[daveid]

Hi,

I have a 72 el camino that I just got and all the lighting works except the head lights. Ive tested the connectors after the lights didnt work and i dont have any power to them at all. I do have power though to the turn signals right next to them and everyother light on the car.
I was told from the previous owner that when the lights were taken out they all worked. I dont know anything about this stuff so I was wondering the first place to start and where to go from there?

thanx
david

[Brian_B]

I am no expert at all, but you might want to looks a fuses first...

Then check to see if you have power coming out of your light switch itself.

Then see if you have power going into the light switch. No power into switch could mean bad wires between there and the fuse panel.


Just what I can think of right now.

[Gringo]

As he said check if you have power to switch. Pull out one notch and you should have power to taillites and park lites and all the way out are the headlites and taillites. Next make sure your dimmer switch is getting power. These sometimes stick or burn out. Not sure if these have a fuse for headlites they may just have a circuit breaker which could be bad. Make sure headlites are grounded good. The third wire that comes out of the connecter to headlite bulb is ground. I think it is black but not sure. Hope this helps.

[daveid]

which fuse would I look at? I have rear lights, but i dont have one that says head lights? When i turn on the light switch the rear lights turn on and the running lights and turn signals work. wouldnt that mean I have power to the switch?

thanx for the response
david

[Gringo]

yes you have power to switch. Next check to see if you have power coming out of headlite switch. This goes to the dimmer switch. Click your dimmer switch and see if your brite lite indicator comes on, on the dash. If it does then you have power to dimmer. Next see if you have power coming out of dimmer on both wires. High and low beam. Click it to check power for each side. If it has power to both wires, then unhook connector from headlites and see if you have power there. Have you checked your bulbs to see if they are good? Let me know how u r doing. Did you check for a good ground on headlites?

[Bryan59EC]

Yup, more than likely a bad dimmer switch

With the HL switch pulled all the way out----you should get voltage to the blue wire attatched to the dimmer-----(or the center wire if not blue)
The tan and green wires go directly to the headlights.
I believe the green is high beam and may have 2 wires attatched to the dimmer connector----one to the headlights and one to the dash indicator.

On a car this old---would be good idea to change the dimmer anyway.
I had one start a fire on the floor of my truck one dark night.

Also---no fuse to the headlights----there is an internal circuit breaker inside of the HL switch at (should)automatically reset in the event of a short or overload.

Bryan

[daveid]

thank you guys for all the responses. It ended up being the dimmer switch. Luckly for me it was an easy fix as I am very much so still learning.

thanx
david

[busterwivell]

So are we all!