Today I discovered that the headlights on my 1970 duster are dead, both high beam and low. Every other thing works, turn signals, intsrument light, tail lights. The only thing besides the headlights that dont work is the high beam indicator on the panel, thats also dead.
I checked the fuses and they all look just fine, and I can still hear that clicking sound when you swith from high to low. I checked the bulbs and they are fine to. When I was going over it (I dont know much about the electrical system) a person told me that it could be the switch where you turn on the lights that has been damaged. But it still turns the dash panel lights on and so on..

Please give me some advise, I really need it, cause now I've tryed everything I know about theese things.

The lights been working good uptill today by the way.

Best Regards
Robert

You've got a faulty headlamp switch, a faulty beam selector kickswitch (on the floor), or faulty wiring in the headlamp circuit. Probably the first thing I would do is run a test lead (w/alligator clips preferably) from the left vertical terminal of one of the headlamps (with the headlamp still plugged in), to the battery negative terminal or the alternator housing, and see if that headlamp starts working. If so, you've got faulty grounds.

Do you have a voltmeter or a continuity tester or a test light?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanx for your help Dan. The problem was in the headlight switch. I took it apart, cleaned and sprayed it and then put it back together and now everything works. I'm very happy!

So today this problem returned Almost after a year. And the thing is a just washed the car.

There is a lot of cables going into the firewall, anything there i should check? or do you think the problem is somewhere near the headlights, the grounds?

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1970 Plymouth Duster

These headlamp switches are not designed or intended to be repaired. You got an extra year out of yours by taking it apart and cleaning it; now it's time to replace it. Do this to take the workload off the (new) switch.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks Dan. Very helpful article!

Robert

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1970 Plymouth Duster

I did some testing today with a "electricity meter". Sorry, I dont know the correct terms in english.

I have a knob on the battery that kills all the power when i turn it (on the ground side). Now, when I kill all power, I get power in all three wires going into the headlight, even in the ground. When I turn the knob "on" it goes away, but everything else in the cars start to work.

A short circuit somewhere?

Also earlier when I mentioned the headlamp switch I meant (on this picture to the left)

http://www.valiant.org/images/valiant-p ... hboard.jpg

This one turns the light on/off and also is a dimmer for the dashboardlights. In a book i read there is no fuse for the headlight, but something in that switch, is this right?

Throwing a lot of questions out here now, but this is not my area.

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1970 Plymouth Duster

We say "volt-ohmmeter" (VOM) or "digital multimeter" (DMM).
Good question! I cannot imagine where the power is coming from that you're reading in the headlamp wires.
Yes, that's correct. There's a thermal cutout in the headlamp switch that opens the circuit if it gets too hot, then completes the circuit once things cool down.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks again Dan. Before i leave the car to a mechanic, is it any idea to try to replace that headlight switch? Could it be that it has become to beat up, or melted or something? I have not been able to get it out of the dash, because the knob wont come loose, I have not used that much force being afraid I might break of the knob. How do it come of, is it threaded into the switch?

Ohh and if anyone know where to get the switch, that would be great!

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1970 Plymouth Duster

Yes, I suspect this will solve your problem.
No. The knob and its shaft are one piece. There is a small spring-loaded round pushbutton on the body of the switch. Find it (usually on the surface opposite the electrical connection side, but sometimes on another side of the switch "box" itself). Tape a coin securely to your finger, push the pushbutton firmly and pull the knob hard as though to turn on the headlamps. Do not be afraid to damage anything, just keep pushing the pushbutton and jerking the knob until the knob and stem come out of the switch. They will simply push-snap into the new switch. Do make sure your battery is disconnected before doing this, as the light switch will be turned "on" when the stem comes out.
Still very easy to get here, but maybe not so easy there. You could order it over the net from www.rockauto.com or from www.dmauto.com .

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

And one's again a very big thanks. I dont know what I would do without this site and all the help Now it's of to bed!

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1970 Plymouth Duster

Today I had some time to work on this again. I got the knob out so that I could have a better look at the light switch (it's very little space to work with under the dash, I can hardly see anything even with the flash light).

The plug (with all the wires going into the switch) is melted in some places and some of the wires is a little melted where they go into the plug. Well, now the light switch is disconnected and the half melted plug and wires is dangling there under the dash.

I stopped here, because I know this is not my teritory. I'm a bit worried that I might not get the right wire back in the right place on the new switch.

If I tell all the colors on the wires, would you know where to put them if I upload a picture of the switch. or something like that!

Ohh and last. If I fail and need to take it to the shop, I dont know what will happen when I connect the battery again with the disconnected switch.

I hope I'm not using up to much of your patience!

Robert

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1970 Plymouth Duster

Okay...
You can get this information from this diagram. (The other half of the diagram is located here)
Probably nothing bad.

Do put in relays to prevent further damage to the headlamp circuit once the new switch is installed and working.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Now, if i do missplace a wire, even with the diagram. Will this result in something shorting out, melting again?

I do intend to get that relay on there if I get this working.

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1970 Plymouth Duster

The new switch is on! I got lights again!

They are a little sketchy though. When I turn the knob to dim the intrument panel light, or turn on the light in the roof the headlight can sometimes come and go. I put every wire back on the new switch really carefully and think they have good connection. Any idea?

Thanks for the patience and all the help!

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1970 Plymouth Duster