1982 K Car Headlights
#1
11-09-2008, 07:38 PM
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1982 K Car Headlights
I was recently on a road trip and made a coffee stop. Upon restarting my trusty 1982 Dodge Dart (Mexico Model K Car) the headlights would not turn on.
I checked the fuse block under the steering wheel and see no fuse, nor headlight relay there . I tested all fuses there and they were all good anyway
I suspect there is another area where the fuse block and probably a relay are located for the headlights. It seems that most cars use a relay for on/off and/or High/Low Beam.
I also suspect that there is normally a 30 to 40 amp fuse for the headlights
Problem is I just do net seem to find them anywhere! I think muy old 600 ES had fuses under the hood as I recall, but this no!
I wanted to install a footswitch High/low beam switch anyway, so in either case I need to figure out where this stuff is so I can start my hack.
I checked the fuse block under the steering wheel and see no fuse, nor headlight relay there . I tested all fuses there and they were all good anyway
I suspect there is another area where the fuse block and probably a relay are located for the headlights. It seems that most cars use a relay for on/off and/or High/Low Beam.
I also suspect that there is normally a 30 to 40 amp fuse for the headlights
Problem is I just do net seem to find them anywhere! I think muy old 600 ES had fuses under the hood as I recall, but this no!
I wanted to install a footswitch High/low beam switch anyway, so in either case I need to figure out where this stuff is so I can start my hack.
#2
11-12-2008, 06:07 PM
Keeper of the Ks
You might want to look under the hood on the drivers side along the fender. If I remember right my 87 K (US model) has a fusable link for the headlights in that area. Also you might want to check the headlight switch if you have power going in but not out that would be your problem, also do the taillights work?
#3
11-14-2008, 05:39 PM
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Taillights are fine, as is the on off switch or the running lights would not turn on
I made a temporary solution for this problem that was quite simple and I might add the headlights are brighter than they have ever been!
I spliced into parking or running lights with a wire, that I connected to a 40 Amp horn relay. Then I connected from the chasis to the other relay activator contact. This means that when the running lights are on the relay closes the dry contact. I connected the + battery to one dry relay contact , and the other dry relay contact was splice to the low beam wire drivers side headlight. Now when I turn on the parking lights headlights come on as well, and are brighter than ever! I will be connecting through a footswitch next with an additional relay for High/low beam which I wanted to do anyway,
I think whatever failed it may be easier to work around it in this way as I know there is most probably a headlight relay somewhere that I can not locate. There are fusible links near the battery and all appear to be OK.
I can not believe that the high/low beam switch is high current enough to switch the current directly.
I made a temporary solution for this problem that was quite simple and I might add the headlights are brighter than they have ever been!
I spliced into parking or running lights with a wire, that I connected to a 40 Amp horn relay. Then I connected from the chasis to the other relay activator contact. This means that when the running lights are on the relay closes the dry contact. I connected the + battery to one dry relay contact , and the other dry relay contact was splice to the low beam wire drivers side headlight. Now when I turn on the parking lights headlights come on as well, and are brighter than ever! I will be connecting through a footswitch next with an additional relay for High/low beam which I wanted to do anyway,
I think whatever failed it may be easier to work around it in this way as I know there is most probably a headlight relay somewhere that I can not locate. There are fusible links near the battery and all appear to be OK.
I can not believe that the high/low beam switch is high current enough to switch the current directly.
