Headlights earth questions

Hi All,

currently addressing some questionable previous wiring to my headlights and side lights.
Have people upgarded or moved the original earth point from the headlight bowl to somewhere you can get a substantial fixing rather than a self taper into the headlight bowl?

Thanks,
Harry

 

As long as it’s got a star washer behind it self tapper in the bowl has worked fine for 40+ years

 

^this. Self tapper in the bowl (or anywhere) is fine.

 

This has answered my question perfectly, Thankyou! Star washers missing both sides..... obviously someone thought they weren’t needed at some point in its life

Thanks,
Harry

 

I don’t believe they fitted them originally. As long as the screw is biting into clean metal, you’re done!

 

Thats another problem, I think I am going to have to go a size up on the self tapper and get some star washers. As currently the self tappers is like throwing a penny into a dustbin

 

Probably better to fill the old hole and start a fresh one, you may need a very large screw otherwise...

 

I’m trying to resolve the issue of my very dim headlights,the voltage at the fuse box counts down to zero on the volt meter,is this down to a bad earth?


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What are you measuring across?

 

Earthed on a bolt and + on the fuse box with the engine running.two of the fuses were reading a little over 12v


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You know my ex wife then

 

You should have approx 14v with engine running and the headlights turned off.
Is your dynamo / alternator producing more? It is maybe a poor feed connection to the fuseboard. Hercule job - take some more measurements at versus points.

If you fancy it there is a wiring mod that feeds each headlight off a relay so you get more volts at each headlight.

 

If all voltages drop off in things powered with ignition on ,the ignition switch run position is probably burnt, or the connection to the switch is loose.. Do the indicators work ?
If they do then check fuses and wiring on the fuse box.

 

Indicators work,some of the fuses have a decent reading but most do not


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Could it be the fuse and relay terminals need a good clean?


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I would use a wiring diagram to check, there should be fuses which have a definite 12 volts on them with the ignition switch on.

Sometimes what happens is somebody swaps a wire coming from the ignition switch from the bottom to the top of the fuse box, and one fuse ends up taking all of the current.
It does not quite blow but gets very hot.
If it is plastic bodied, the body of the fuse melts and the spring in the fuse box crushes the fuse, until it is barely under any pressure. And then it can become a high resistance.
Take a close look and check all the fuses are the same length - if they get hot they get shorter...

 

I removed the relay and cleaned the corroded terminals,put in new fuses and removed the headlight units to check all looks ok. Now I find I have no dipped beam, only side lights and flash high beam


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