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Lowbeam Headlights Not Working

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Old Aug 12, 2014 | 03:03 PM
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Cool Lowbeam Headlights Not Working

Hi all,

I have a 1973 Ford F-250 Camper Special that has a few issues. The low-beam headlights have decided not to work. High beams work fine, but switching between them, I get nothing on low. Also, the instrument panel lights do not work. They have been slowly going out, with part of the instrument panel highlighted, but now it is completely dark.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.
 
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Old Aug 12, 2014 | 03:30 PM
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This may seem kinda obvious but make sure that both of your low beams aren't blown. I've seen it many times in the past, people run around with one headlight blown and don't realize it. The other one finally burns out and boom! My headlights don't work.
If they're okay, the problem has to be from the dimmer switch out to where the headlights branch off to the right and left side.
Use a voltmeter to see if you're getting voltage out of the switch on th low beam circuit. If yes, then start tracing the low beam wire an d look for breaks or damage.

BTW, welcome to FTE. Lots of good people here.
 
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Old Aug 12, 2014 | 03:46 PM
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Looking at the wiring schematic, there are three wires to the dimmer switch, red w/ yellow trace is power in, green w/ black trace is hi beam power out, and red w/ black trace is low beam power out.
Seeing as you have high beams, that tells you that the power in and the green w/ black trace are good. That leaves only the switch itself and the red/black wire as possible problems.
 
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Old Aug 12, 2014 | 03:51 PM
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Here's the page of the wiring schematic that has the dimmer switch. The switch is location D59.
 
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Old Aug 12, 2014 | 04:10 PM
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Originally Posted by martinraz
Hi all,

I have a 1973 Ford F-250 Camper Special that has a few issues. The low-beam headlights have decided not to work. High beams work fine, but switching between them, I get nothing on low. Also, the instrument panel lights do not work. They have been slowly going out, with part of the instrument panel highlighted, but now it is completely dark.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.
Troubleshoot the problem.
 
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Old Aug 12, 2014 | 05:32 PM
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After looking at the schematic again, it looks like the headlight wiring runs independently from the individual headlight to the switch, it shows two low beam and two high beam wires going to the switch. That will narrow it down to either both low beams are burned out, the switch itself is bad, or the low beam terminal in the switch's plug is bad.
Anything else would be either no headlights at all or one or the other low beam would work.
 
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