No headlights in Spain (help).

[frank rabbets]

Dipped beam sometimesworks but flashes on and off. All 4 lamps out when on main beam and no main beam warning lamp on the dashboard. Any help would be appreciated. just been waved through a police vehicle inspection point!! 4 Fuses OK under bonnet.

 

[stumog]

Try moving your headlight level switch aroumd.

Mine only works I 1 position

 

[Towpack]

Are both relays operating? If either one is dodgy you’ll have no/intermittent headlights.

 

[frank rabbets]

Thanks both.

The spade terminals on the green relay had overheated causing the body of the relay to melt and there was a points air gap rather than the points being firmly closed. Managed to fix/clean/bend everything with a stainless steel knife and fork and it all works now. I guess the spade terminals were just loose ?

 

[StarCruiser]

The terminals will need replacing when you can Frank as they will be softened due to the heat.

Well found anyway.

 

[IRLGW]

Thanks both.

The spade terminals on the green relay had overheated causing the body of the relay to melt and there was a points air gap rather than the points being firmly closed. Managed to fix/clean/bend everything with a stainless steel knife and fork and it all works now. I guess the spade terminals were just loose ?

I had the same problem just get another relay and make some flying leads to connect it into the terminals. Mount it outside the fusebox so it stays cooler

 

[Towpack]

Just make sure the terminals are scrupulously clean and a reasonably tight fit and they won't overheat. A loose fit and/or dirt/oxidation on the terminals creates resistance and heat.

 

[StarCruiser]

Just make sure the terminals are scrupulously clean and a reasonably tight fit and they won't overheat. A loose fit and/or dirt/oxidation on the terminals creates resistance and heat.

Exactly, especially on long term high(ish) current items like headlamps. It’s down to terminal conductivity rather than heat within an enclosure.

 

[frank rabbets]

Back in the day the earliest relays had threaded spades which you screwed the washered wire on to. The relay was well melted down in the fuse board platform and I only just had enough strength to pull it out. I might have to use remote leeds as suggested. Checked the headlamp sockets which still had my 1998 grease on them. Time to double check the whole lot.

The lack of the headlight up warning lamp alerted me to this problem. It works now so I assume it´s powered by the relay.

Thanks.

 

[Dave2000]

Becoming a regular problem Frank, loom resistance climbs as wiring and connectors age and hence the heated relays. The terminals in the fuse box have now been overheated so the problem will return.

If you get a terminal pick you can push the spades backwards out of the fuse box, if a lot of damage then either fit fly leads or a good s/h fuse box which is not as difficult as it looks.

Regards

Dave

 

[frank rabbets]

I think the problem was damp/oxidation over years and then using the headlights for a long time. The contacts in the fuse board were full of white plastic which I've managed to pick out. I've also closed up the brass connectors. Brass hardens when heated and cooled slowly which would have been the case here. To soften you have to get to red heat and plunge in to cold water. You can see the clean scrape marks on the relay contacts caused by me twisting them and forcing the relay back in. Also had to bend the relay inside to close the contacts. Used the lights for a further week with no problems. So it's a new relay and grease and I'm confident the contacts will be firm. I greased all the headlight bulb plugs in 1978 and they are still perfect. Had problems with headlight connectors on other cars. I think they get a lot of water vapour being at the front.

 

[Dave2000]

If you check the rest of the fuse box Frank you should find no other problem of overheating, the problem in my experience is it is isolated to the headlights.

Also the relay contacts are particularly small, they tend to be fine for a few years, eventually wearing and adding to the heating/melting the fuse box issue, as mentioned earlier now becoming a very common problem here where many roads are unlit.

I now fit heavier loom/relays, the results are brighter lamps and zero issues later on.

Regards

Dave

 

[frank rabbets]

I thought the relay points looked a bit small Dave. The part number has changed so I'll take the lid off the new one when it comes and compare them. I've managed to close the fuse board terminals up now so they touch.

 

[frank rabbets]

Actually Dave it was an old post of yours that got me out of the pickle in Spain. I was not too sure what "DIM" meant on the relay so I found a computer in the hotel and searched the forum for headlight relays. I had tried to pull the relay out but it was welded in. I did not want to possibly damage it by pulling hard if it had nothing to do with the headlights.

Three of the terminals are silver coloured. I've just checked and found they are solid copper with a plating. Come to think of it the fuse blades are similar. I wonder why they plate the copper?

 

[Dave2000]

I have no idea Frank, I did note that on the terminals as well but never investigated further, I am glad to have been of assistance, even if I was not there.

Regards

Dave

 

[Towpack]

The copper is plated to prevent surface corrosion when exposed to air, worsened in damp conditions. Copper is a very good conductor, green copper oxide is a semi conductor which obviously is what you don’t want.

 

[frank rabbets]

I took the lid off the new relay and instead of 2 sets of double points there are 2 sets of single points which don't look any larger than the individual old ones. Also there is no traditional coil spring to return the points but a leaf spring. Looks like the spades are silver plated. The relay is a very firm push fit in the sockets and I smeared the spades with water proof grease.

 

[frank rabbets]

I've now got head lamp failure anxiety. Such failure could seriously ruin your night out. I thought I would buy some lights and run a simple circuit , battery, lights, switch, earth. Lights mounted behind the bumper slots would be good. Any ideas on suitable lights just to get one home?

 

[Towpack]

How many relays have you had fail since you bought the truck Frank?

 

[frank rabbets]

Only this one and it's original.