problem with after market headlights
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Southern Oregon
problem with after market headlights
So i bought the headlights #36-0299 from lmc and installed them. I turned them on and the lows are dimmer than stock. The hi beams look about like what the low beams should be.
So i ordered the heavy duty wiring harness from LMC #36-3580.
Got it all installed and now my hi beams are very bright like they should be.
But the low beams are still very low.
They look like the old flashlights when the c cells are almost dead.
I have checked the grounds and they are solid. I have 12 volts strong at connections.
Any ideas why low beams are this way?
So i ordered the heavy duty wiring harness from LMC #36-3580.
Got it all installed and now my hi beams are very bright like they should be.
But the low beams are still very low.
They look like the old flashlights when the c cells are almost dead.
I have checked the grounds and they are solid. I have 12 volts strong at connections.
Any ideas why low beams are this way?
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,354
Likes: 49
From: Great American SouthWest
The headlight harness is a cool upgrade-I did it last week on the yellow truck.
You might try pulling the new male plug out of the old harness to trigger the relays manually (as a test). Perhaps the old wiring for the low beams is shorting to ground
You might try pulling the new male plug out of the old harness to trigger the relays manually (as a test). Perhaps the old wiring for the low beams is shorting to ground
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Use your voltmeter set on the lowest setting and place it across (parallel) to each wire run or section, connection etc, and check each one along the way, while headlights are on low beam. If the lights are dim, it's dropping a lot of current somewhere, something is corroded real bad, dropping a lot of voltage. Floor switch? For example the acceptable limit is 0.2 of a volt on the negative side, from negative battery post to negative terminal on a headlight. Maybe 0.4 of a volt is OK on the positive side.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,626
Likes: 78
From: NE Texas
Try switching the wires from high beam to low beam: if your low beams then look good you have a problem in your low beam wiring. If there is no change, you may need to warranty your bulbs. I think those take H4s, which are available almost anywhere. Try buying a new bulb - if that turns out not to be a problem, you will just have a spare bulb available when one does burn out.
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 416
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From: Southern Oregon
All great Ideas 
The head lights are all plugged into the new harness. and the new harness just plugs back into the old one for using the dimmer switch and the on and off switch.
I think Im going to replace the dimmer switch first. because even before I started this whole thing the stock lights did look pretty dim on low. Im thinking now it just might be it.
If thats not it Ill voltage test like you all said. I'll let you know what I find
The head lights are all plugged into the new harness. and the new harness just plugs back into the old one for using the dimmer switch and the on and off switch. I think Im going to replace the dimmer switch first. because even before I started this whole thing the stock lights did look pretty dim on low. Im thinking now it just might be it.
If thats not it Ill voltage test like you all said. I'll let you know what I find
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