headlight switch confusion

[VXSpider]

I am having a slight misunderstanding as to the proper operation of the high beam and low beam switch, I have not changed any wireing on the car and when I turn the switch to the on position it turns all of the headlights on, there is voltage to all posotive headlight conectors to the head lights and the two outer light are on high beam and when I move the switch to the high beam position the two outer lights switch to the low beam setting, to where all 4 head lights are on low beam .

I have however switched all four lights to H4 style composite housings and installed a 12 diode LED H4 bulb into each housing "they are very low amperage, so it is less of a strain on the electical system" I will get a picture up as soon as I can find my camera.

[lancia_x120]

Check the relative orientation of the bulb's terminals to those of the original bulbs. I've heard some are different.

[SubGothius]

The way it's supposed to work, you twist the stalk (by rotating the knob at the end) to engage first parking lights then lo-beams, then move the stalk downward to engage high-beams.

On my '79 LBZ, the stalk kept drooping into the high-beam position, which was causing the lights to come on even when stalk knob was rotated to the all-off position. I dismantled the cluster and found there's a cam on the stalk which pushes a plastic piston of sorts that's supposed to prevent the high-beam position from being engaged when the lights are all off; if you twist the stalk off while the highs are on, this actually moves the stalk up out of high-beam position.

In my switch, I found that piston had cracked, allowing the stalk to droop into the high position (apparently it's a Euro custom for switches that down should always mean "on"). I had a scrap of junk plastic from another project lying around, so I carved that down to the proper shape as a replacement, greased up the parts and reassembled, and had a working switch again. :D

[KeppelmanJ]

You know, this brief discussion and many like it really impress me again and again and make me grateful for this forum focused on these under appreciated cars. When I had the problem you are discussing a year or so ago I bought a used switch cluster (eBay from Athens) and swapped it out. No fault, I also roll up my sleeves over some things too, usually more cosmetic than mechanical. SG, you have the curiosity, the inclination and the daring to take the thing apart and fix it. That's great! It makes it much easier to imagine owning these cars into the future knowing you guys are here.

[VXSpider]

The way it's supposed to work, you twist the stalk (by rotating the knob at the end) to engage first parking lights then lo-beams, then move the stalk downward to engage high-beams.

That's what I thought but for some wierd reson all 3 posotive terminals have voltage when I twist the switch to the low beam position.

[davidb]

This has been discussed here many times William. These
steering column switch assemblies are made of rather
delicate plastic bits. If it's a mechanical glitch the copper
rivets can be drilled out, broken bits replaced from a known
good used assembley w/thru bolts replacing the rivets. All
due care necessary lest one loose a spring or ball bearing.
Most Beta owners have made this repair @ least once. As
a last resort entire NEW assembleys are [were] availible from
Fiat-Plus for approx. $300. Either route bear in mind '75 - '79
assemblies are different than '81 - '82 assemblies. Luck & such.

[Jim Keller]

I'm wiling to bet, it has some lose rivets in the switch allowing the terminals to move/swivel just enough that they still make contact when on low beams......either way, you have a bad cluster switch I am sure, I personally have never been sucessful taking one apart and getting it back together without having that nasty brittle plastic or "Bake-O-Lite" material fall apart on me somewhere, the stuff just crumbles and there is no epoxying it back together once it has deteriorated to that point, JB welds good stuff, but it ain't that good! ha ha

[VXSpider]

OK I figured out what the problem is it is not the cluster I have 12V on the outside lights and when I switch to high beams the outside lights go out and the highbeam relay clicks but there is not a 12V switch to the highbeam relay it stays at 9V even when on low beam position. possible wireing problem or wrong relay or bad relay? I have tried changing the relay to one of the others in the panel and no luck.

[VXSpider]

ok new problem, with the relay out I still have 9v to high beams with ignition on, but no voltage with ignition off , this is with the headlight switch off. very confusing!still

[VXSpider]

Fixed it!!!!:cheers: the Black Wire that connects directly to the bottom right hand side (looking at the firewall) was disconected from the main fuse and relay panel, which caused conector 30 on the highbeam relay to not have 12V , other accessories did not have 12V to but I only checked the high beam realay so I assume they all work now, as the wire was an 8 gauge wire and was designed for high current.

Thanks for all the info and help.

[Jim Keller]

Ha! that'll do it! Good to hear it was simple in the end