Headlight issue - 300TDi

Hmm, if y'all could let me pick your brains on this one...

1996 110 300TDi

The headlight stopped functioning on main beam. High beam and sidelight functions still work, so just the most useful ones missing.
Dad (Previous owner) said the higher intensity bulbs cause the switch on the steering column to stop working about every 3 years.
Bought a britpart switch, fitted, no difference.
Bought a lucas switch, fitted, no difference.

Investigated dim-dip problem. Ordered replacement dim-dip relay that bypasses the system, fitted that, and no sidelights. This is the same with and without the resistor on the inner wing plugged in.

Has anyone had a similar problem? Did you manage to solve it?

Do I need to bypass the resistor as well?

i presume you tried new bulbs,and checked wire at lamp for live supply

jamesmartin said:

i presume you tried new bulbs,and checked wire at lamp for live supply

Click to expand...

would have been a good place to check first,think the op,s not got a multi meter?

Aye I do have it somewhere but not yet learned to use it

I was just told so definitively that the switch was at fault to begin with I overlooked the simple things! Certainly sounded like dim/dip symptoms though....

Am going to investigate with ye olde multimeter tomorrow.

Corbs said:

Aye I do have it somewhere but not yet learned to use it

I was just told so definitively that the switch was at fault to begin with I overlooked the simple things! Certainly sounded like dim/dip symptoms though....

Am going to investigate with ye olde multimeter tomorrow.

Click to expand...

continuity setting is your friend this will tell you if the bulbs fooked,always put it onto continuity first and check your leads before testing anything,next you need the dc scale for 12v,post up a pic of your meter so we can advise betterer how to use it proper

Well....

After much poking and prodding, turned out it was a failed connection on the indicator stalk - it looked like the wire had pulled apart inside the shrink wrap. My friend (Who was wielding the multimeter) soldered a new bodgewire on to the connection.

In the words of George Stevenson: 'It'll do for now'

Thanks for the assistance guys!

I promise I will learn multimeter magic in the future.

Glad you got it sorted. As for multimeters, they're really not black-magic.

Have a look here. Should get you started in no time.
https://www.youtube.com/results?sea....8j1.9.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.dsRpI7TILwk

while yu are at it, do the headlight mod in the CFAQ section.

The Mad Hat Man said:

while yu are at it, do the headlight mod in the CFAQ section.

Click to expand...

Good shout. One side already has an MX5 'Angel eye' headlight fitted... Barf