Amazon: '66 Amazon Headlight > brake-light : gremlins

[BLS07]

Hi SW&GER

RH headlight bulb;
Checked over the weekend; all good.
It also works in High beam currently, as described.

Feels like something happening at dipped-beam wiring / connection or indeed the darn replacement foot-dipper switch; possibly at the grey wire (56b) connection at foot-dipper.

Brake light globes ;
Also checked and also all good.
Change those globes a few months back.

Rear light lenses;
Both newly refurbished.
Reflectors - not entirely, but provide a suitably bright reflective effect.

The tail / brake light sequence
works 100% with NO headlights or front Parker’s (‘day drivers’). Which seems to suggest all is quite well there.
Nonetheless, testing shall be done!

Whereas LH & RH headlights do not function correctly, throughout their sequence.
(Parker > Dipped beam > high beam)

The more I research and listen to the terrific advice here - I feel it’s either;
1) a grounding issue overall
2) cranky wire somewhere in the harness/circuit

Multimeter arriving today;
So I’ll get stuck in!!

That said, I’ll grab some spare (new) bulbs and run some changes across the clusters & headlights. Just to fully rule out bulb failures.

Learning more daily here, really grateful for the continued advice.

Cheers!

[Ron Kwas]

BLS;

...looks like you're well on your way with good info/advice from Sw&Ger!

I'd just like to add (and hopefully simplify your understanding of the Foot -Dipper Switch)...Yellow is the power from Light Sw...Dipper then directs it to EITHER Gray (dipped beam) OR Red (High Beam)*...if Headlight on one side is working as expected and other side is not, then either power connections or chassis connections (in other words something in the normal current path) is OPEN, and this can be a bulb itself or connectors, etc. ...

Good Hunting!

* Red has a secondary manner of getting power, and that is High-Beam Flasher relay.

[swedishandgerman]

I do feel quite sure the headlight thing is separate to the brake light thing seeing as it's just one light not working. I'd def recommend looking at trying another bulb at the front. If it's not that, then it can only be something wrong with the grey wire from the connector block to the light. If it was anything else, then both dipped wouldn't work.

I feel absolutely sure that the brake light issue is something separate to the headlight issue. As well, it's something dead simple.

Just to clarify that the brake light circuit is completely separate from the headlight and taillight circuit. The only place - provided the wires aren't touching each other in a loom somewhere (unlikely) - the circuits come close to each other, so to speak, is from the rear connector block backwards.

I feel quite confident you're going to find the problem towards the back of the car.

Couple really, REALLY basic things to check:

• are the red wires are touching the 15w part of the brake/tail bulbs and the white touching the 5w part (!!).

• The bulb's not in upside down is it?!

• Also the rear light clusters are earthing properly, are they?

• Make sure there are no fray wires touching each other.

If all else fails, what happens if you bypass the brake light switch by touching the brown and red wires together? That's under the bonnet, just behind the rocker cover on the bulkhead. To be honest, the brake light switch either works or doesn't work, but could be worth a try.

[Ron Kwas]

BLS;

I agree with Sw&Ge...Headlights/Tailight and Brakelights are normally separate circuits, and simply connecting across the (dreaded hydraulic! See: https://www.sw-em.com/safety_bulletin_1.htm ) Brake Light Sw (with Ign ON) should energize Brakelights, and this is a perfectly acceptable manner of checking Br Lt Sw function...if stepping on the Brk Pedal (again with Ign On) does not result in the Brk Lts being powered, the switch is in need of replacement (or upgrading to a Pedal position sensing Sw).

...BUT Brk Lts and Tailights also share a chassis connection at the Taillight fixture (see: https://www.sw-em.com/Amazon_Rear_Li...estoration.htm ) so a poor chassis connection here CAN inadvertently connect these two circuits with strange symptoms...

Good Hunting!

[BLS07]

Hi Ron & SW&GER

Thanks again for the continued solid advice, much appreciated!!

Just to clarify;

Brake-lights :
Ignition ON / headlights OFF = all functions in tail light cluster A-OK.
Including brake pedal engaged = brake light “pulse” “flash” as pedal depressed, as normal.

The above responsiveness of brake light with brake pedal depressed only ceasing when headlight switch on instrument panel is pulled out ( turned ON) to either Parker’s / headlights. (Dipped or high beam)
All other tail light cluster functions are unaffected, however.

Reckoning it’s a bad-ground issue at rear and separately at front end.

Feels like possible voltage issue in the circuit -

As when all lights are switched on;

1) brake lights don’t “respond” to pedal being engaged ; BUT tail-light cluster glows solidly

2) headlights only both ON when switched to high-beam.

The hunting continues.

Report back soon, going around with multimeter tomorrow (hopefully!!)

Cheers!


—- any recommendations / leads on sourcing ACZP in UK?

[Ron Kwas]

BLS;

Derek found this UK source a while ago: http://www.bicon-uk.com/Prysmian-Cab...ds-and-Resins/ ...look under "Electrical Joint Compound".

I have looked at the data sheet for this compound and find it to be the ACZP I (highly) recommend (I believe at one point, I even saw some evidence that it was repackaged Penetrox A by Burndy).

Good Hunting

[BLS07]

Tremendous!! Cheers Ron!!

I’ll give them a try.

[swedishandgerman]

Morning!

I was thinking about this a lot last night and I am certain it’s simple:

At the front, the only possibility is a problem with your LH bulb or the grey wire from the connector to the LH light. It CANNOT be anything else, otherwise neither front dipped beam would work. Try a new bulb. You know that the bulbs have 2 filaments - 1 for dip, the other for main - so if 1 filament breaks, the other still works? I'm sure you know that!

At the back it can only be something from the connector block backwards seeing as all other lights are working. I would say you have the connectors mixed up for the brake lights and tail lights, or you have the bulbs in upside down resulting in the 21w filaments coming on when you turn the lights on and the 5w coming on with the brake. So check out the wiring there and check the bulb positioning, as in, is the red wire touching the 21W part of the bulb and the white wire touching the 5w part of the bulb. It's not difficult to put the bulbs in upside down and a good chance that BOTH bulbs are like it!

You don't need a voltmeter for any of that.

The only, ONLY other thing could possibly be the brake light switch, so just over ride the brake light switch by disconnecting the leads and touching the red and brown wires together to see what happens then. The brake light switch is located on the bulkhead just behind the engine.

Those brake light switches DO NOT last and they cost about £11 from most motor factors. I carry spares and they take minutes to change when - not if - they break.

[BLS07]

Good evening All !

So, I finally had a rain free day to get a look at the various lights / sockets / and immediate wiring connections. (have not traced wires back to switches - yet!)

1) RH Headlights
- There was indeed a dodgy connection in the grey wire at the front RH headlight. Sorting that in the next day or so.

New Q:
> Finding it difficult to source replacement 12V H4 45/40w bulbs.
(Originally bought over a year ago)
> What are your thoughts on swapping for 12V H4 60/55w halogen bulbs ?
*Must be H4 to fit the wire harness I have long had installed via Brookhouse.

Considering replacement of bulbs, as the afternoon gloom commences at 4:30pm nowadays, here. I feel now is time for a fresh set of bulbs as spares is a good idea.


2) Rear Light cluster

(a) LH Indicator wiring
- See attached, I've now a job to do here.

- Ron ; your detailed page (link below) is super ! thank you !
https://www.sw-em.com/Amazon_Rear_Li...n_current_path

(b) LH cluster as a whole shall now get some much needed attention after nearly 55 years of truly being out-in-the-cold.

Likewise with the RH cluster, I reckon.

Unfortunately, with 2(a) occurring - fully checking the brake light response when headlight switch was ON, has not yet been further scoped out.

However, I did find that the RH brake light did seem to respond when engaging the brake pedal whilst the headlight switch was ON.

Further thorough & complete check shall be done, Tuesday.
By which time I aim to have refurbed and/or swapped out the necessary elements in both rear light clusters.

In the meantime ;
Advice and opinion on bulb wattage Question (above), would be gratefully received !

Cheers!

[swedishandgerman]

Originally Posted by BLS07

New Q:
> Finding it difficult to source replacement 12V H4 45/40w bulbs.
(Originally bought over a year ago)
> What are your thoughts on swapping for 12V H4 60/55w halogen bulbs ?
*Must be H4 to fit the wire harness I have long had installed via Brookhouse.

Considering replacement of bulbs, as the afternoon gloom commences at 4:30pm nowadays, here. I feel now is time for a fresh set of bulbs as spares is a good idea.



In the meantime ;
Advice and opinion on bulb wattage Question (above), would be gratefully received

Brilliant! I reckon you've found the faults there then! A good session with a dremmel and a soldering iron can usually restore the old back lights. It has to be said they deteriorate and well respond to attention!

The Amazon wiring is pretty hardy, but there is no relay resulting in ALL the current for the lighting going through the switches etc. It's not a massive increase to go up to the halogen bulbs, but it is an increase! I have seen symptoms of overheating in the yellow wire between the headlight switch and the foot dipper in the past. A higher gauge cable there might be considered, but I'm sure that most Amazons have 60/55w halogens in them nowadays with no problems!

Yes, getting replacement 45/40 bulbs is getting difficult nowadays - not stocked in Halfords, for example - but still available to order online.