1973 headlight Help

[lucasbp]

I am rebuilding a car that I saved from the crusher and need some help on the headlights. Attached is a diagram of what I am working with. It seems the high beams work fine but when the low beams are switched on both the high beams and low beams are on. I have cleaned my turn signal switch and headlight combo switch and my hazards work fine. Can someone with a 73 go out and test there wires like my diagram and let me know what the wires should do? I also bypassed the high beam/low beam switch and simulated the switch and the problem is the same so it is not the switch.

The problem that I think I have is that when the low beams are on two wires are hot. Can someone confirm that is my problem and that it should not be that way?

Thanks,

Ben

[SteveJ]

Do yourself a favor and download a copy of the FSM. (See my signature for a link.) On page BE-5 you'll find a wiring diagram.

On the right headlight the red wire is the hot wire. On the left headlight, the red wire with the yellow stripe is hot. The dimmer switch basically changes your path to ground.

The red with white stripe is the low beam, and the red with black stripe is the high beam.

Since the problem shows itself when you operate the dimmer switch, that is the first place to look. It sounds like the switch is not adjusted properly, so when you change the switch position, it doesn't break the connection going to the high beam contact. It may require disassembly and adjustment.

If you know how to use an ohmmeter, you can see if the contacts for the high beam and low beam have continuity when the switch is in the low beam position.

Steve