L300 funny headlight action!

unclevarda · Post by **unclevarda** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:28 pm

Hey guys,

I got a mysterious headlight condition. My main beams are yellow and dim always. When I flick the highbeams on and off they will often stick on and stay that way with all 4 lights on. I replaced the combi switch, all the headlights, and one of the connectors that was melted looking. I have no clue where all the rest of the wires go from there, but I guess that is the next step? Could it be a ground issue? What do you gurus think?

Thanks!

Post by **FalcoColumbarius** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:11 pm

This was my experience: http://www.delica.ca/forum/l300-combina ... 11284.html .

Not sure if this answers your question but it might shed some light on the matter.

Falco.

bosc · Post by **bosc** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:47 am

Still sounds like a combo switch problem perhaps? Was it doing this prior to change? If so, my advice is to look at all you connections starting with the left headlight then right side as those connections are very exposed. I went through this process last summer and found many poor grounds.
Good luck!

TieMyShoe · Post by **TieMyShoe** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:52 am

do you have DRL wired in?

unclevarda · Post by **unclevarda** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 1:24 am

Falco, I actually followed your thread and used it on my combi switch. No luck. Then I replaced it, no change.

Basically all four headlights are mostly always on when I turn on my lights, with the low beam a dimmer yellow color. I don't think the van has DRLs

Where would I start to look for a ground problem? From the lights the wires disappear into sheet metal. What is the best way to access it, where should I look first?

Thanks a lot guys!

Firesong · Post by **Firesong** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 8:52 am

Okay. I know what the problem is if the following is true. Old sealed beam 4 light van.
Mine was the same. To fix it we had to swap some off the leads in the connectors to the lights. Due to the way japan wires the system ground is funky.

I believe we started with the outer beams and changed the connectors leaving the ground the same. I'll look and see if I can find the thread on the forum here and the uk site. Maybe do your own search on it.
I can assure you that is what it is. In the end you will have two lights on for dim and 4 on for brights and everything will be a hell of a lot brighter.
James

Firesong · Post by **Firesong** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:15 am

I'm trying to find the documentation I did for my work on the L300

When I had the van I removed the wiring from the combo switch, using the combo
switch as a trigger for proper relays to the head lights. I didn't want to burn out the
combo switch. At the same time I was trying to figure out why the 4 bulbs were on
during low beam activity.

Even separating them in the wiring but leaving them wired up as per the light connector
specified on the light left them burning improperly.

Manitobadeli was doing my IP at the time and we used his circuit tester and realized the
grounds weren't correct. I can't remember which ones we switched to make it correct.
I remember we started on the driver side and went through them all.

In the end the dim's weren't pointed high any more (good). and the Brights weren't pointing down (good).
All the lights were super bright... the improper grounding was making them all dimmer than
they should be.

So use a tester, on dim (switched dim) make sure the brights aren't getting any extra power
if so reverse the leads on the connection (the wires pull out of the connector and reverse)
You won't get electrocuted and you won't burn out the van. Mine was safe.

End result was kick ass lights.

Firesong
I included a diagram link of the setup.
http://www.rowand.net/Shop/Tech/images/ ... iagram.jpg

Firesong · Post by **Firesong** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:44 am

Further Digging:

as quoted here:
http://www.delica.ca/forum/square-holle ... 84-15.html

*******************
The problem is in the headlights themselves, the standard Japanese headlights are internally wired differently than what we have available here. When you change to Canadian lights the common ground is opposite to the standard Japanese lights, this will cause a backfeed through the entire headlight system, causing dull lights and all sorts of odd symptoms.
The fix is to swap the left and right wires in the 3 connector plug in the lowbeam light plugs. Just push a very small drill bit into the slot of the connector and pull out the copper connector and swap it with the opposite one.
Leave the center wire where it is.
I just had to install lights in mine to meet compliance and found the issue, time as a Toyota mechanic wasn't wasted, they have the same problem.
John
*******************
and further down this came up s
*******************
Update... It seems that my wiring was still wrong. I went out tonight and set up some test wires to one of the outside bulbs. I tried different combinations until I hit on the right one. In the end I did what John suggested, swapping the two outside wires and leaving the centre one alone. That left me with brighter lights but then the lowbeams (outside lights only) were aiming too high. I then swapped one of inner most wires with centre one and that seems to have done the trick.

Now only my outside lights come on when on lowbeam. They now point lower and are of reasonable brightness. On highbeam all four lights come on and point higher as one would expect. There may be some slight adjustments to be done but it seems to be fixed now.

Onto the next thing. I still don't have DRL's. I don't know if there was ever a module installed on my van. Where would one look for one? Where are they most commonly mounted?

Thanks for your help everyone.

Steve
************************

Read through that thread and follow the instructions
It only affects the old 4 sealed beam systems, not the projector style.

James

unclevarda · Post by **unclevarda** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 1:35 pm

Wow! I think I may owe you a beer!

I haven't tried it yet, but I will and let you know. I do have the sealed beams.

I don't have my tester on me. Should i just reverse all the left and right connectors and leave the middle one on all 4 lights? I hope that is all it is, the japanese sealed beams are wired oppositely.

Thanks a ton

Firesong · Post by **Firesong** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 4:59 pm

When you get it figured out the increase in brightness is great!

unclevarda · Post by **unclevarda** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 2:33 pm

OK! I think I got it mostly figured out. for the low beams the stock configuration is this

G|_|L but it should be H|_|G
H L

G=ground
H=high/pass
L=low

For the high beams there are only 2 wires so I just turned the plug around, but in retrospect, I wonder if there should be a jumper connecting the L and H together. High beams are supposed to have both filaments on?

Right now it is daytime, so I'll see what it looks like a night. However, the are operating as the should. 2 lights for low and all 4 for high. The low beams do get a little dim when the high beams are on though, but maybe it's the extra draw from the second set of lights?

Thanks !

unclevarda · Post by **unclevarda** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 2:33 pm

That diagram didn't format right, you gotta shift the bottom row over to see what I mean

Firesong · Post by **Firesong** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:36 pm

Happy playing!

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