Headlight switch bad, or something else??

[bill440rt]

Hey gang, not sure if I'm on the right track here or not. I could use some help, electrical stuff is my weakness.

I was testing out the headlights today on the '69, didn't get very far. I was hooking up the HID headlight kit in the '69, just wanted to test the headlight system so I knew which "hot" wire to use. Flicked the headlight switch on, shortly after the dash lights started flickering, & I could hear "click-click-click" coming from around the switch. Fan-frikkin-tastic. 
Keep in mind NONE of the HID kit is hooked up, only the hi-beams which are regular H4's.

Here's what I found. I completely removed the headlight switch to test. At the dash harness connector for the switch, the "hot" wire which feeds the switch is bright & steady with the test light. Good circuit there. When I attach it to the switch, at the same "hot" wire the light will shortly start to flicker & I can hear the clicking sounds again (short somewhere??). Without the switch, the circuit is strong.

Sooo... I'm guessing my switch is bad? Does that sound right to you? I don't have a meter, nor do I know how to use one. Just a test light. I have a few extra spare switches I going to try, to see if there's any improvement. I just want to know if I'm going about this the right way.
Thanks!

[268RTs4ME]

Check your dimmer swirch.

[A383Wing]

I bet your headlight switch is bad...there is an internal circuit breaker inside....it's probably because of the extra load of the lights are causing it to click. I had the same issue with my 70 switch...took it apart and soldered the connectors for the breaker together inside...then I used an external circuit breaker inline of the headlight switch....

I also used a relay set-up under the hood and ran power from the battery to the relays to power the headlights...

[myk]

Is that the headlamp-relay upgrade that's been mentioned on here before, the one that supposedly takes load off of the headlight switch?

[bill440rt]

Check your dimmer swirch.

Same symptoms with the dimmer switch unplugged.

I bet your headlight switch is bad...there is an internal circuit breaker inside....it's probably because of the extra load of the lights are causing it to click. I had the same issue with my 70 switch...took it apart and soldered the connectors for the breaker together inside...then I used an external circuit breaker inline of the headlight switch....

I also used a relay set-up under the hood and ran power from the battery to the relays to power the headlights...

None of the HID lights are hooked up, just the high beams which are regular H4's. And, it did it with the high beams off. With the high beams on, the driver's side was extremely dim, and the passenger side wasn't on at all. Would the switch cause that, too?
The HID system uses relays which get power directly from the battery, they're just not hooked up. I was merely testing the system to see which wire was "hot" to the headlights, which was the purple wire. That signal was strong. Hi-beam circuit (red wire) was dim and pulsing with the test light. BUT, I was getting this same pulse at the switch with the dimmer switch unplugged.
What the heck do I have here? Bad headlamp switch??

[A383Wing]

None of the HID lights are hooked up, just the high beams which are regular H4's. And, it did it with the high beams off. With the high beams on, the driver's side was extremely dim, and the passenger side wasn't on at all. Would the switch cause that, too?
The HID system uses relays which get power directly from the battery, they're just not hooked up. I was merely testing the system to see which wire was "hot" to the headlights, which was the purple wire. That signal was strong. Hi-beam circuit (red wire) was dim and pulsing with the test light. BUT, I was getting this same pulse at the switch with the dimmer switch unplugged.
What the heck do I have here? Bad headlamp switch??

Without changing anything...try unplugging one headlight at a time and see what happens when you turn on the lights.....wonder if you got a short somewhere...

[b5blue]

Bill you need to test for a short to ground . Check for continuity between the hot circuit for your headlights (AFTER the switch) and ground with an Ohm meter. (unplug all 4 bulbs) Don't panic the switch is doing it's job, crappy connections could add resistance but remember you are turning on your running lights also not just dash so the bug could be there. If the switch is very tired the breaker could just be weak or the contacts flash corroded inside. Jump off the foot dimmer switch as it could be crapping out too. The smart thing you did was test it before any mods.   

[bill440rt]

During the tests, I removed the switch completely from the dash. NOTHING was hooked up to it, just the switch itself into the dash harness.
Strong signal at the hot wire at the wiring harness which feeds the switch (black wire, white tracer). Weak signal (pulses) with the switch plugged in, switch was grounded using wire/alligator clips to body. Pulse is found at the black/white tracer feed wire. This is JUST the switch, nothing hooked into it.

BTW, I also jumped the foot dimmer switch, when jumped that appears to be doing it's job. No shorts found there.

[b5blue]

I only have a 70 diagram and it has that funky feedback deal for electric headlight doors going on. Check your 12V feed is a steady DC signal. If the switch is pulsing output with no load on it (?) the switch is bad. 

[bill440rt]

OK, after all this time, it was.....   something else.   

I merely had the high-beam wires switched. I have Hella housings with H4 hi-beam bulbs installed, there are 2 wires coming off the bulb that were simply reversed in the connector. This was causing a break in the signal, or a short, even with the hi-beams off.
I was able to finish off the headlight & HID wiring now.
A simple switch-a-roo with the wires and voila! LIGHT!!

[A383Wing]

 

[b5blue]

Excellent