Main Beam Indicator in Speedo

[gtt1951]

Hello Folks, so far, I've only driven my '56 SII Traveller in daylight, but when I was doing a lights check a couple of weekends ago, I noticed that the H/B light comes on when the headlamps are dipped and goes off when on Main Beam - I thought my dips were a bit bright! I'm using original spec prefocus, twin filament 12V lamps. I haven't rewired anything, which means the lights would have been like that back to the last MOT it had in December 2008. Any suggestions?
George.

[lambrettalad]

Hi are they wired the wrong way around ,or are you sure your not wrong and the lights are right ??

[gtt1951]

Using the floor mounted dip switch, when the beams are down and to the left (when trained on my garage door), the H/B red "and slightly mottle black" light in the top right-hand-side of the speedometer comes on. When the dip switch is pressed again, the speedo H/B light goes out and the headlight beams come up, more centrally, and much brighter. Unless there are bullet connectors to both headlight feeds on both sides, cross wired, I would hazard a guess that the fault may be in the way the floor switch is connected. Not something I've ever had to take out in the past.

[chesney]

As far as I know there is no need to remove the floor switch, it has a connector which is close to the distributor, it comes up past the steering rack from below the floor to the loom on the firewall (well, on my saloon it does). You will have to investigate wire colours etc..

[mike.perry]

Blue wire from light switch to dip switch
Blue/White to main beam and Blue/White from main beam wire to warning light
Check that warning light wire is not connected to Blue/Red dip beam wire.

[beero]

Agree with Mike, the blue/white that feeds the warning light should be in the same double bullet sleeve as the rest of the blue/whites down by the offside of the radiator.
Looks like it has been put in with the blue reds... OR... the main beams are wired up to the blue/reds and the dipped wired up to the blue/whites.

[gtt1951]

Thanks every one. I'll have to take the car cover off in daylight and clean up the wires (things are still a bit oily/dirty under the bonnet, in places) and check the colour codes. I do remember seeing double bullet connectors in that area.
Pretty soon, I hope to have all the "little niggly bits" sorted out and feel more confident in doing some longer runs (longer than 10 miles). Regards, George.

[GeordieDave]

I'll have to... clean up the wires (things are still a bit oily/dirty under the bonnet, in places) and check the colour codes.

Use baby wipes. You'll be amazed

[gtt1951]

It gets worse. Thought I'd have a quick look before going to work. Uncovered the car, popped the bonnet, reconnected the battery, wiped down the wires (with Sainsburys own surface wipe cloths).
Wire colours all look the same - dirty beige, no tracer, outer covering is cotton. Swapped over the leads going into the dual bullet connectors, didn't notice any change in dips/main and the display light, so swapped them back. Now I have no indicator light - the bulb may have now blown The dips/main beam switching still works, but no internal indication showing.
I'll have to revisit this in a more leisurely fashion over the weekend.

[beero]

The wires to the headlights can discolour and are covered in cloth but the wires in the loom should be ok colourwise.

[gtt1951]

Sunshine at last (today) and so I did some work on cars. 1st I had to do a 12,000 mile service on my Diesel 406 estate, then I could turn my attention to the Moggy (estate).
I've fixed the headlamp wiring main-beam problem.[frame][/frame]
The yellow circle shows where the H/B indicator lead was connected to (the dipped headlight circuit) and the red/orange circle shows where it should have been, on the main beam circuit (and that is where it currently is). I also cleaned up the bullet connectors. Then drove the car down to Camberley Autofactors and got some new double-connectors and bullet heads (for full replacement later). Next part of story will be in "General Discussion" under "First Shopping Trip".