Series 3 Headlights not working , help needed today to save Christmas .

I really need a bit of help if possible , I am just finishing a night shift and am driving 250 miles after a very brief sleep to take my family to yorkshire for a suprise Christmas reunion , ( ok X factor sob story finished) my headlights have gone series 3 , I know what it probably is , it's the crappy column stalk with bad connections , I've had it before , all the signs point to this , I'm not going to be able to get another one this side of Christmas , what 2 wires do I need to connect on column to activate headlights , I could get away with this for the next week by connecting and disconnecting via a wire , please advise , Happy Christmas XXX

Blue and blue red gives you dipped beam switched by main switch or run a wire from blue connetion back of switch to red blue in engine bay

I hope you are sorted? I wouldn't have a clue of the colours but find the head light relay and wire the coil to a live ideally with a inline switch and fuse, might be a faulty head light relay?
Are you in the AA? They might fix it for you?

Series won't have a relay as standard.

Flossie said:

Series won't have a relay as standard.

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Well I didn't know that, so at lease its a simple fix

So in theory if I link blue to blue red at steering column switch it should come on , I've just got up , 2 hrs sleep !

neilc75 said:

So in theory if I link blue to blue red at steering column switch it should come on , I've just got up , 2 hrs sleep !

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Yes, if @Blackburn is not fibbing

Contrate on doing the journey safely, stop for breaks and lots of coffee. You can use sidelights for now and make up a temporary fix with a lenth of wire later.

I've had dealings with Blackburn in the past , all will be good I've literally had to rig this up , it's obviously the column , red blue to purple at fuse , seems to work , not pretty but Christmas isn't always

I've tidied it up a bit , literally completing the circuit , also I've got fog lamps on the front so I think I'll be ok , will order stalk today , thanks for safety and technical advice , Happy Christmas

What I can hardly believe is that you are taking your family on a 250 mile trip in the middle of winter in a SERIES 3!! Hats off to you sir. I make sure I've got my AA card if I take mine to the local supermarket.

Col

Christmas is saved
I don't think its possible to fall asleep in a series unless your profoundly deaf

Perfect! Looks like a permanent fix to me.

It takes a brave man to delve into the 'rats nest' that lies behind the dash in December. Those old wires are so inflexible in colder weather. The binnacle pulls forward 4 inches in the summer months and only two inches in the Winter,

Safe journey and hope you have a good Christmas. I admire you using it for a lengthy family journey but I guess that's how memories are made.

Got here safe and well , Journey took about 4 1/2 hours and most of that time was spent getting out of Brum ! , No traffic at all , stopped off for a few coffees , with all the "essentials" in the back we had very little space so it was needed anyway for a leg stretch

Well done!

So glad you made it safe and sound, have a good one

Ok new year plans , replace 2 footwell sections as they are rotting and seal underneath , purchase and fit door handles on inside of doors , fit internal light ,that's about it I think , sometimes I'm like Basil Fawlty hitting a branch on hhis Austin 1300 and shouting " start you bloody thing " and other times I do think that although it's drinks petrol and leaks like a collander that the insurance and tax don't cost a lot and that the series is a financial investment and on occasion is actually good fun

After I've bought a new indicator stalk I was thinking of getting these , my current bulbs are useless , even when they are on , does anyone have any experience of these ? I don't really know what LED convertor kits are for if these directly plug in

Your truck may well have sealed beam headlamps and if this is the case you will have to change the whole unit.. With most upgrades to head lamps it is best to run through a relay to save the stalk switch from overload, but this may not be the case with LED bulbs.However there are plenty of posts about on the net about problems with them.

Wire you headlamps via a relay (kits are available see here: https://www.paddockspares.com/boomslang-performance-headlight-loom.html ) this takes current away from the switch and give full voltage to the lights.