Sudden headlight failure

[liliball]

Hi all, I've looked thru the archive and Wiki but can't find a definitive answer on this.

Driving home tonight, clicked on the main beam and both headlights failed, rear lights fine. Weird because main beam indicator blue light stays on as long as headlight switch is on but clicking the flasher stalk will not turn off the little blue light. My immediate thought was a relay but the other common item is the headlight switch.
Has anyone come across this?

[ronsrecord]

Yes - mine did that once. Driving on a country road at six in the morning! Scared the living daylights out of me. Just drove with the main beam held in. Hasn't happened since mind.

[Mocki]

Chances are its the headlight dip switch, rather than the headlight switch , although I did come across this on a early van once and it was a connector problem on the fuse box end of the loom

[STEPHEN LINNETT]

I have got the same problem
Ignition OFF side lights work flash full beam blue light comes on head lights dont
Ignition on side lights go off blue light permanently on all rear lights and indicators work all round.
Checked fuses connections and bulbs all ok is there a relay involved no drawing to hand????
Spotlights working as normal via panel switch Grrrrr

HELP PLEASE

[Mocki]

After thinking about this I now remember this cropping up before
Bad connection in or on the fuse board on later vans with blade fuses on or about the middle
Next time it does it wiggle the fuse board and see

Seem to remember it was when switching to main beam an all headlights go off and main beam blue led stays on no matter what were the symptoms then

[STEPHEN LINNETT]

Hi Guys

Problem sorted due to earthng fault.
Remove fuse box from glove box and you will find to the top left behind it 2 multiple earth connections with push fit connections.
The head lights and side lights and full beam all share a common earth ( 4mm brown wire ) this was loose.
Crimped on new push fit and we are good to go again.
I also earted both head lamps locally behind the grill belt and braces.

Safe motoring guys hope this helps others.

[Mocki]

Top man, thanks for reporting back , sooo many don't bother to report back when the fault is fixed for them....it's one more place to look for others months later when this comes up in the search......thanks

[ronsrecord]

[liliball]

Ok, so I finally got round to getting this fixed for MOT. I'd had the relay/fuse board out, switches and all the obvious stuff a non-lecky would check but couldn't sort it. After getting an auto lecky to have a look it turns out that the fault was caused by high resistance in a couple of corroded Scotch-locs. I guess someone had done some lighting mods of some sort over the yrs. With Botch-locs removed and soldered repairs carried out, all is well and flew through the MOT. Why do the guys at the testing station always look surprised when she gets though first time? Oh yee of little faith!

Having said that, a new unrelated fault has appeared, I'll do a search on here first and if no joy, watch for my next dilemma for your advice. Cheers.

[GarethC]

Just to say 'thanks' for the advice regarding headlight failure. Happened to me last night, but followed advice on here...had a bit of spade end wiggling.....and now all sorted.