high beam problem with 90 hilux

[suz_rolly]

I have just bought a 1990 hilux and having a problem with high beam low works high on the dip switch works also but the high doesnot
I have chased the wiring from the stearing column the dip and high uses the same wiring and is working fine from the column
Any help would be great

[oldmate]

It's a common problem with most toyotas. the switch melts due to the high current flowing through it. It may be salvageable. Other wise you'll need a new combo switch, and to future proof it, put a relay in.

[suz_rolly]

It's a common problem with most toyotas. the switch melts due to the high current flowing through it. It may be salvageable. Other wise you'll need a new combo switch, and to future proof it, put a relay in.

The power semes to be geting through the switch fine
At the head light on hi beam all 3 terminals have +power
Is there a light relay under the dash

[GeneralFubashi]

oldmate has it. I brought a 60series and the high didnt work, but it worked on the dip/flash thing. Its all in the switch.

Pos basically runs from the battery to the common pin on the headlight which explains why all 3 pins have power when you test them. The high beam wire and the low beam wire then heads to the switch on the stalk, and depending on the position of the switch will allow one of the wires to ground.

You may be able to just clean the contacts up on the switch, as crud can build up on them, but if they are too far gone, and you dont want to be bothered replacing the switch assembly you can re-wire the headlights with some relays so it just uses the low beam side of the switch. Makes a huge difference to light output!

Sam

[trains]

take the wheel off, take the stalk high/ low internals apart, clean contacts, fit with new grease, and you should be fine.
After doing this, fit a decent relay so your switch is no longer running high current, and you will be fine for years of trouble free service.

T

[agent orange]

My 94 is doing the same thing.

I pulled the Steering Column Combination Switch off the columm and pulled the cover off the switch contacts.. Clean as a whistle. all the contcats seem fine. I gave them a clean just in case.
They all make contact, refitted and still no high beam.

All the fuses are fine. reaseated them too.

Question is there a relay for the light system?
one of the red square things in the fuse box in the engine bay?

Cheers

[RIPSAW]

I have the same problem and did the same as above.

I swapped around the relays and no change.


Is there anything else i can check?
The after-marked replacement switches arnt cheap.

[GeneralFubashi]

if you have got the wheel off and the switch contacts accessible, you have checked that with the headlights turned on, there is + to both the highbeam and lowbeam contacts on the switch, and the common ground is actually grounding? I dont have a lux, but if its the same as the ol cruisers, pull the harness plug under the steering column and start tracing the contacts through with a multimeter and a wiring diagram. I believe there was a relay on the high beam side which the lowbeam bypasses. This may be a problem, but id still put money on just a bad connector in a plug, or the main switch.

Re-wiring headlights from scratch isnt expensive either. 2 new relays, a few blade plugs, new fuse holders and some wire. Will be less than $40 with quality gear and you can use the original switch on the stalk, even if only 1 of the 2 contacts is working.

[RIPSAW]

I actually had a multimeter out to use, but i dont know how to read it. other than switch to 12V and see if the needle moves.

With the multimeter where i stick the red spike and the black spike. ?

im guessing i disconnect the wiring loom BUT how do i test the connections?

I have NFI and i know this sound freeken stupid.

[GeneralFubashi]

no such thing as a stupid question, otherwise how would you learn. Select the 12v on the multimeter. The black wire is ground, it needs to be connected to the negative of what you are testing, which on most cars is just about anything you can touch (body panels, chassis, the steel supports behind the dash etc, which are all connected electrically to the negative pole on the battery.) When working around the steering column, i find sticking it in the key hole handy, cause then you dont actually need to hold it.

You use the red wire to test for a + connection. So if electricity is running from the battery, through a switch and you hold the red probe against one of the terminals on the switch, the circuit will be completed through your multimeter thereby making the needle move. You basically need to start at the battery and work your way deeper into the birds-nest of wiring until you find where a wire suddenly isnt getting power that should be.

On a vehicle with negatively switched headlights, such as old cruisers and luxs, + from the battery basically goes straight to the headlights first, down the common wire, then back to the dash switch down 2 wires. The switch on the dash determines which wire gets to be connected back to negative.

You are going to have to experiment, and use some deductive reasoning to work out how it all fits together, and if you can nut it out, kudos to you, cause it can be bloody confusing!

On your multimeter, you may also have a setting which is a continuity tester, or resistance tester. Basically this measures how much effort it takes for the electricity to make it along a circuit. This is the best way of working out if the ground wires work properly. You connect the black to ground, and the red to whatever wire you think should be grounded, if there is a good connection, the meter should read low resistance, if there is no connection the meter should read with the little infinity symbol, or off the chart. Be warned, if there is 12v power attached to something you are testing with the resistance meter, your multimeter might spit the dummy. So always test with it set to 12v first, or disconnect the battery totally before beginning.

Hope this is a start. And please ask questions if you get stuck.

Cheers
Sam

[RIPSAW]

Good stuff Sam..thanks mate.

this i what i need to know.

I will be doing this tomorrow. anything that comes up i will take you up on your offer and ask more questions.

Cheers
Tim

[RIPSAW]

Sorted... turns out the switch was faulty.

I checked all the wires with the light probe thingy instade of the multimeter.

everythig had power.. and being nagatively switched make everything seem to have power.

sprayed some connective stuff in the switch on the terminals and the high beam is now working.

Cheers for help.