67--no headlight function--need ideas

[Mike E.]

It's a 67 convertible--last time on the road was 1979. Now running. Dash harness was cut, spliced, and parts missing, so I replaced it. Engine/headlight harness is original, as is rear harness.
Headlights won't come on in either low or high beam. Neither will front parking lights.
Rear taillights work in both modes. Brake lights work. Turn signals work on front and back, but is dimmer on the left front, as if I had a bad ground. Interior lights work properly, as does the radio, heater blower on all 3 speeds, lighter. Wiper motor does not. Headlight buckets DO rotate up and down properly. Fuses in fusebox are all good. Don't yet have the steering wheel on, so no idea if horns work on car--they did work off the car. It's the original telescoping column, fwiw.
I've cleaned and used dielectric grease on all the connecting pins at firewall connection. Cleaned all grounds, and cleaned all connectors on the horn relay. Checked electric plugs on headlights and turn signal lights.
Didn't take the opportunity when breaking in the cam to focus on whether or not alternator was charging, but remember glancing at gauges (mostly oil pressure gauge) and don't remember anything being amiss.
Dimmer switch is original, headlight switch is D/R, don't know how old it is, but contacts look good, rheostat wire still looks good, with no burned spots, etc.
What am I missing? Help?!?!
Never had any training in any of this, and am really weak in understanding the electrical side of things.
Thanks in advance!

[Ray G.]

Re: 67--no headlight function--need ideas

Hello Mike;
Hope all is well with you and yours.
You have 12V to headlight switch. Sounds like you checked all the grounds.
Can you follow the color coded wires from the headlight switch with a testlite and determine where you current stops?
Easiest with the headlight switch hanging down.
Ray

[Ray K.]

Re: 67--no headlight function--need ideas

Mike

Even tho you have done considerable testing, and you may yet find some other problem, it sounds to me like a defective head lamp switch. Do you have another one to test with?

Ray K

[William C.]

Re: 67--no headlight function--need ideas

Mike, if you haven't done it already, I'd check carefully the condition of the terminals in the engine side of the connection at the front of dash. Also each side of the headlamp system is grounded independently, so I'd start with the grounds on the side of the weak T/s lamp. Drop me a PM if you need help on the locations.

[Richard M.]

Re: 67--no headlight function--need ideas


1967 Wiring Diagram

Mike, Wrote a little flow chart to help follow. Don't be scared.

Drop the H/L switch so you can see it easier. Using a voltmeter or testlight......good ground on one of the leads.

Check the Red wire for 12v. That's the feed to the switch. If not there, that comes from the bulkhead connector. But I suspect you have it there as the rest of the interior stuff works. It comes from the horn relay, via a fusible link.

If 12v there......
Pull the knob to H/L on position.

Check the Light Blue wire(2 tied together) for 12v (this feeds the dimmer, and also the H/L warning dash bulb)

If no 12v there, bad switch. Stop here. Get new switch.

If 12v there.....

Check Light Blue at dimmer, then Tan(lo beam), then Light Green(hi-beam). If nothing there, bad dimmer?

If ok on both there, they then go through the bulkhead connector then out to the headlights. There they're still Tan and Light Green. Check out there with a good ground on the meter/testlight. If voltages are good there with the testlight, then you have a bad ground out there(or 4 bad bulbs!). Gnds are Black. IIRC they get bolted to the radiator support somewhere.

Rich

[Richard M.]

Re: 67--no headlight function--need ideas

Mike, Thinking about this a bit more, because you have no park lights as well as headlights, as Bill noted, it sounds more like a ground as it's common to both in the headlight harness. According to the wiring diagram, the grounds get bolted to the horn relay, the regulator, and the alternator.

Maybe just check those and it may solve it.

Rich

[Mike E.]

Re: 67--no headlight function--need ideas

And the answer is............................bad headlight switch AND bad dimmer switch!! You'd think after sitting with nothing to do for 33 years, that they'd be raring to go. Thanks for the helps, guys. I'd rather be a mechanic than a parts-exchanger, but in this case, I should have just swapped out the parts first!

[Richard M.]

Re: 67--no headlight function--need ideas

Glad you found it!!!

Now, what you can do is open them both up, clean the contacts up, reassemble and you'll save 'em.

[Mike E.]

Re: 67--no headlight function--need ideas

After I actually drive the car and enjoy it!