The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 58 headlight hi/low beam operation

I'm new to dual headlights and I have a bit of confusion as to how the hi/low beams operate on my 58 Apache. I'm hoping someone can tell me if the following is the proper operation. I pull the headlight switch on and the two outer headlights come on. When the hi/low switch is stepped on, the outer headlights turn off and the inner ones come on. Is this correct? It seems odd to me as I would think at some point all 4 headlights would be on for high beam and only one set would be on for low beam? On each set of headlights I have a green wire coming from the inner two prong bulb jumping to the outer 3 prong bulb. This would lead me to believe that at some point all 4 bulbs would be on but I'm not getting those results. I checked the hi/low switch with a meter and it toggles the power (labeled BA on switch)from one pole (green) to the other (brown) seperatly. I have rewired this truck with an original style harness from Jim Carter and followed the directions. Any wisdom much appreciated.

My '59 with what appears to be original wiring switches all four headlights on when on high beam.

outside lights have a dual filament. Low beam is only outside (low beam filament) when you hit the high beams, all 4 will light up (hi beam filament in outside lights plus the inner lights)

As 69Cuda says, the outside head lights have dual filaments. When on low beam 1 filament lights, when high beam is switched on that filament goes out, and the other (high beam) filament comes on. Just maybe the (high beam) filaments are burned out on both the outside head lights. Did you check to see if you had voltage with a test light or meter at the green and brown wire terminals on the back outside head lights when in the high beam position?

Thanks for the insight guys. Seemed like a dumb question to ask but having never had a dual headlight vehicle I wasn't sure how they were designed to work. Now I know and can head in the right direction.

I did check the green and tan wire with a meter and I got power at both and it is switching with the hi/low foot switch. The black ground wire looks like a good ground and buzzed out to the engine block in continuity test. All 4 bulbs are brand new so its got to be something I'm doing wrong. I'm thinking I might have the 3 wires going to the outside headlights inserted in the connector in the wrong order? Of the 3 prongs one has to be hi, one low, and the third is ground which both filaments should connect to. I don't remember seeing the prongs on the bulb labeled so I must have used something in the instructions with the wire harness to determine wire placement in the plastic headlight connector. I'll have to double check those tonight after work. Thanks for the help thus far!

Problem solved! Turns out both headlight wire harnesses had broken wires inside the insulation at the point where the green jumper goes from the two prong connector to the three prong one. Somehow they broke just beyond the factory installed connector where the two wires are stamped together. Strange it happened to both brand new harnesses! Even stranger is that it makes a connection when I pull the connector out to test with the meter but once pushed back in it cuts out. Man those 4 headlights look cool all lit up! Thanks for the help guys.

glad you got it solved! Yes, they look way cool all light up! You may want to let the company know where you got the harness from, they may have an issue with the way they crimp the ends on.

Glad you were finally able to "see the light"~ sorry, couldn't resist!