ammeter drain and no high beams...

[ramairthree]

with the low beams on, my gauge lights, ammeter, etc. do as they should.

with high beams on, i get no power to high beam sockets, and my ammeter bounces down to neg, then to normal, etc. and dome light fades when needle bounces to neg.

I have no rear lights right now.
front and rear marker lights have been shaved.

front turn signals work.
but not hazzards, except the right one was coming on some.

with no power to high beam sockets, where are some high yield places to check between the dimmer switch and sockets?

Thanks.

 

[70rr-brian]

My guess would be frayed or cracked wiring that is grounding out when you turn on the highs. Check the wiring for any obvious fraying/cracks laying against metal etc... Could also be internal problem with high beam switch.

 

[ramairthree]

well, since I did not have a new dimmer switch handy,
with some bright daylight I followed from the sockets back.
I was going to start from switch.

At some point, the harness must have been misrouted and touching something very hot. Probably the exhaust manifold as that is the hottest thing I can think it would have reached.

In a small part of the harness, it had melted through and melted off some of the red wire insulation in the harness.
This was now touching metal.

I pulled the harness wrap a handwidth arround it, and also some insulation melting but no wire exposed through the green striped.

Some electrical tape for each wire individually, then some new wrap for the harness,
and I now have high beams, plus the dash indicator with normal ammenter readings.

For once I got lucky, and started on the easiest end!

The side marker sockets are not working up front, I did test with bulbs. But they are just hanging sockets I was testing due to the marker light shaving the previous owner did. Soon I will be able to get on to the horrendous mess that has been made of the tail light harness.

Thank you again.

 

[70rr-brian]

Good news! And good luck on the rest of it.