Headlights settings different on each headlight

[bebus]

A few weeks back I switched the headlights from my 87 cab with some smilies from another car I had.

I now have the following issue:

When the engine is running and I turn the lights on one notch, I get:
Dipped beam on the passenger side
Parking light on the driver's side

With the second notch I have dipped beams on both sides.

With the engine off and the lights on, I have:
Passenger side headlight dipped beam
Driver's side headlight off

My initial thoughts are:
I'm a tool and I messed the wiring up when putting the lights in.

OR

There is an issue with the headlight switch. I took it apart and it looks like some moisture got into the connections at some point:



Not sure if this could be the issue, or whether it's more likely to be something with other components?

Any ideas on where I should be looking first and what may be causing the problem?

[paultv]

With engine and ignition off you should only have side lights. Looks like you've plugged the sidelight feed into the dipped beam unit on the passenger side.

Is this possible? I thought the connectors were handed and therefore not possible to cross connect.

Paul

[bebus]

I wouldn't have thought so, but I would have to check. If that was the case, then I would expect the sode light on the driver's side to come on, but it stays off with the ignition off.

[paultv]

and it all worked before the swap? and were the old ones smilies also?

Paul

[bebus]

I don't recall there being an issue before the swap, but i can't guarantee it as I bought the car and then it stood around for a while and i didn't drive the car in that time (i am living abroad).

The headlights that i removed were the original sealed beams, so i had to cut the wires and do some soldering in order to connect the smilies. I am currently living in Germany and want to register the car here, which is why i needed to swap the headlights over, with the smilies allowing me to make the quick adjustment between rhd & lhd.

I also had the problem that the passenger side light stayed on when i turned the lights off and i had to knock the light switch to the off position with a little force to get it to go off. Since removing the switch and fiddling around with it a bit this doesn't seem to occur anymore.

GrÃaße

[paultv]

I reckon you need to turn on the sidelights only, then with a meter check you have a power source appearing on each side of the car - these should feed the sides -also check that the earth cables are correct - my 89 cabby has smilies so I'm not sure how the wiring varies - different sockets? Brian will pop up and direct you I hope.

It looks from my drawings that the left sidelight is grey and yellow and the right is grey and white, thats on a 1990 drawing, yours maybe different.

I'm here too for 3 years, but have kept my car UK registered and MOT'd. I found an insurance policy that allows you to be anywhere in Europe for as long as you like, as long as your car is UK registered, and I too swivel the lamps and check them before driving in the UK, actually the last MOT they turned the lights on, nodded and switched them off - not even a beam setting check!

good luck with it


Paul

[bebus]

The wiring for the original lights was different and had different plugs for the connections. I will have to check up on the car again. From memory I think the wiring is also the same colour.

Interesting solution for your car - which insurance did you use? I've been here for 4.5 years now..I always read that cars needed to be re-registered if you stay in the country for over 6 months?

Either way, I decided to go down the route of re-registering the car in order to get the 'H' Kennzeichen. That way my cat-less car won't have an problems with the Umweltplakette and I will be allowed to drive it in Frankfurt and other environmental zones.