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#1 |
go bucks!
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: MIAMISBURG OHIO USA
Posts: 803
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head-lite dimmed
the pass. side head light has it's own ground at the core support,correct? so,shouldn't the driver's side be grounded out by itself also? my driver's side headlight is real dim which leads me to believe that i don't have a good ground or??? when i changed over my old external voltage regulator i clipped the wires that led to it and also from it and thinking that the black wire coming from the v.r. was a ground(it went to the v.r.) i clipped it also.so.........was the ground for the driver's side headlight routed through the voltage reg.? i tried to jump a wire from the ground prong of the headlight to the washer bottle holder bracket and didn't notice a difference. (late at nite after work 2nd shifter) guess i'd better do it in daytime, but am i on track?
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'68 swb 1/2t 350/350th '86 lngbd 3/4 TON parts getter '49 gmc 1/2 t 5 window 350/350th '96 gmc sonoma sle ext-cab. hey it's a 4cyl. 5 spd and good on gas y'know? |
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#2 |
My other Love
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Castlegar B.C. Canada
Posts: 4,085
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Sounds like you are having a grounding problem. Now when I took the wiring harness apart on my 69 both headlights were grounded at the same place. A bolt on the passenger side behind the battery on the firewall.
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![]() Castlegar B.C.The great white North (Canada Eh!) Hooter_5@hotmail.com First generation Monte Carlo club pictures of my life |
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#3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Muskegon,MI,USA
Posts: 6,026
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I doubt if you cut the ground to the headlight because of the way it is made. I would check the connection at the headlight. Clean it and try wiggling it to make contact.
Jim |
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#4 |
67-72 Addict!
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: The TAX State!
Posts: 7,856
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The ground goes to the regulator, alternator and sheet metal according to the diagram.
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Jim 1970 C/10 Fleetside w/Ghost Flames Lowered 4.5" front and 4" rear (Raked) 355/350 Turbo w/shift kit 10" Redneck Performance Verter w/2500 stall Hooker Super Comps part#2808-1 Performer RPM Air-Gap 12 Bolt w/3:73 gears- Eaton Posi Comp Cams XE262 with 1.6 Crane Energizers, Road Demon 625 and Brodix IK 180 heads |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Austin,Tx
Posts: 327
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mine does that sometimes, it is usually the connection on bulb. If im at a place i cant pop hood i can bump the bulb with my hand and it usually works. clean contacts
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'68 Fleet LWB orig 307 .030 over GM Hei/w Accel Super coil orig. stock TH 400. _______________________ “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” Albert Pine English author d.1851 |
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#6 |
go bucks!
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: MIAMISBURG OHIO USA
Posts: 803
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thanks, guys i'm heading out ot the garage now to take a looksie. so there's only one ground for the 2 head lights?i thought each light was individually grounded on it's own.
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'68 swb 1/2t 350/350th '86 lngbd 3/4 TON parts getter '49 gmc 1/2 t 5 window 350/350th '96 gmc sonoma sle ext-cab. hey it's a 4cyl. 5 spd and good on gas y'know? |
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#7 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 5,817
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It may be a "weak" ground or an untrue ground.
Light brightness is a function of voltage. If two bulbs are in series the bulbs will get dimmer the more bulbs you add to the circuit, but if they're in parallel they stay the same brightness with 1/2 the current, and less current the more bulbs you add. I would look hard in how many elements are recieving power on the same hot, and whether or not they all point to the same ground. I bet they don't. They should each be on their own dedicated "true" ground to recieve the complete 12 volts. Use a volt meter to determine the voltage to that headlight. If it's not ~12V then you're not getting complete voltage to the bulb. Use the engine block or the frame as a true ground, and see if there's a voltage reading between the block or frame, and what you THINK is the ground to the headlight. I almost guarantee that you'll get a reading, which means that headlight ground isn't really a ground at all. The inverse of this is also true. That ground may be "true", but the voltage supplied by the hot isn't 12 volts. That's why you need to check the hot lead to determine that. Shouldn't both headlights be on the same hot? If so they'll be the same brightness. If all of this pans out, and it's still dim try switching the headlights and see if any bulb in the same position is dim. If so then you've got a head-scratcher. If not then it's the bulb. Good luck.
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'69 3/4 ton C20 2wd-350ci/TH400 '69 3/4 ton Custom 20 2wd-350ci/4sp Manual '99 2wd 5.7 Chevy Tahoe Seattle, WA. |
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#8 |
67-72 Addict!
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: The TAX State!
Posts: 7,856
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You are correct. Each light has a seperate ground.
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Jim 1970 C/10 Fleetside w/Ghost Flames Lowered 4.5" front and 4" rear (Raked) 355/350 Turbo w/shift kit 10" Redneck Performance Verter w/2500 stall Hooker Super Comps part#2808-1 Performer RPM Air-Gap 12 Bolt w/3:73 gears- Eaton Posi Comp Cams XE262 with 1.6 Crane Energizers, Road Demon 625 and Brodix IK 180 heads |
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#9 |
go bucks!
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: MIAMISBURG OHIO USA
Posts: 803
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gotcha!went out and looked at it and come to find out the driver's side headlite is grounded out thru the voltage regulator,rehooked up the ground coming from the v.r. and it works great now!(i had changed the alt. to a 1 wire)thanks,everyone!
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'68 swb 1/2t 350/350th '86 lngbd 3/4 TON parts getter '49 gmc 1/2 t 5 window 350/350th '96 gmc sonoma sle ext-cab. hey it's a 4cyl. 5 spd and good on gas y'know? |
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