ?

pedroj · Post by **pedroj** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:24 am

Hi Steptoe
Yes this is the outer lights (high/Low) on my 91 Brumby, the inner lights have two prongs only and are powered only for Hi beam. (looking at a HID conversion from ebay for these)

steptoe wrote:well ..I'll be ..... !! This is the outer light with high and low beam - no changes to the inner high beam only light body ?

I am sure I changed an earlier 89 brumby to use H4 headlights but what I actually did was over 10 years ago, so lost in the mists of time. As those original lights for the 89 ute did come out of a wrecked brumby at Subawreck they might have had wring adapters on them, can not be sure... need to find that 98 red Brumby with targa roof... anyone seen VFG-400 around on the road? Might be scraped by now as was rusty in the doors and A pillar.