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High/Low Beam help?

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Old Sep 9, 2012 | 08:27 PM
  #1  
orangek's Avatar
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High/Low Beam help?

So I'm getting closer to finishing up my Camaro and I was just double checking to make sure everything working. Well when I turn on the lights they both work, and then when I turn on the high beams, only the left side turns on, both lights on the right go out (I know I need a new right high beam). But I don't get why the low beam goes out when the high beams get switched on. Anyone have any info on this?
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Old Sep 9, 2012 | 08:44 PM
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Re: High/Low Beam help?

The low beams dont stay on when you switch the high beams on.
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Old Sep 9, 2012 | 08:49 PM
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Re: High/Low Beam help?

Originally Posted by Z28ricer
The low beams dont stay on when you switch the high beams on.
All 4 lights are on when you switch on the high beams. The light that is the low beam just goes out when you put the high beams on is what i meant
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Old Sep 9, 2012 | 09:01 PM
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Re: High/Low Beam help?

Sorry, didnt pay enough attention to the diagram when I glanced at it, was looking at a firebird schematic.

The low beam is a dual beam headlight, it has two seperate filaments in it, when you switch to high beams the power is split between the high beam filament of the dual beam headlight, and the seperate high beam headlight.

The "low beam" headlight that is going out is bad also.
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Old Sep 27, 2012 | 10:59 PM
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Transmission: 5spd
Re: High/Low Beam help?

so wait all 4 lights (in a camaro) should be on when the highs are on? mine don't do that
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Old Oct 2, 2012 | 03:57 AM
  #6  
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Car: 84 Trans Am, 84 Fiero, 86 944
Engine: 5.0, 2.5, 2.5
Transmission: 5spd
Re: High/Low Beam help?

bump, how if at all do you make all 4 lights on when your highs are on?
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Old Oct 2, 2012 | 04:07 AM
  #7  
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Re: High/Low Beam help?

The inboard lights have only one filament, they are high beams. The outboard lights have two filaments, they have a high and low beam. In LOW mode, only the outboard lights come on with low power filament. In HIGH mode, inboard and outboard lights come on with only the high beam filaments lighted.
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Old Oct 2, 2012 | 04:16 AM
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Car: 84 Trans Am, 84 Fiero, 86 944
Engine: 5.0, 2.5, 2.5
Transmission: 5spd
Re: High/Low Beam help?

any idea why mine dont do that, just the inner two lights are on when highs are on
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Old Oct 2, 2012 | 07:18 AM
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Re: High/Low Beam help?

Originally Posted by kmcn47
any idea why mine dont do that, just the inner two lights are on when highs are on
Maybe the high beam filaments are both bad in the other bulbs. The wires that power the inner high beams should literally run right over to the other bulb. There should be two wires going to the high beams and three wires going to each of the high/low headlights. The headlight bulbs are different, make sure somebody didn't hack some single filament high beams as your lows.
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Old Oct 3, 2012 | 05:32 AM
  #10  
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Re: High/Low Beam help?

the outers are the lows, and should have a 3 wire plug in them.. the inners only have a 2 wire plug..

if that checks out, grab a test light and see if you've got power.
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Old Oct 3, 2012 | 06:09 AM
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From: Houson
Car: 86 Firebird
Engine: 305 SBC
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Re: High/Low Beam help?

Originally Posted by kmcn47
any idea why mine dont do that, just the inner two lights are on when highs are on
Probably because the high beam filament is out in the outside lights or something is funky in your hi/low switch.
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Old Oct 4, 2012 | 12:50 AM
  #12  
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Car: 90 IROC 2-92 Zs blk vert & prpl
Engine: stealth ram brodix track 1 ful port
Transmission: 700r4 4l80e
Axle/Gears: iroc 375 lokr 92 Z 277 pos vert 327
Re: High/Low Beam help?

They make a relay kit where all the lights are on (including fog lights) in high beam mode (all 6 on camaro). I have it on my all my 3rd gens and my 89 Z71 truck. I went to a CS144 alternator on my vert and changed to #4 wire from the alternator to the battery and then bigger wire to the lights and it definately works. The factory wiring needs to be bigger.
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Old Oct 4, 2012 | 01:17 AM
  #13  
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From: Lynden WA
Car: 84 Trans Am, 84 Fiero, 86 944
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Transmission: 5spd
Re: High/Low Beam help?

i was just gonna wait til payday or maybe down the road and make new harness's for em with the old ones as a blueprint but with bigger wire
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Old Apr 4, 2013 | 03:47 PM
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From: Nebraska
Car: 1988 IROC-Z
Engine: 305 TPI
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Re: High/Low Beam help?

I just replace my low beam lights because the one was bad. Before it went bad and when I had just my high beams on, the lows would shut off. Now that I replaced the low beams, when I switch to high beams, the low beam on the passenger side goes off but stays on on the driver's side. Any ideas?
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