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Help with ‘63 headlights.

Ratroaster

Ratroaster

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Hey guys. I’ve got a headlight issue w/ the ‘63 Plymouth that’s giving me fits. Let me start at the beginning. About a week ago I fired the car up to head to coffee w/ the boys and noticed I had no low beam headlights. When I hit the dimmer switch I had high beams all 4 lights are on. Well Ok, must be a bad dimmer switch. Hope. Replaced it w/ new. No change. Well, now what? I had a extra new headlight switch, let’s try that. Nope. So I’ve been trying to think this through. Can’t be a continuity issue. On high beams all the lights are working? Can’t be a ground issue, because, again, on high beams, all the lights are working. I’ve been looking at a schematic for the ‘63 and that’s really not shedding any light ( no pun ) on what the issue is. So, I’m hoping there is an electrical expert out there who can help on th is. Thanks. RR
 
Trace low beam circuit from hdlp dimmer switch to low beam bulb. Bad connection between the dimmer sw and low beam hdlp.
 
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Hdlmp sw shud just put 12v to the floor dimmer switch; has to be from there,thru bulkhead on to hdlights.
 
black64 said:
Trace low beam circuit from hdlp dimmer switch to low beam bulb. Bad connection between the dimmer sw and low beam hdlp.
Click to expand...
That was going to be my next test. Trying to facilitate a jumper from the dimmer to the bulkhead and then to the headlight harness and bulb.
 
The outboard headlamps have two filaments in them, one low beam and one high beam, only one of which is active at a time. You might very well just have two burned out low beam filaments and be chasing your tail assuming that because the outer lights are lit when you switch to high beam, they must be good.
 
Slantsixdan said:
The outboard headlamps have two filaments in them, one low beam and one high beam, only one of which is active at a time. You might very well just have two burned out low beam filaments and be chasing your tail assuming that because the outer lights are lit when you switch to high beam, they must be good.
Click to expand...
Good point. I have to take a good look at the filaments. I was "assuming" both the bulbs were working.
 
Hard to see some filament failures. Put a continuity meter across the left vertical and top horizontal prongs coming out the back of each low-beam headlamp. Left vertical = common/ground, top horizontal = low beam feed.

(which means you can also turn on the headlamps, select low beam, and put a voltmeter across the corresponding socket slots, that is top horizontal and right vertical with the slots facing you).

If you take a notion to upgrade the headlamps from sealed beams to something better, gimme a shout. There are some excellent lamps in this size on the market at a variety of prices, but there's also a mountain of junk, and it's all hyped as an upgrade. Even if you're staying with sealed beams, some (GE, Philips) are less godawful than others.
 
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Slantsixdan said:
Hard to see some filament failures. Put a continuity meter across the left vertical and top horizontal prongs coming out the back of each low-beam headlamp. Left vertical = common/ground, top horizontal = low beam feed.

(which means you can also turn on the headlamps, select low beam, and put a voltmeter across the corresponding socket slots, that is top horizontal and right vertical with the slots facing you).

If you take a notion to upgrade the headlamps from sealed beams to something better, gimme a shout. There are some excellent lamps in this size on the market at a variety of prices, but there's also a mountain of junk, and it's all hyped as an upgrade. Even if you're staying with sealed beams, some (GE, Philips) are less godawful than others.
Click to expand...
Thanks Six. Good info on the testing process. RR
 
Dan, I think a lot of us would be interested in a headlight upgrade for our cars if you have time to write about your thoughts. BTW, the turn signal switch I purchased from you a few years ago works great.
Dave
 
I'm happy to babble all day long about better car lights, but I am very reluctant to get commercial in public on a forum such as this. Whether or not it's allowed, I think it's probably not appropriate. Maybe I'm overly cautious; I don't know, but for now, please contact me privately if you want solid advice on how to see and be seen better without wasting money on hyped-up junk.
 
Best headlight upgrade in my opinion is installing a headlight relay kit. I did this a few years ago on my 63 Polara and what a difference. At the same time I also replaced all 4 headlights with stock halogen units. This also takes a big load off of your headlight switch.
 
Relays, definitely yes, even if you're sticking with sealed beams. Info page here. Do it up right, with name-brand relays and appropriate components and the right kind of wire; skip the cheap and nasty Chinese kits.
 
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