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help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

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Old Dec 21, 2011 | 01:21 AM
  #1  
tylerc's Avatar
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help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

Okay, got 4 new 'fake projector' headlights that both take a 3 prong bulbs. Problem is that after hooking them up on the drivers side it seems to cycle between the low beams being bright and inside lights barely being on to low beams being dim and inside lights being bright.

I probed the inside lights and it shows about 6v while the low beams are lit, also shows this on the 'high beam' for the outside lights.

This doesn't seem normal, I thought the inside lights were supposed to be off until you hit the high beams. I tried the original bulbs on that side and it did the same thing but didn't dim the low beam nearly as much.

This is the first time the car has been drivable since I have had it so I could well be wrong, please help!
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Old Dec 22, 2011 | 10:54 AM
  #2  
tylerc's Avatar
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Re: help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

Simpler question: when your low beams are on with your stock camaro are the high beams illuminated slightly or is there something messed up with my car?
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Old Dec 22, 2011 | 01:57 PM
  #3  
85irocinjected's Avatar
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From: Leander, Tx
Car: 1991 RS
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

Your high beams should not be on at all unless you turned your highs on. Sounds like a wiring issue with your car.
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Old Dec 23, 2011 | 06:27 AM
  #4  
alicat's Avatar
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From: tasmania australia
Car: 1985 z28 camaro
Engine: 305 lg4,edelbrock,3"air cleaner.k&n
Transmission: turbo 700r4 w/b&m megashifter
Axle/Gears: Stock.
Re: help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

Originally Posted by 85irocinjected
Your high beams should not be on at all unless you turned your highs on. Sounds like a wiring issue with your car.
The supply for the low beam is a tan wire and the supply for the high beam is a light green wire.The tan and green wires come to the left outside headlight first,then the light green splices to the left inside headlight(the highbeam) then over to the right inside headlight,(the other highbeam).
The tan wire splices from the left outside light to the right outside light.
these are the low beams.You should have 3 terminals on the outside lights
and two terminals on the inside lights.This is on the stock wiring.

Hope this helps.
Alicat.
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Old Dec 23, 2011 | 06:32 AM
  #5  
alicat's Avatar
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From: tasmania australia
Car: 1985 z28 camaro
Engine: 305 lg4,edelbrock,3"air cleaner.k&n
Transmission: turbo 700r4 w/b&m megashifter
Axle/Gears: Stock.
Re: help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

Originally Posted by tylerc
Simpler question: when your low beams are on with your stock camaro are the high beams illuminated slightly or is there something messed up with my car?
The supply for the low beam is a tan wire and the supply for the high beam is a light green wire.The tan and green wires come to the left outside headlight first,then the light green splices to the left inside headlight(the highbeam) then over to the right inside headlight,(the other highbeam).
The tan wire splices from the left outside light to the right outside light.
these are the low beams.You should have 3 terminals on the outside lights
and two terminals on the inside lights.This is on the stock wiring.

Hope this helps.
Alicat.
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Old Dec 23, 2011 | 06:34 AM
  #6  
alicat's Avatar
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From: tasmania australia
Car: 1985 z28 camaro
Engine: 305 lg4,edelbrock,3"air cleaner.k&n
Transmission: turbo 700r4 w/b&m megashifter
Axle/Gears: Stock.
Re: help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

Sorry, double post.
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Old Dec 23, 2011 | 12:29 PM
  #7  
travis401's Avatar
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From: Arlington, Tx
Car: 91 Camaro RS
Engine: empty bay (for now)
Transmission: Built T-56
Axle/Gears: 3.42 stock posi disc
Re: help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

wiring is messed up, you have to swap pins on the harness IIRC.
on a side note, those fake housings SUCK. its worse light output than sealed beam replacements. dont bother putting them in unless you wanna retrofit projectors in them and run HIDs. go to the local part store and pick up a set of sealed beam replacements and be done with it.
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Old Dec 25, 2011 | 09:30 PM
  #8  
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Re: help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

Crappy wiring was what I was worried about, thanks for confirming it. Do you have any more info on swapping the pins and where/how this is done? Other thing I was wondering about was a bad headlight switch. I realized today that when I turn on the light the fuse for the tails/dash lights pops as well.
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Old Dec 27, 2011 | 11:27 PM
  #9  
tylerc's Avatar
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Re: help with new headlights, voltages for high/low beams

Fixed the issue with tailights/turn signals which was unrelated (short in the dash) any other help with how to fix/re-do the pins?
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