Morris Minor Owners Club

hi there.

on the n/s main beam, i am getting about 9.5 volt from the left contact and the top contact, and 10.4 from the right contact and the top. when i click to main beam, i am getting nothing. dead. no volta. the o/s front is fine, dipped and main works. does this sound like a switch problem? i cleaned the contacts on the lucas switch, tried some contact cleaner/gt85, no joy.

i noticed there are two tabs to remove the plunger of the switch, is this just to get to the spring or is it user serviceable\reconditionable?

otherwise, any tips or ideas/lateral thinking? please see my post on brake light switch as well to help me remove this threaded switch that's my other pet project right now.

thanks all.

just to add, i have the main beam switch here to test with a multimeter beside the computer.

Hello Xpress,

if I understand what you are saying, you are measuring voltage at the headlights? If the other side is working OK and bright then your switch is fine. Look to the bullet connections and the earth connections on the N\S unit, make sure they are clean and tight?

Alec

alec, both lights are fine on dipped. when i click the switch on the floor for main beam, one light goes to main beam, o/s, but the n/s sealed beam is dead. measurement with multimeter is: zero volts on main beam, and a healthy 10+ volts on dipped. this sounds like a switch problem to me. are you sure the switch cannot be failed if one main beam is working when m/b is clicked on?

on the n/s there's a receptacle for bullet connectors, some of those look fairly new, maybe someone has replaced a few and not put them in right? any diagram for the bullet connectors in this little bullet connector receptacle?

The switch feeds both headlamps - so if one works and the other doesn't......the problem is with wiring or earth - as Alec has already pointed out..........

ok, could it be the bullets are in the wrong order near the n/s inner wing side of the sealed beam? going to give it all a clean up. the bullets look clean though, is there a diagram to show the order of the bullets here in the connector?

Hello Xpress,

the power from the dip switch comes to one headlight and there are double bullet connectors on that side. The other headlight is fed from these double bullets, across to a set of single bullets where the headlamp harness connects. The main beam is blue\white and the dip beam is blue\red. Earth is black. So with your meter it should be easy enough to see where the power stops, or else the earth is bad?

Alec

o/s headlamp, blue white stripe and black. left headlight, red green black out of the headlamp. one of these could be carrying current for main beam which one?

into three way bulllet, blue and red, blue and white. red coming out of the 3 way bullet, red, blue and white, blue and red, separate bullet coming out of left headlamp = green then out of single bullet = green and red, 3 way bullet and one way bullet goinginto single loom that goes across to the other o/s lamp which funnily enough main beam works.

could it be n/s main light earth, but then dipped wouldn't work right?

anyone care to solve this puzzle?

Hello Xpress,

red is the side light, the indicators are green, either green\red or green\ white, off hand I don't remember which goes to which side. The side\indicator unit has a red wire and a green wire.

It sounds as if the wiring is crossed? From each headlight is a short loom of three wires (Blue\white, blue\red and black) in a sleeve, has you car got this or perhaps someone has done a home made wiring job?

If you intend to maintain your car yourself, invest a small amount in a workshop manual, it makes things so much easier.

Alec

Study Barry's excellent wiring diagram at the head of this section...... In fact - you should print off a copy and laminate it - and carry it in the car.....

sorry to sound ungrateful, can barry render it in high res so it prints bigger? ;)

also, i checked the wiring, it's the same as aforementioned by al.

so it's clean up and double check all contacts, just to be sure.

does the switch send to the O/S front beam first? or to the n/s?

if n/s .. then WHY am i not getting a main beam there first, and sending to the o/s gets a main beam?

could i be unfortunate and have a bad replacement sealed beam with no main beam in it? i could check by swapping the beams across from the good to the bad.

comments? ;)

Hello Xpress,

what does your meter tell you, any voltage at the bullet connectors to the headlight that is not working?, Is neither dip or main working on that side, in which case it's more likely that the earth is not a good connection?

Alec

hi al, the dip is working both sides. the main is out on the near side (kerbside) main beam. i am going to test these bullets today. hopefully i can sort it out!

We haven't heard from Barry for quite a while - and last time we asked he couldn't find the original hi-res version. Be happy with what's there - it's nice and simple and very well done. Yes - swap the lamps over to see if it's working - or just swap the bullets over - you say Dip works -so just temorarily swap the dip and main connectors to see if Main comes on.

That's what I did today. Measured with multi, traced it to a bad wire blue and red stripe going into banana 3 way connector .. will bypass that for now with a spade.

If the blue and white stripe is not connected, would the blue and red stripe still function and vice versa or do they both have to be connected?

I think I know the answer to this. The dipped broke behind three way banana, there might be a loose connection in main beam wire to headlight, do I to get under the wing to connect a new wire up? I might bypass a section of it as a repair.

Anyone know a cheap place for wires and connectors?

Each filament works independently to earth through the black wire. Yes the connections are under the wing. Try not to bodge up the wiring too much.........

Lol. I love originality but the bullet end was brittle. I think only one piece of wire needs replacing from the lamp to bullet. I am just going to bypass the old bullet for one particular wire for now, doubt I will get original colour wire.

Wires and connectors ( and much , much more ) from either : -

Auto Electrical Supplies Ltd. http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk
or Vehicle Wiring Products Ltd. http://www.vehicleproducts.co.uk

I've used them both.You'll need "Standard" cable ...not the modern "Thin wall cable.
Depending on what you are going to replace the bulk of the car wiring will be 14/0.30
which is 1.0mm square whilst the thicker stuff headlights,wipers,screen heaters,petrol pumps, etc
is 28/0.30 and 2.00mm square.

Standard bullets, suitable for soldering or crimping are 4.7mm dia.Bullet connectors are avaialble as singles, doubles ( common ) or triples ( common )and five way.
I don't recall coming across a five way on a Moggy but some one will put me right if i'm mistaken.
Bob

Thanks for this. the old bullet three way looks like one of those licorice sweets.