The Ford Barn

Artwear · 09-03-2020, 06:45 PM

The headlights on my 1936 Ford pickup had been converted to sealed beam halogens. Wires coming out of the switch at the bottom of the steering column were dead ended. A headlight switch was mounted in the dash. Only the ground wire and the low beam wire were connected to the headlight. I connected the high beam wire and installed a floor mounted dimmer switch.

There are 12 volts when the ground lead is connected to the ground wire with the positive lead connected to the high beam (with the dimmer switch on high beam), and there are 12 volts when the positive lead is connected to low beam (with the dimmer switch on low beam).

However, checking across the high beam terminal and the low beam terminal, there are 12 volts (when the dimmer switch is on high beam) and there are 3.6 volts across the high beam and low beam (when the dimmer switch is on low beam).

Should there be voltage across the high beam and low beam?

I am not sure if this is okay or if the headlights are not wired correctly.

I appreciate your help.

09-03-2020, 06:45 PM	#1
Artwear Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 3	Should there be voltage across the high beam and low beam terminal? The headlights on my 1936 Ford pickup had been converted to sealed beam halogens. Wires coming out of the switch at the bottom of the steering column were dead ended. A headlight switch was mounted in the dash. Only the ground wire and the low beam wire were connected to the headlight. I connected the high beam wire and installed a floor mounted dimmer switch. There are 12 volts when the ground lead is connected to the ground wire with the positive lead connected to the high beam (with the dimmer switch on high beam), and there are 12 volts when the positive lead is connected to low beam (with the dimmer switch on low beam). However, checking across the high beam terminal and the low beam terminal, there are 12 volts (when the dimmer switch is on high beam) and there are 3.6 volts across the high beam and low beam (when the dimmer switch is on low beam). Should there be voltage across the high beam and low beam? I am not sure if this is okay or if the headlights are not wired correctly. I appreciate your help.