Help needed - High beams

[johangr]

Hi guys,

I need some help / guidance please.

My vans' high beams stopped working suddenly. I have spotlights linked into the system, and they work fine.

When you flash the highs, they work fine. If you switch on the lights and select high beam, the spots goes on but the two headlights dies completely. Earlier today it was still shining on high beam intermittently, but now seized to work.

I suspect a faulty / dirty light control switch.

Any other ideas for fault finding?

Johan

[zepplin]

You need to remove the steering column covers & get to the switch. Clean with contact cleaner & it should be sorted. I opened the switch up but be careful when you do coz there are springs & balls that will jump out all over the place.

[Mud Dog]

Also check your high beam relay. The spots have their own, so this could also explain why the spots work and the high beam not. Could be that the relay is burnt out. If the relay clicks when you switch to high then the steering column stalk switch is working OK, the solenoid inside the relay is still working but the contacts might have gone. To verify check that there is power on the relay to feed the beams on the "in" side (the problem could also be a bad connection on the feed line) .... if the power is there, check to see if it comes out on the line to the spots. Make sure all the contact pins on the relay are clean first .... corroded contacts can also cause the problem.

[CasKru]

If the high-beam works when you pull the lever in the on or of status but doesn't work when you push the lever forward in with the lights in on position, you have to check the steering column switch as the relay is then working?

[Mud Dog]

If the high-beam works when you pull the lever in the on or of status but doesn't work when you push the lever forward in with the lights in on position, you have to check the steering column switch as the relay is then working?

Correct! Perhaps I never read the post correctly but if it is as described by Cassie then it's the stalk switch at fault.

[johangr]

Thanks for the replies. What I'm not sure about is why the spots work at all? I have wired the spots to pickup the signal from the high beams from one of the headlights. This then means that when I flick the switch forward, the lights do get the signal as the spots lights up?

[Mud Dog]

Perhaps the high beams are not on a relay. Then it could also be that although the contacts on the stalk switch are able to supply enough juice to activate the spot relay, it's not enough to light up the high beams.

[Mountain Man]

This is a very common problem, Strip the stearing coloumn and clean the high beam contacts with a bit of waterpaper and some switch cleaner. It is not really that difficult, the hardest part is getting to it and reassembling everything all over again. I can do it with my eyes closed. I have to do it about twice a year. Don't worry about relays etc at this stage, I would bet a pintch to a pound that it is a dirty switch. There was a recent post on this exact topic, I will try find it for you.

[LouisZ]

Shortly if everything calms down a bit over the weekend I will do mine, take some photos with a write up.

[johangr]

Thanks guys,

I will need to do it today as I'm leaving on holiday on Friday morning. I will take some pictures as well.

What are the chances that this problem is related to the horn and the emergency indicators not working?

J

[Mountain Man]

Probably Nil, However remember the Hilux switches between high beam and low beam using the earth. So that is the reason your spots are still working whilst your brights don't. Your spots are probably earthed direct to the battery or chassis and they switch with the relay on the positive wire. Thus when you select brights it energises the relay which in turn switches the spots on but because there is a bad connection on the earth for the headlights this does not energize. To test... run a tempory earth to the headlight and it should switch on.

The hooter could be a worn pin on the steering wheel. Mine was worn low and I had to eventually solder a brass screw onto it so the hooter would work. Never gave me problem after that.

Indicators: That is another story.

I bet you I am going to be proved completely wrong with everything. Oh well that's how it goes.

[johangr]

Thanks all. I managed to get the headlights sorted, and as suggested, it was a dirty switch. While cleaning the switch, I also had a look at the hooter and the hazards, but for the life of me, I was unable to get those to work. I suspect a broken power supply wire.

Anyway, I'm off on holiday, so hopefully I won't need the hooter, and being a Hilux, I will definitely don't need the hazards.....

[Borntofish]

I tried cleaning mine this weekend and did not had any luck, It took me about an hour to locate that little ball bearing... The lever pushes on a pin switch, when the pin is out the High beam should come on. If it is pressed in the "Flash" high beam comes on. How do you clean the contacts on that switch?

[The Legend]

Hi Werner

Jy moet die hele "combination switch" van die stering kolom verwyder.Die kontak punte wat skoon gemaak moet word sit aan die agterkant van die "combination switch"

[Borntofish]

Thanks Dawie, ek sal hom more aand gou tackle.