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Hi all, anyone have ideas on getting the lights to work ('89 T3 Caravelle)
Symptoms:
Parking lights work (ignition on or off)
High beam works, but with flash (light switch off) and latches on high beam when headlight switch is off.
Low beam headlights do not work (either side)
Checked so far:
Both fused good and tested
I have installed additional relays so high power does not run through the switch, have relaced relay, no change.
Checked the wiring where I into/out of the relay
Checked the light switch for continuity, all checks out correct
Checked cables and power into plug that connects to light switch
When turning the light switch on, the relay also clicks.
Have not checked the bulbs yet (but would be odd both went at the same time)
Any ideas where to look next?
Are the low beam lights controlled by one of hte relays in the fuse box? (if so, which one?)
Thanks
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10-08-2023, 09:34 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-08-2023, 09:38 PM by Grantus.)
(10-08-2023, 09:21 PM)Andy. Wrote: Hi all, anyone have ideas on getting the lights to work ('89 T3 Caravelle)
Symptoms:
Parking lights work (ignition on or off)
High beam works, but with flash (light switch off) and latches on high beam when headlight switch is off.
Low beam headlights do not work (either side)
Checked so far:
Both fused good and tested
I have installed additional relays so high power does not run through the switch, have relaced relay, no change.
Checked the wiring where I into/out of the relay
Checked the light switch for continuity, all checks out correct
Checked cables and power into plug that connects to light switch
When turning the light switch on, the relay also clicks.
Have not checked the bulbs yet (but would be odd both went at the same time)
Any ideas where to look next?
Are the low beam lights controlled by one of hte relays in the fuse box? (if so, which one?)
Thanks
Where to look next? I’d be looking at the ignition switch……..switch on the low beam, then turn the key on & off, then turn it slowly fully, or back off holding the key, then jiggle it slightly towards starter, and back to almost off, to see if it makes any difference.
Any sign of life with the headlights, in that process, and you need to replace the ignition switch. Probably worth replacing with a fully functioning one, to eliminate it as the cause.
Just my 10 cents worth………
88 Blue T3 CL Caravelle
91 Blue T3 Single Cab
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(10-08-2023, 09:21 PM)Andy. Wrote: Hi all, anyone have ideas on getting the lights to work ('89 T3 Caravelle)
Symptoms:
Parking lights work (ignition on or off)
High beam works, but with flash (light switch off) and latches on high beam when headlight switch is off.
Low beam headlights do not work (either side)
Checked so far:
Both fused good and tested
I have installed additional relays so high power does not run through the switch, have relaced relay, no change.
Checked the wiring where I into/out of the relay
Checked the light switch for continuity, all checks out correct
Checked cables and power into plug that connects to light switch
When turning the light switch on, the relay also clicks.
Have not checked the bulbs yet (but would be odd both went at the same time)
Any ideas where to look next?
Are the low beam lights controlled by one of hte relays in the fuse box? (if so, which one?)
Thanks
Ignition switch.
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Cheers guys, something to look at on the week end!!
Always happens just before a trip away...
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Just try it with the spare ignition switch that you carry with you.
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(12-08-2023, 01:36 PM)syncro Wrote: Just try it with the spare ignition switch that you carry with you.
88 Blue T3 CL Caravelle
91 Blue T3 Single Cab
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(12-08-2023, 02:43 AM)Andy. Wrote: Cheers guys, something to look at on the week end!!
Always happens just before a trip away...
Did you get a chance to get a result?
Keep us informed of your progress…..
88 Blue T3 CL Caravelle
91 Blue T3 Single Cab
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Thank you all for your help, much appreciated. As they say the problem is always the last place you look... Or for me try the simplest things first!!
Grant, I did try your trick with the ignition switch, no luck, pulled the plug from the ignition switch and put on a new one, no change.
Thinking back on previous testing, the relay was turning on/off fine with the light switch, so power was getting to the relay fine.
Just to add a bit more to the story, I have bypassed the main power that runs through the ignition switch, the switch only powers a relay.
So in all, I have three relays to keep high power out of the ignition switch and head light switch, one runs all the accessories, one for low beam, one for high beam (I even doubled up all the high power cables back to the battery).
Anyway, re-did all previous testing, pulled the fuse box out and checked everything there, nothing obvious.
Well, time to look at the head lights themselves, yep power was getting to the plugs!!
So in short, yes BOTH head lights had blown at the same time (was driving the previous night with both lights working). Never would have thought that.
Anyway, two new bulbs installed and I'm back up and running.
One day left to finish preparing the bus for a trip away
Thanks again!
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(13-08-2023, 12:43 AM)Andy. Wrote: Thank you all for your help, much appreciated. As they say the problem is always the last place you look... Or for me try the simplest things first!!
Grant, I did try your trick with the ignition switch, no luck, pulled the plug from the ignition switch and put on a new one, no change.
Thinking back on previous testing, the relay was turning on/off fine with the light switch, so power was getting to the relay fine.
Just to add a bit more to the story, I have bypassed the main power that runs through the ignition switch, the switch only powers a relay.
So in all, I have three relays to keep high power out of the ignition switch and head light switch, one runs all the accessories, one for low beam, one for high beam (I even doubled up all the high power cables back to the battery).
Anyway, re-did all previous testing, pulled the fuse box out and checked everything there, nothing obvious.
Well, time to look at the head lights themselves, yep power was getting to the plugs!!
So in short, yes BOTH head lights had blown at the same time (was driving the previous night with both lights working). Never would have thought that.
Anyway, two new bulbs installed and I'm back up and running.
One day left to finish preparing the bus for a trip away
Thanks again! Def unusual. What are the chances of both bulbs blowing at the same time?
88 Blue T3 CL Caravelle
91 Blue T3 Single Cab
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That's why it was the last thing I checked when it should have been the first...
If there was a surge, I thought I would have seen either the fuse blow or something else not working.
They were the "130+" head light bulbs, and a few years old. Anyway, will see how it goes!
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