Headlights cut out

E

emrliquidlife

True Classic
Yes, I was just asking for crash test data....

Okay, intermittent problem with the headlights. Occasionally the low beams will simply disappear. Dash lights stay on, but the low beams leave. Flicking on the high beams a couple of times brings them back. However, I have been driving with the high beams to keep the issue from occuring.

I have not done the BWM. Any clues of what to look for? Grounding points that I could be pointed to?

Ed
 
Check the headlight switch....

I had the same condition you just described, headlights would just go out while driving in the dark (!), while all of the other interior lights stayed on. The headlight switch has a lot of juice going through it and over time, will deteriorate. A simple replacement from Vick's or other good Fiat parts catalog fixed the problem. Hope this helps :) - Rich Banks
 
The one on the column is used for high/low switching.

I had to replace both on my 81 , but I forget how it was not working. On mine I checked the brown wire between the column switch and the first connector. Wire was all bubbled and stiff for about 3 inches. Upgrading it totally improved my intermittent starting problem,,my voltmeter worked much better,,the wipers were about 3 times better.I also put a relay on the low beam, but I don't know if your year needs it. I haven't had any trouble with the switches since.
The biggest problem the Bad brown wire caused me was the starting problem as I had to eventually turn the key 10-20 times before it would connect. The stiff wire was preventing the current?? to flow through.
 
You really answered your own question Ed...

The BWM will only HELP but the real solution is a HRM.

Each headlight is grounded to a BLOSSUM on each side of the car... so an intermittent ground would/should only affect ONE headlight, and not both.

Since BOTH appear to be a problem... I would suspect the POWER source and not a ground to be the culprit. That would of course involve the BROWN and BLUE wire from the ignition switch to the HEADLIGHT switch, their connectors, and the headlight switch itself.

One other caveat that has me a bit baffled is that you say that there is no problem with high beams. If so, that kinda defeats what I said... and leads me to the hi/lo selector on the column, or wiring to or from it... as the voltage from the headlight switch would be the SAME for both functions. If one fails (low) and not the other, then the problem SHOULD be after that selector.

(I do NOT believe your car has a HIGH beam relay... it might... break out the drawings to find out for sure... If so... that would be my FIRST choice!)
 
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