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Headlights?  Rating:  Rating
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 Posted: 01-01-2010 12:53 am
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SpeedyMitch
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Joined: 12-17-2009
Location: Hailey, Idaho USA
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This is my first Jensen-Healey (73 Mk1) and my first post to the JHPS!

I'm working my way through basic checks and maintenance on JH 12827 and have found that the headlights do not work. The switch is a three position rocker but I'm not sure if it is stock. Turn lights and brake lights mostly work.

I have checked the fuses. Are there any common causes of failure for the headlights?

Thanks in advance,

Speedy Mitch

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 Posted: 01-01-2010 01:59 pm
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Brett Gibson JH5 20497
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Well welcome aboard Mitch, and congratulations on have great taste by driving a JH.

So let's see, are the connections making a good contact, at the lights, the plug infront of the radiator and how are your grounds, is their any power to the lights, probably not but at what point are you losing it, directly off the switch or out in the engine compartment, the emergency flasher switch has an effect on the system as well due to alot of the lighting power runs thru that , I dont have a wiring diagram handy but take a test light and start to find were the loss starts.

There are links on this site to wiring / trouble shooting guides in the garage link, very nicely done by John Kimbrough, one of the benifits of being a member.

Good luck with the car and again welcome aboard

Brett

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 Posted: 01-01-2010 07:34 pm
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Dakota123
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Hi, Mitch--

I had the same issues when I picked up my '73.

My vote is the headlight switch itself -- Delta Motorsports carries a functionally identical switch, although it doesn't have the same rocker contour -- it is flat instead of rounded.  It needs to be good for the parking lights to function properly as well, of course.

As to the rest of the lights, as Brett says, the flasher can introduce fits.  I swapped the hazard flasher for the turn signal flasher as a short-term band-aid to get everything working.

Again as Brett says, John Kimbrough has puttogether a terrific site based on his trials and travails and has posted a coplete wiring guide here: http://home.comcast.net/~jrkengr2/html/wiring.html

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 Posted: 01-02-2010 03:43 pm
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SpeedyMitch
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Dakota123 wrote: My vote is the headlight switch itself...

Bingo.

Flashers worked. High beams worked. I took the switch out and carefully, using John's diagram, shorted the brown and blue wire sockets and let there be headlights.

Next I tested the switch and found poor connectivity between the poles. Took the rocker off the switch to find a good build-up of grime. A blast of contact cleaner and the switch is good as new.

THANKS!

Speedy Mitch

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