Head lights

[Scuba1]

I have a 95 300tdi and today when I was going to turn the head lights on, both did not work. No fuses blown and both bulbs are ok but there is a relay on the passenger side clicking like mad. I have bridged the contacs on said relay but nothing is happening. I checked the fuses under dash and in the engine compartment and not a blown one in either box.The rear light work fine and so does the high beam ( much to the annoyance of other road users )

Do any of you clever people have a suggestion??

ATB

A very dark and dim

Michael

[fozsug]

I have a 95 300tdi and today when I was going to turn the head lights on, both did not work. No fuses blown and both bulbs are ok but there is a relay on the passenger side clicking like mad. I have bridged the contacs on said relay but nothing is happening. I checked the fuses under dash and in the engine compartment and not a blown one in either box.The rear light work fine and so does the high beam ( much to the annoyance of other road users )

Do any of you clever people have a suggestion??

ATB

A very dark and dim

Michael

You say you "bridged" the terminals on the relay, which ones? Fuses 10 and 11 are Dip beam in the fuse box by the stearing colum.Did it still click like mad? Have you got supply to the relay, i would say you have if the main beams work? Have you checked continuity from the switch to the relay/fuse box?

Have you disconected the relay and tried putting a 12v feed down the dip beam wire( use a batterry from a 12V cordless tool) If this lights the lights i would say relay knackered.

[Scuba1]

I have put in a new relay and the result is the same. The resistor is working as well. I bridged 30 and 87 to see if that would get the lights on ( line of thought was to eliminate the relay but alas it did not change anything. Thank you for your input so far.

ATB

Michael

[nicedayforit]

I have a 95 300tdi and today when I was going to turn the head lights on, both did not work. No fuses blown and both bulbs are ok but there is a relay on the passenger side clicking like mad. I have bridged the contacs on said relay but nothing is happening. I checked the fuses under dash and in the engine compartment and not a blown one in either box.The rear light work fine and so does the high beam ( much to the annoyance of other road users )

Do any of you clever people have a suggestion??

ATB

A very dark and dim

Michael

Have you checked the condition of the 3 pin plugs on the back of the headlight bulbs?

Sounds as though they need replacing. Common fault as they get older.

[bear]

Had the same problem and it turned out simply to be a broken wire on light stalk. Take steering column covers off (you may also have to remove steering wheel) and check for loose/disconected wire/s. Simply re-solder.

Regards

[Ratty43]

I had the same problem, it was caused by the 'dim' connection to the bulbs corroding, one of them had also melted through the plastic.

[Scuba1]

The thing that I don't understand is that both lights are out and the buzzing relay .......... do they share a common earth / negative

[Scuba1]

I guess I'll have to go through the whole lot wire by wire with a fine toothed multi meter. Thanks you guys for your input.

ATB

Michael

[sparky24v]

Used to get called out to LDV ambulances with same headlight switch ,wire breaks off connection at dip switch ,remove treering wheel covers to check and resolder if adrift.

[Scuba1]

Ok I'll start at the stalk and work my way forward, pulling a new wire through while I am at it

Thanks again for all your input folks.

Michael

[Scuba1]

found it, but started at the wrong end At the end it was a cracked wire behind the head light on the left hand side. I cut the lot back and put new bulb connectors and a few new copper bits in there while I was at it. Now I have a spare relay and am going to put some lights on the roof rail for my night time bunny hunting excursions.

Thanks again for all your input.

Michael

[Range Rover Blues]

I've had the same buzzing relay when I've fitted HOD kits to later RRC. I've never bothered finding out what the relay does but it doesn't like being connected to only one headlight.

So is there a resistor in the dim-dip circuit or is it a PWM solid state voltage dropper?

I've also seen cars wired so that the headlights came on in series to give a dim-dip (Fiesta IIRC).

Our old RRC used a PWM (chopper) circuit for dim-dip, I understand it's better for the bulbs than running at constant 6 volts, Halogen bulbs don't like to run "cool" ie below voltage, it shortens their life.

Anyway for future reference a buzzing relay on sidelights is a dim-dip fault. I just pulled the relay out.