Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello,
i could do with a bit of help as my headlights have proven to be a neusance. Bassically my 'dipped' beam works but that is an extremely low source of light, but as i flick the switch down to full beam nothing happens and it stays on the low beam. i have recently had a brand new battery but the problem started before i got the new battery. its a '68 1000.
any help would be largely appreciated!
cheers

Are the headlights on at all, or is it just the side lights giving the very dim light? Did everything work originally? Has any work been done? One possibility is a faulty dip switch, but that is very rare. Could also be a poor earth, so that although the switch is working, neither dip nor main get to full brightness. Do you have a multimeter that can be used for testing purposes? First stage might be to clean all connections for the headlight wiring under the bonnet, with particular emphasis on the earth connections.

Welcome to the forum.

Does the blue 'main beam' warning lamp light on the speedo when you operate the foot-operated dip switch?

If so, the switch is probably OK, and as said above, check the bullet connectors to the headlamps and the earths to the inner wings.

It's possible, of course, that both main beam filaments have blown, but you'll have to wire in separate power supplies to the headlamp wires to find out, or remove the headlamps (usually sealed beam type on 1000s) and test them out of the car.

Also check the fuses and their terminals are clean and intact on the bulkhead.

You 'flick the switch down' .... what switch??? Minor has a FOOT operated dip switch.... Most likely you have no earth connections at the headlights - and so the filaments are 'finding earth' through the other connection - depending which is energised at that time. So effectively both filaments will be lit up - but v dimly. Take the sealed beam light units out and check each one on the battery to check all is well.....and then rig a proper earth connection to each lamp.

BMC remember that on the later cars the dashboard had the longer "flick" switches. I can only presume from the OP poster's comments that when he uses this switch only the side lights are coming on - no headlights - hence the poor light.

Jackeysnakey - get someone to stand in front of the car whilst you operate all light switches in turn (including the dip switch/main beam on the floor (left of the clutch pedal)

Thanks for the response! My car doesn't have the dip switch as a pedal. The switch is a normal switch as you'd have for the wipers. Switch down for the normal beam, switch down again for full beam. The normal beam works fine. It's the full beam that does not work. I have checked all the connections but I can't say I'm the best at this kind of stuff. The car has a lot of chassis work, a recent mot and as I say a new battery.

Sounds like it has had a Marina/Mini steering column fitted. As I said above, does the main beam warning light when you operate the switch?

Such a stalk arrangement should also have a headlamps 'flash' facility - if you pull the stalk towards you, does it then flash the main beams?

Can you confirm you have one or two light switchs.

If two, does the original do off/sidelights/headlights and the second do dip/main beam, the second switch replacing the floor dipswitch

If only one does it do the following Off/sidelights+dip beam/main beam. If that is the case it sound like there has been a change to the light switch and headlight wiring

And have you tested the headlights as suggested?

A photo of the switches would be useful.
The light switch, on the right of the ignition switch should be one click down for side lights and two clicks down for side and headlights. Dip and main beam should be selected with the foot dipswitch