Skip navigation

Mot fail lighting issues

Post

Back to the top


So its failed mot, can someone explain the lights to me??

Outside lights are side lights and main beam, when i out full beam on the main beams go off!

Inside lights full beam!

Is this right?

If its not right how do i sort it!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mark 1 golf gti convertible 1987.

New roof and interior, new sound system,

New lights, grill.

Post

Back to the top
The outer headlamps should have 3 settings - sidelights (the little bulb), dipped beam (the normal headlight), and high or full beam. This is achieved by using the H4 headlight bulb which has 2 filaments. The inner spotlamps should only come on with high beam (except the early GTI tintops which had front foglamps instead).

You need to check that you have 3 wires going to your headlamp plug: dipped beam, high beam and earth.

Hope this helps

1986 GTI Cabriolet ("dambuster")

2000 Mk4 Cabriolet Avantgarde (bought for the mrs)

2001 Zafira 1.8

Post

Back to the top
Even if the outer lights go out when the inners are on high beam it still shouldn't be a fail.

Most modern cars with different lenses within the light work this way anyway

Current rides:

2003 BMW 330d Manual Saloon Msport
1985 GTI cabriolet black edition (42k miles)
1999 Triumph Daytona 955i Post apocalyptic, rat, brat, scrambler, steam punk, cafe racer

IMG_20190803_123357.jpg

Post

Back to the top

Mot fail lighting issues

Ok will double check this today. Theres defo 3 wires going to the outer lights. I will check the bulbs etc today!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mark 1 golf gti convertible 1987.

New roof and interior, new sound system,

New lights, grill.

Post

Back to the top

Mot fail lighting issues

Ok will double check this today. Theres defo 3 wires going to the outer lights. I will check the bulbs etc today!

Hopefully its just a case of faulty bulbs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mark 1 golf gti convertible 1987.

New roof and interior, new sound system,

New lights, grill.

Post

Back to the top
The easy mod to do for lights, which make them Brighter, is to relay them.

You will be removing the high current load off the switch, and only use the Switch to supply pick current to the relay.

There are kits available for this on Ebay using ceramic plugs for the High/low and for the Inner Highs a separate wire is run.    

The kits are cheaper than you doing it yourself now. Usually 20 bucks.


When you Turn the headlight switch on with key out, you get the Parking lamps only.

With the Key on, Not start, you get the outers on low.
with the highs selected you get the outer lamps and the inner high filament.

Usual suspects are the Grounds (lord knows they are a flaky lot.).

The inners have a separate fuse for each as well as the highs, and the lows have a separate fuse as well.  So there are a total of 4 fuses for the headlights 2 for low and 2 for high.

Bulbs go bad, as you usually don't see them do this.

When ever I hear of the outers not working on high it is the separate "high" filament for them…

Here is a 2 relay setup for the lamps.



Here is a 3 relay set up that when the high is selected you get the Low beam filament, and the High beam filaments (so more light)…..



The difference in voltage from before and after is usually 1.5 to 2 volts.

Before voltage to lamp:


After Relaying voltage to lamp:


With the relay you are shorting the run of wire to the lamps by about 8 feet, and they are closer to the battery.

Here is the how I did that… I used Honda Brackets from a 89 to hold my relays.  

Relaying your Head Lights | Volkswagen Owners Club Forum

typical 2 relay kit avail from ebay… make sure that you get a kit with Ceramic Sockets as they take the heat and higher voltage and current better.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Headlight-H4-Headlamp-Light-Bulb-Ceramic-Socket-Plugs-Relay-Wiring-Harness-Kit/262483542712?epid=1973689229&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3d1d3d02b8:g:FGgAAOSwQNRXLlAl&enc=AQADAAAB4KX%2FKt4E1xf3SDqEdBclaYarAyLoO1V4PwFMgyJIwEIgjq3yZnEmiYbrZKGKO%2FvTM8lDd2WEDZVYmnLzGHVrRHtCMZQ5bP6ACn0sGjECF6xIeVjz0mtSqBPgqpZFX4tZcCCX0vROAEaesLiGVpfTWxJtkWanRorvgmFgqK7FA%2BZe%2Bjo8SGnp941N87S8%2FxyO3x2yINk4k8%2FsCArS9%2FkTUVIJQaL93vDYdPlDI3sik%2BT4QujANd7NdLZy9PHK3TCTvoSYtHG%2BeMR53BFnziQldr7x4XViWT81svQII7BLweIjEGdn10Ag8p9ZXDMH7aYaVwCUiajGmepNwiiGTwcNcnLyyIHgaW2gOj7Qw6BUrFJQl7dyQqI8X9KbVTEcox%2BPUf7%2BEEWMSPxH5LMXQBgv6uPbjFLm7aoZYzjCzcsvvn%2ByxPeYKnsRymFlnHtm%2FQbnjCdY7IZ%2Fgwy82sDlpVvYVpt7wlYEsUHZpYLegVDo4tI2vN7UfR1bJYWayhPx3KBk3JdXbp18B8l7XUpL8o3x4GZYrNWL%2Fd1vz%2FogLnAUodYJcbBYoVYM0%2Fn4InJG9aiS%2Bg97VgGohIAdP4vlD8E5PE5G3Qrrz1UJ%2Fv3KVGydOikZcSr8oqC4pTY%2BOdNB3ss5CQ%3D%3D&checksum=26248354271215c82eea80384f04826e7eaac6bf4b7f


What do Divorces, Great Coffee, and Car Electrics all have in common?

They all start with GOOD Grounds.

Where are my DIY Links?
0 guests and 0 members have just viewed this: None.