very dim headlights

[mfm3]

I've had a 66 C10 for about six months. Last night I noticed the non-high beam lights are super dim. The brights work fine. The alternator is putting our 12V+. Any ideas about where to start? Thx.

[markeb01]

Dim headlights are almost always caused by poor grounding. The ground side of the lights connect somewhere to a piece of sheetmetal, and the electricity has to make it back to the battery through almost 5 decades of rust and dirt. On my truck I ran a separate wire from the ground side of each bulb to a common bolt on the radiator support. From that bolt, I connected a second battery cable to the engine block where the negative battery cable bolts to the engine. This permanently cures lighting and grounding problems.

[mfm3]

Originally Posted by markeb01

Dim headlights are almost always caused by poor grounding. The ground side of the lights connect somewhere to a piece of sheetmetal, and the electricity has to make it back to the battery through almost 5 decades of rust and dirt. On my truck I ran a separate wire from the ground side of each bulb to a common bolt on the radiator support. From that bolt, I connected a second battery cable to the engine block where the negative battery cable bolts to the engine. This permanently cures lighting and grounding problems.

Thanks for the advice...I'll follow the ground path.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by mfm3

Thanks for the advice...I'll follow the ground path.

Hey, Mark gave you excellent advice. Just go ahead and copy his pattern, leaving your present grounds in tact also. Save a lot of time from his already-proven and extensive experience.
Sam

[brokenspoke]

check out a site with lots of info ( madelectrical )