[black death]

OK. I have all front and rear side marker lights,turn signal lights, brake lights, and tail lights....I dont have headlights......Installed new headlight switch, power to the fuse block,fuses look good,test light to headlight light connections ,nothing.tried 2 different high beam /low beam switches,,nothing.. I did have headlights before i took the wiring harness out of the car before restoring ...Any ideas?? Thanks...

[hobbygto65]

Did you remember to plug in your dimmer switch.

[black death]

Which is located where? 1971 lemans t37

[scott mills]

You have a good ground?

[sleepy]

Originally Posted by black death

Which is located where? 1971 lemans t37

On the floor far left. By your toes.

[sleepy]

check the block where the wires come through the fire wall. trace the wires back from the headlights and check every connection for power. Make SURE the test light is grounded and work your way back till you find power.

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Headights have their own hot wire. It does not run through the fuse box like the other light wires.
So, make sure you have TWO hot wires going to the headlight switch. One for headlights and one for parking lights. The one for parking lights you already know is good.
If you don't have power to the headlight switch, make sure you didn't accidently blow a fuse link or miss hooking up the hot wire. Headlight power goes through the bulkhead connector three times. Power coming in once and going out twice. Going out will be high beam or low beam controlled by dimmer switch.

I'd check for power coming to the switch and the switch itself. Then you'll know what direction you need to go.

[black death]

Originally Posted by sleepy

On the floor far left. By your toes.

yes i tried 2 differnt switches...I assume ground is ok, since all other front running lights work..

[black death]

Originally Posted by sleepy

check the block where the wires come through the fire wall. trace the wires back from the headlights and check every connection for power. Make SURE the test light is grounded and work your way back till you find power.

YES test lite is grounded

[sleepy]

The headlight ground is separate from the running light ground. they usually ground right by the light. and sometimes to the mounting bolts or screws for the light.

[GT182]

You could have a broken wire in the new headlight harness.... hot or ground.

[vamman1]

Be sure to check the continuity of your wires with a good meter.
Had alternator trouble last summer and it was only a broken wire.

[black death]

I am getting no power from the wires to the dimmer switch..All the wires to the headlights seem to be fine..Does anyone have a picture of the fuse block as to what fuses control what? The fuse labeling on my block has rubbed off over the years..

[Forrest]

anyway you could just take a flashlight and look to see if any of the fuse elements are burned out,( until someone shows you the fuse layout)

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Originally Posted by black death

I am getting no power from the wires to the dimmer switch..All the wires to the headlights seem to be fine..Does anyone have a picture of the fuse block as to what fuses control what? The fuse labeling on my block has rubbed off over the years..

Headlight power does not come from the fuse box.
Check the headlight switch for two hot wires going to it. One from fuse box for parking lights and one from main power supply wire under dash, it's for headlights.
Headlight power comes from back of/behind alternator or starter and should be protected with a section of fuse link wire.

Should be red wire hot going to headlight switch, and blue wire coming out of switch, going to dimmer.
Remember; power to parking/tail lights is a different wire, probably brown with white stripe.

My experience with headlights on older cars has been a circuit breaker that RESETS itself. Headlights dont use fuses.

In case of a short a 60 mph on a dark night you would really like for them to come back on even if only for a few yards every hundred yards or so ;-)

OK enuf being funny. The ckt brkr does reset itself but if there is a short somewhere it will continually trip.

I had that happen with no moon on a curvy road. Lights would come on for 5 seconds off for 15 or so..... Changed the seat covers and my shorts when I got home. Found a
dangling wire to a taillight that had rubbed against a frame member till the insulaton was gone. Wild ride for 10 miles.

I think headlights are on a totally separate ckt now days but look for shorts among other things. And maybe the short was tough enuf that it burned the ckt brkr so bad it cant reset (or make good contact when it did) ??

[black death]

So i have unwrapped the lamp harness all the wires seem fine ..I am getting no power from the red wire going to the headlight switch.. The only power i get from the switch is from the 2 brownish wires.Dont seem to be able to locate a circuit breaker....I was probing the turn sig. lamp connectors when i got sparks,then a fuse blew..???

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Originally Posted by black death

So i have unwrapped the lamp harness all the wires seem fine ..I am getting no power from the red wire going to the headlight switch.. The only power i get from the switch is from the 2 brownish wires.Dont seem to be able to locate a circuit breaker....I was probing the turn sig. lamp connectors when i got sparks,then a fuse blew..???

No power to the red wire and you won't have headlights. Run a jumper to it and see if they work. Then follow the red wire back to where ever it gets power from, or suppose to be getting power from. Done posted some places to look and check under hood. There should be more than one hot wire coming inside to power the car.

Don't know what to say about the new mess other than put another fuse in and see what happens. Hopefully you bumped metal with the test light probe.

The other hot wires are parking lights, nothing to do with headlights.

Not to sure about circuit breakers on headlights. Just the fuse link wire under the hood.

The red wire IS your problem, it has nothing to do with park or turn signals.

I dug out three manuals and followed the wiring diagram.

62 Old Cutlass - 62 Pontiac Tempest - 65 Pontiac Tempest

All have a ckt breaker NOT a fuse for the headlights.

According to the diagram, the ckt breaker -seems- to be in or on the switch housing itself!


I had one more thot after clicked post: It just clicked with me that you had the -harness- out. Back in 62 I had trouble with the interior lights on my 62 Tempest. Found ONE PIN in the plug was not making contact with its mate on the other side of the .connector. Check where the harness plugs up to make sure all pins mate correctly...