914 - low beams don't work

clarelaw · 08-29-2006, 07:20 AM

Query -

The low beams on my 914 stopped working. All the other lights work. The fuses are good. The headlamp doors open and the high beams work. And it's both low beams not just one.

When I hold the high./low beam switch on the steering colum back both the high and low beams come on. The high/low switch works to toggle between the high and low beams, but the low beams don't come on. The fog lights workl fine.

I tested the fuses. All working. I put a multi meter on the headlamp plug to the light. Power comes through when the flach to pass high/low switch is used. I don't think it is the wires or the low would not come on with the flash to pass. It must be either the light switch on the dash or the high/low switch. Since the light switch is 400+ I really don't want to replace it unless I absolutely need to.

Any thoughts? Any way to test if the high/low is bad as opposed to the light switch?

Oh, the fun of old cars.

Regards,

Dan Clare

Scrappy · 08-29-2006, 07:25 AM

headlight relay is bad

headlight switch is bad .... your switch should be 11 pin

teenerted1 · 08-29-2006, 10:29 AM

do you have orig. sealed beams?

i have made the h4 conversion and that makes me think it might be your bulbs

clarelaw · 08-29-2006, 11:39 AM

I have the H4 conversion. Would the H4 conversion make a difference?

teenerted1 · 08-29-2006, 12:14 PM

not specific to h4, h4 bulbs are much easier to replace than a whole sealed beam unit. and you should be able to find h4 bulbs at any local auto parts store.

i haven't lost the low beams in my teener but i have in other cars. and it was always the bulbs that were the issue. since you use low beams more than the highs, they do tend to go out sooner. usually one fails before the other though.

bd1308 · 08-29-2006, 12:48 PM

H4?

Uh I think I have the sealed beams, all of my retaining screws are frozen.

I think some PB and a easyout are in order.

b

Scrappy · 08-29-2006, 12:59 PM

The advice on the relay is from experience ...... H4s or not

clarelaw · 08-29-2006, 03:18 PM

Okay, Where is the relay? Not the pop-up motor relay, the headlight relay.

bd1308 · 08-29-2006, 03:36 PM

on the fuse panel, take the screws out and you'll see four relays.. I think ONE of them is the headlight power relay, while I believ there is one that controls the hibeam/lowbeam thing too.

b

gepetto143 · 08-29-2006, 04:06 PM

I had the same problem with my car. The relay was the problem. In my car, it was the square one with a kind of clip on top of it to hold it in place.

Scrappy · 08-29-2006, 04:23 PM

It's the suare one with the clip on the fuse panel.

SGB · SGB's Garage

relay concurance....

and it is the black square one attached to the back of the fuse panel

clarelaw · 08-30-2006, 07:10 AM

Thanks guys - the relay is only about $35 so I ordered one. I'll try that first and if that doesn't work I'll try the high/low switch first and the light switch second.

Scrappy · 08-30-2006, 07:21 AM

The hi/lo switch (stalk on the steering column) is nothing but a set of contacts. When closed, it activates the relay.

Since you have already proven that the switch works ... you pulled back and both hi & lo beams came on, it's not going to be the problem .... the relay is not switching between hi & lo.