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Headlights - Venturing way out past the FAQ 900 1994

Previously, I discovered absence of headlights. Brights work. Parking lights work. All other lights work.

History - Yesterday I replaced the Bulb Failure Relay (no brake lights, no cruise control and a warning from a LEO). I had a used relay on hand and it fixed the brakes and CC.

Last night I discovered my low beams were not functioning. Fortunately, the brights got me home.

I have done just about everything on the FAQ and will describe in detail, but I still have no low beams.

1. Went to the used toy store and pulled the rest of the relays from a 940 wagon, including another Bulb Failure Relay and the Headlight Relay (K).

2. Pulled center dash bits out of the way, swapped Relay K with no change in status.

3. Removed drivers kick board to get access to the dimmer switch. The dimmer switch is dimming the instruments. I disassembled it and discovered that the little blue bulb in the dimmer switch is dead.

4. Shorting across the dead blue bulb does not make the lights work but definitely is not good: warning chime goes nuts - higher frequency, etc.

5. Started playing between contact points for the relay, including adding a lead to the center relay post and verified according to wiring diagram that power (~12V) leaves the relay, headed for the headlights, when the switch is turned to on. I can also hear the relay (I have a total of 4) switch on and off with the light switch.

6. Went under the bonnet and pulled the moisture seal off the headlamp connector. Tested black connection point to ground - good both lamps. Tested battery to both positive wires on both lamps - good.

I don't think I have a ground problem. Is it possible that I do even though the black wire into the head lamp shows 0 ohms?

Obviously my bulbs are good.

I am quite confident the relays (all 4) are good and the dimmer switch appears to be doing its job even without the blue light.

An additional note - I recently replaced the factory stereo with an aftermarket and followed the FAQ for doing so (and verified with 2 other sets of installation instructions. I did not cut the Yellow/White Y pair out of the radio bracket - I left them joined, in the mostly-unpopulated bracket tucked back in the dash. I rechecked all of that wiring today as well and could find no faults. The Yellow/White pair goes hot when it should, so I don't think I missed anything there.

Assuming (and I know what happens when I do) that Battery through Relay are good and I have 12V leaving the relay on 87b, where does the line go from there on its way to the lamps? Is there another connection point under the bonnet where things might be lose?

Any other suggestions?








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    ANSWER Headlights - Venturing way out past the FAQ 900 1994

    "Last night I discovered my low beams were not functioning. Fortunately, the brights got me home. . .
    I have 12V leaving the relay on 87b, where does the line go from there on its way to the lamps?"


    My 1st guess would be the bulb failure relay, if the low beams worked before you swapped it out to fix the CC problem.

    I have no 940 hands-on time with the headlight circuit, but here's what the diagrams show:

    From Headlight relay 87b, the Yellow wire goes to Hi/Lo Switch 56 (in turn signal unit). For Low beam operation (via internal contacts) voltage "should" exit Hi/Lo Switch terminal 56b on a Yellow-White wire.

    The Y-W wire then goes to Headlight Switch terminal (5) merely as a junction, and on to Bulb Failure Relay terminal 56b/6. The voltage "should" leave the the BFR from two terminals:

    • 56BL/2 has a Green wire leading to Fuse 19 (upper terminal). If the fuse is good, another Green wire goes from Fuse 19 (lower) to the left side Low Beam connector terminal.
    • 56BR/7, GN-W wire to fuse 20, then GN-W to the right side Low Beam connector.

    The 700/900 BFR location doesn't lend itself to back-probing the socket, but you can test for 12V leaving Hi-Lo Switch terminal 56 in the turn signal unit assembly, and farther on (if necessary) at the upper fuse contacts for 19 and 20 (pull fuses first).


    --
    Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

    This post has been marked as an answer to the original question.








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      Headlights - Venturing way out past the FAQ 900 1994

      Bruce, you 'da man!

      Spot on with the relay. Fortunately I had a THIRD one to try and it seems to function on all cylinders.

      I hope in the near future to pop the lid on the other two and see if it is just bad solder joints and easily repairable.

      Thanks a bunch.








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      Headlights - Venturing way out past the FAQ 900 1994

      Thanks Bruce,

      I will try to give this a poke tonight if I get home early enough.

      I appreciate the detailed description.







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