Hi-beam failure on long trips

[eddiec]

Hi all,

This is a curious little issue which has happened to us twice now in recent times which I can't quite figure out. In terms of background, we're running a fairly stock 96 Defender which has been given the Traxide headlight upgrade.

Both times have been on long drives at night. Low beams are working happily and have been for a while (usually at least half an hour to an hour of driving on low beam), then we go to hit high-beam and... pitch darkness.... Low beams go out. After a moment of panic we stop and change underwear...

Sometimes we've gone back to low beam and it's worked. Sometimes not - although after an engine restart it seems fine for a while but then going to high-beam will send it dark again. During this the high-beam flashers continue to work perfectly - so we keep driving on low-beam and just hold the flashers on as required.

I've tried to diagnose this a few times but the problem is once back home and in normal conditions the problem disappears. In urban driving it's never happened once.

Any ideas as to what's going on here?

Thanks.

Eddie.

[Chenz]

I had a similar thing with the Traxide upgrade on my 200 Tdi Defender. When driving for a couple of hours using the low and high beams on country driving. I have been driving with the high beams on and then whamo everthing goes out. Stop and turn the lights off and then back on and no problem.

Drive the next few times with no problem in the city and medium drives at night 2-3 hours no problems then out of the blue the same thing happens again. I have checked connections etc and can't find any problems.

Just don't know when or if it will happen again

[d@rk51d3]

EDIT

Don't mind me. Speed reading the posts, and miss all the critical info.:wheelchair:

[JDNSW]

Two possibilities occur to me.

1. The Traxide relay add-on is incorrectly wired and the switch* is heating up and failing on prolonged use of high beam because the current is not actually going through the relay.

2. It is correctly wired, but the switch was on its last legs when the add-on was installed, and even the relay current is enough to cause it to stop working - the high beam may be deceptive in that it is the length of time rather than the use of high beam.

Next time it happens check whether the high beam flasher works or not. If it does, but neither beam does, this clearly means the switch is the problem (but does not mean the relay is correctly wired).

*switch could be either the multifunction switch or main light switch

John

[DEFENDERZOOK]

sounds to me like theres some sort of circuit breaker in the circuit somewhere......which is tripping.......

is there a diagram of this kit somewhere i could have a look........?

[eddiec]

Two possibilities occur to me.

1. The Traxide relay add-on is incorrectly wired and the switch* is heating up and failing on prolonged use of high beam because the current is not actually going through the relay.

2. It is correctly wired, but the switch was on its last legs when the add-on was installed, and even the relay current is enough to cause it to stop working - the high beam may be deceptive in that it is the length of time rather than the use of high beam.

Next time it happens check whether the high beam flasher works or not. If it does, but neither beam does, this clearly means the switch is the problem (but does not mean the relay is correctly wired).

*switch could be either the multifunction switch or main light switch

John

The high beam flashers DO work when it happens, and only sometimes does the low beam light come back - So I guess it could very well be the main light switch. I'm pretty sure I hooked up the traxide kit the right way - and the original light switch was a bit flaky beforehand (ie. Sometimes taking a few seconds to turn the lights on, etc.... which is why I got the kit in the first place) so I'll look into that. Thanks.

[DEFENDERZOOK]

there are two types of switches for the defenders......the earlier ones and the later ones......
the difference being the connector........and the price.......

i just replaced mine on my fender.....and got the cheaper earlier one......and i just cut the connector off the old switch
and soldered the wires to the new switch.......

[Bushie]

Earth issues may come into this as well.


Martyn

[numpty]

Earth issues may come into this as well.


Martyn

Exactly what I was thinking Martyn. As you know, I had this problem a couple of times, which turned out to be a bad earth. Why it worked fine when first connected up, I have no idea. Once I found a better (proper) earth connection, the problem hasn't reappeared.

Perry

[drivesafe]

Hi Eddie and when I started reading your first post, I would have considered the relay in my kit was the problem but if your high beam flasher works then it is almost certainly the headlight switch.

If you have the COMBO kit, then on high beam, your are drawing up to 0.5 amps still, to power three relays.

This should not be a problem but if your switch’s contacts are dirty or just stuffed, it’s still enough current to heat the switch up over a period of time, like as you posted, you were driving for an hour or so.

By all means, check your earth connection but if you can pull your switch apart, try cleaning contacts and making sure the contact housing has not deformed.

[stealth]

My switch failed totally at night and when I pulled it apart I found it had melted but the high beam flasher still worked. I bought a new one on ebay from the UK pretty cheap and then put the Traxide Combo kit in. No problems since.