Dead Headlights

[Doug Paterson]

All

Any bright ideas on this one?

1978 1500 Spitfire with headlights which have completely stopped working.

Sidelights are fine, tail lights are fine.

The only other clue I have at the moment is that regardless of the position of the headlight stalk on the steering column the blue fullbeam indicator light in the speedo stays on.  I have a suspicion that it may be the stalk switch which is at fault (I have a spare which I may try).

Any other thoughts will be ever so welcome......

Cheeers,

Doug.

[thebrookster]

Check stalk, however since the sidelights, rearlights and interior lights are on a different circuit tis not surprising that they are still working. Have you checked that you do not have a short circuit somewhere, either that or have you checked your earths (which I am led to believe are a major prob on triumphs :D )
If you have a circuit tester it would be useful to chack if you have any power reaching the bulbs at all, earthing out on the body and then testing with earth connector.

Good luck, Phil

[JohnD]

Lacking a circuit tester, but having a soldering iron, take a length of two core cable.  Solder the two conductors at one end to a 12V bulb, and crocodile clips to the other.    Clip one to an earth and use the other to test for a live contact.

Works for me!

John

[thealligator]

Blue full beam indicator light in the Speedo stays on.

That sound like an earth, not a live feed.

If it is staying on, in both main beam and dip positions on the column switch.

Check the connectors under the bonnet right at the front, where the loom connects to the head light units.

There are some grotty rubber bullet connectors there and they cause problems

[tim_trinda]

thealligator wrote:

Blue full beam indicator light in the Speedo stays on.

That sound like an earth, not a live feed.

Check the connectors under the bonnet right at the front, where the loom connects to the head light units.

Exactly the same problem I had, turned out to be a dodgy earth at the connector suggested by 'thealligator'

[rotoflex]

Spitfires are different in many ways from GT6, but on my GT6 the high beam indicator is a separate circuit that is parallel to the headlights themselves, & it's split at a connector under the dash after the column switch.  

Thus, you can pretty much just disconnect the headlights at that point, but the high beam indicator will still function as normal.  Also, doing checks for continuity to ground along the high beam circuit will come up OK always unless the high beam indicator is disconnected, because it will just be showing the ground going through the indicator lamp.

You need a wiring diagram, & will need to check the line (positive & negative sides both) from the switch to the lamps, or in the reverse direction if you think it will more quickly be found going that way.

[Doug Paterson]

Thanks so far folks - I have a wiring diagram and if I can face the cold out in my garage tonight will start poking around with my circuit connector.  

Judging by state of the wiring I'm going to start from the bullet connectors at the front.

[Doug Paterson]

All working perfectly now - it was a combination of one broken solder joint to a bullet connector + dirt reducing the connectivity of some of the others.

Thanks all.... ;D