Dim Lights, Help Please

[topchop]

47 Super Deluxe, original wiring, mostly, and 6v Pos ground.

I too suffer from the dim light syndrome, and have been following all of the posts of late pertaining to that. Decided to fix, rather than go to 12v, for now.

In the process of following the 6v path starting at the battery, and here are my questions.

I have the headlight switch out of the dashboard, hanging down so I can access the switch output for testing, wires all still connected. Hot 6.4v going into the headlight switch. When low beams on, the output is 5.8v, and high beams 5.6v. Should it be 6v? Does this mean a bad switch? Would I have any different reading by disconnecting the wire from the terminal, meaning a bad ground somewhere towards the headlights?

Thanks for any "light" someone can shed on this issue.

Jim in Rochester

[Ken/Alabama]

The switch is probably dirty causing a high resistance. Ive taken them apart and cleaned,polished the contacts and relubed them. Also dont forget about the dimmer switch, the headlight circuit runs through it also.

[cmbrucew]

TC
Make a good drawing/ pictures of the wiring on the switch. Then remove the switch and carefully dissemble to clean contacts bright, light film of lube, then back together.
On to the dimmer switch, etc.
Bruce

[Walts50]

I bought 6V halogen sealed beams on line, think the place was "Mikes chevy" Much brighter than the standard lamps.

[Wingnutz]

Check your grounds and make sure you have adequate gage size and clean metal surfaces. Grind away paint and rust then hit it with a dab of "No Ox" dielectric contact lube.

If that doesn't work then go on to the switches.

[Brooks]

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Put relays between dimmer sw and headlights run a # 10 wire from the starter relay hot side to the light relays use two one for bright one for dim ,use the dimmer sw to control the light relays. Your lights will be bright.

[topchop]

Haven't cleaned out the headlight switch contacts as suggested by Bruce yet, but noticed something a little strange. When the parking lights are on, one if the instrument bulbs shine through a 3/16" dia (?) hole in the dash below the speedometer bezel, illuminating directly on the keylock and ignition switch. Great. But when I put the headlights on, that light goes out and all the others are still on, of course. Never noticed this before. Anyone else or is it just me?

[cmbrucew]

Henry did that so you could see to get the key in the ignition switch after dark.
Bruce

[TomO]

In order to get lights at the designed brightness, you must have at least 6.0 volts at the bulb. Your light switch has some corrosion on the contacts. You may be able to get the correct voltage through it by just operating it several times.

The rule of thumb is that each switch can drop a maximum of .1 volt with current flowing in the circuit.

[expavr]

Try running a ground wire directly from the socket to the positive post on the battery and see if that makes a difference. On my truck I ended up grounding all the lights to the frame and running a "0" ground lead from the battery to the frame. IMO more grounding is better with these 6V systems. Photo attached.

[Wingnutz]

Originally Posted by expavr

Try running a ground wire directly from the socket to the positive post on the battery and see if that makes a difference. On my truck I ended up grounding all the lights to the frame and running a "0" ground lead from the battery to the frame. IMO more grounding is better with these 6V systems. Photo attached.

I totally agree as I've solved a quarry of problems by additional "grounding"!