Wierd headlight/sidelight fault

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ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90

Active Member
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Guys, ive just come to fix my wobbly headlight switch on the 300tdi 90, the nut had come loose. Once all back together i went to test my lights and now seem to have a fault. I cant seem to get just sidelights alone unless the key is turned to the off position this is on stage 1(being the 1st click forward from off) of the headlight switch. A soon as the key is turned to stage 1, the headlights come on, but are only faint. So i then push the headlight switch to the second setting which i believe should be dipped beam and the headlights brighten. This is all while the engine is off! The same happens once the engine is started, sidelights are on but so are the headlights but only faint, then i push the headlight switch to setting two and the headlights brighten.

Any ideas? This didnt seem to happen before i messed:doh:
 
Last edited:
Dodgy connection somewhere, double check what you have replaced and re check again any wiring around the switch. The switch itself has soldered on cables, possible a dry joint causing a lack of power through it.

Then again low light usually points to lack of battery power, which increases with the engine on as the battery is becoming charged, do you have issues starting at all?
you should be hitting 13.4V idle and upto 14.4V with a high rev.
 
Thanks for the reply. The battery is new, so i dont think its that. i can get just sidelights alone when the engine is off. But as soon as its started no matter what setting the light switch is on, i cant get just side lights... This cant be right can it?
 
Bromsgrove Defender said:
Frankly I'm 95% certain it's the switch ;)
Click to expand...

Bromsgrove Defender said:
He also find that mrwoo agrees wiv me :p
Click to expand...

Are you saying .....

a) yer 95% certain that the headlight switch is correctly working
b) Yer 95% certain that the ignition switch is correctly working
c) other

My interpretation of what the op is saying is that with the ignition switch off the headlight switch is doing low powered headlights AND sidelights when the ignition is on and the swiutch is in the sidelight position. This is because the vehicle is fitted with a dim/dip relay. If he wants sidelights only when the ignition is on he will need to pull the multi-plug out of the dim/dip relay. It will then operate how you are saying it should work.

What is your interpretation/reasoning for your answer?:confused:
 
Thanks for the reply guys. So in that case, everything is working as it should. But, to get side lights on their own, i need to bypass/get rid of the dim dip relay?
 
ratty said:
Are you saying .....

a) yer 95% certain that the headlight switch is correctly working
b) Yer 95% certain that the ignition switch is correctly working
c) other

My interpretation of what the op is saying is that with the ignition switch off the headlight switch is doing low powered headlights AND sidelights when the ignition is on and the swiutch is in the sidelight position. This is because the vehicle is fitted with a dim/dip relay. If he wants sidelights only when the ignition is on he will need to pull the multi-plug out of the dim/dip relay. It will then operate how you are saying it should work.

What is your interpretation/reasoning for your answer?:confused:
Click to expand...

Sorry what I meant was I was 95% certain it was the Lighting switch that was the cause of the problem because from the OP my interpretation was that the lights were fine until he fixed the wobbly Headlight switch.
That's why I said 95%, there was always the possibility that there was a different cause and without the OP having touched or even mentioned a wobbly switch I'd agree totally with you ;)
 
ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
Thanks for the reply guys. So in that case, everything is working as it should. But, to get side lights on their own, i need to bypass/get rid of the dim dip relay?
Click to expand...

YES. If the dim/dip relay fails you often end up with yer lights stuck on (common fault). By unplugging the dim/dip relay before this happens you will therefore prevent the problem occurring in the first place.;)
 
Bromsgrove Defender said:
Sorry what I meant was I was 95% certain it was the Lighting switch that was the cause of the problem because from the OP my interpretation was that the lights were fine until he fixed the wobbly Headlight switch.
That's why I said 95%, there was always the possibility that there was a different cause and without the OP having touched or even mentioned a wobbly switch I'd agree totally with you ;)
Click to expand...

I know what ya mean.

My guess is that the lights have always operated how they do now but he's just never realised it cos whenever he's checked the lights (if ever) he's done it with the ignition off.
 
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