Headlight Failure

[Delboy]

Help, had to drive home without headlights last night. Have got side lights but no low or high beam / dip. High beam only works by "flashing" (passenger had to hold lever up !). Fog lights don't work either.
Have checked bulbs, fuses and control unit alongside fuseboard.
Could it be switch failure ? How easy is the paddle switch to dismantle ?

[Dave]

It is almost certainly the pink dim-dip relay located above the fusebox.

Dave

[Maria]

Is it a Mk1 dash car? My old light switch used to go funny occasionally so I could have headlights but no dashboard lights, or dash lights but only sidelights. You can take the column switch (if it is a Mk1 dash) apart really easily and give everything a clean and bend and copper contacts that look a bit suspect back into place.

[F690OTF(RIP)]

Sounds like a problem we had on our previous Maestro, assuming it's a late enough model that the switch is on the indicator stalk. One of the wires going from the switch to the terminals under the steering column cowl has probably become disconnected from the latter end. Wangle the relevant side of the steering column off and see if you can see a vacated solder tag and a flapping wire. If this is the problem, fix it. If it's not, then it's something else! :)
The fog lights not working is just symptomatic of the headlights not working.

[topgear]

id second that, i had the same problem! Above suggestion works!

Moral is: Always carry two heavy duty torches, just in case! :-)

[H48HPE]

I had this problem on my car, its horible cos the mainbeam lamps were dazeling the other drivers.

It was my stalkswitch which was at fault, i replaced it (£5 from scrap yard) and all has been well for the past 6 months,

when it happened to me you could have side or main beam on

i did find though that if you had selected dip beam; the side lights were the only bulb on, however, if the sidelights were selected the dim dip relay opperated the main bulbs as if they were on dim dip as normal. so if this hapens drive with side lights not dip beam if you have to switch main beam off. that was a bit complicated i know

i had been getting problems with my lights going on and of whilst on dip beam for a few months prior to actual failure (i was dealing with the problem by waggaling the stork), i would recomend anyone who is experiencing lights going on and off even if its just a flicker as mine was get the problem sorted before it breaks totaly. it realy is horible having to drive any distance in the dark with no lights ( i know u can hold main beam but when you're trying to drive round winding roads with other cars coming literally strait at u cos u dazled them its not nice i kerbed 3 times when it happend to me), and because lights are generally on at night there is a prety good chance of this hapening

[topgear]

life would be so boring without these problems! :) :) :) :)

[D87 SMW]

Boring as in my Maestro life? I think I spent too much when I bought F170 GGT. Maybe £50 bought me too good a car! :laugh:

[Austin-Rover]

If you need something to do, you can always have my car for a couple of weeks, theres plenty to keep you occupied there!

:laugh:

[D87 SMW]

That's ok, Richard. You'd miss L210 if it were gone for even a few days. I know I would miss F170. :laugh:

[John]

Same thing happened to me and I changed the switch, it wasn't difficult and that solved the problem.

[Delboy]

Yea, a wire had fractured through where it was soldered onto the terminal, an easy fix if a bit awkward because the wire was obviously too short in the first place.
Thanks for the advice.
Delboy:laugh: