One head light goes out when main beam is on

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Murdo1uk

Member
Posts
19
Location
Argyll
hello all, 1996 300tdi defender 90. Just failed my mot and to be honest it was a shock lol. I switch on the headlights and they both work. Put main beam on and the drivers side comes on but passenger side goes out completely? Any ideas of what to check so I can get fixed quickly. Cheers
 
I’ve got the headlights earthed to the wings and they are newish and looked at them today and the wiring looks good. Anywhere else to check?
 
check earths

Are the earths not shared? for main lights full and dipped for each side.

If you have a meter pull the connector on the back of the headlight and start checking if you have voltage on the full beam side, if not then go back through the wiring and see if you have a dodgy connection.

Cheers
 
Are the earths not shared? for main lights full and dipped for each side.

If you have a meter pull the connector on the back of the headlight and start checking if you have voltage on the full beam side, if not then go back through the wiring and see if you have a dodgy connection.

Cheers
Yeah the earths are shared on each side. They come off the back of the light through a grommet and bolt to the wing next to the radiator and oil cooler at the front. Time to get the meter out and check everything today.
 
Ok, I plugged the whole headlamp that’s not working into the good side and everything works. Main beam and dipped all good.
Made new earths up and connected to the wing, left off the headlamp and tested the 3 pin plug and have 12v on dipped then switched on main beam and nothing.
Checked fuse....all good
Ran a wire from main beam plug to the main beam switch and tested continuity and all good.
Not sure why I have continuity but no power?
Oh dear
 
did you actually swap headlights or only try one, as it may be due to the loading of 2 headlights on at once.
I only switched one over, I’ve taken both headlights off now and switched main beam on and only have power on one side. The other side has nothing.
Checked all fuses and they’re good
Checked continuity from the main beam switch to the plug and all good.
 
I only switched one over, I’ve taken both headlights off now and switched main beam on and only have power on one side. The other side has nothing.
Checked all fuses and they’re good
Checked continuity from the main beam switch to the plug and all good.
I thought that the headlight power went to the offside headlights then piggy backed across to the nearside?
 
Not sure, my wiring is the same as the wiring diagram
Blue/pink and blue/black to dipped
Blue/slate and blue/ orange to main
All coming off separate fuses and going off to each wing just at the bulkhead
 
Yes doctor
Check to see if you have power at the fuse connector, that will tell you if it is the switch side or the light side, the switch only has one output but feeds two fuses. As one side works that would indicate the switch is ok and as low beam works the earth must be ok.
 
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