Headlight and Brake questions

[askthemasses]

So as of now my high beaks work but not my regular headlights. Changed the bulbs, cleaned the terminals, checked the fuses, all should be good. The other lights work. Any thoughts on what that could be?

Also, I have a soft-ish brake pedal. It's kind of always been that way, and I'm wondering why. I'm not losing fluid in my MC reservoir, and I just had my brakes bled a month ago. Front brakes are all brand new (calipers, pads, rotors). Rear brakes are needing to be replaced in the next while, they're at about 75% IIRC. Could the softness just be from the wear on the rear brakes?

Thanks!

 

[Dirtman]

Bad headlight switch, adjust rear brakes.

 

[adsm08]

Bad headlight switch, adjust rear brakes.

Bad dimmer switch.

The main light switch throws power to the dimmer, which is responsible for directing it to the high or low beams. If the head light switch was bad neither would work.

I agree to adjust or repair the rear brakes. Drums have more movement than discs, and so when they are worn out they can cause a soft pedal, or long travel. Get them fixed and if it doesn't get better and/or you don't find a leak then replace the master.

 

[askthemasses]

Even though headlights are on the dash and high beams on the dimmer? Just checking- seems funky that the 'wand' would cause the problem when it's the stuff on there that DOES work, and the headlights that are elsewhere that don't

 

[Curious Hound]

Both low beams and high beams get power from the main switch on the dash. The wand selects whether that power goes to low beams or high beams.

The wand, otherwise known as the multi-function switch has several sets of contacts for several different circuits. It is possible for some functions to fail while others still work fine.

This message composed solely of recycled electrons. Go green!

 

[adsm08]

Even though headlights are on the dash and high beams on the dimmer? Just checking- seems funky that the 'wand' would cause the problem when it's the stuff on there that DOES work, and the headlights that are elsewhere that don't

I know ericphoto covered this already, but I'll do it again just for fun. Read carefully.

The headlight switch sends power to the dimmer. The dimmer directs that power to either the high or low beam. Where they are physically located does not change any of that so I don't know why you are confused about this just because the main switch is on the dash and the dimmer is on the column.

You pull that stalk (that is the proper term) back or push it forward to change from high to low beams, so it has to be involved, right? One of them works, the other doesn't, so if power for both of them comes from the same place, and is switched to one or the other somewhere in the middle. Doesn't it make sense that the problem would be in the part that switches between them?


I know electricity is hard, and it confuses a lot of people, even though they are very familiar with the concepts involved when they are used in other contexts, so I am going to try an analogy.

There is a train line that runs from Washington D.C. to San Francisco and Seattle. Both lines start from the same station D.C. and the track gets switched in Kansas City. Trains are making it to Seattle but not San Fran. Do you assume that the station in D.C. is the problem, or do you start your search for the problem at the switch in Kansas?

Now think of your head light circuit like the rail system. D.C. is the main light switch, Kansas is your dimmer, and Seattle and SF are your high and low beams respectively.

 

[RonD]

Many with Automatics never use the Parking brake, and some with Manuals don't either, lol

For the rear brakes to stay adjusted you must back up and STOP(use the brakes) a few times a day or a week, they only adjust when backing up.
If you park on the street or ??, and don't back up and STOP then rear brake shoes never adjust.

Using the Parking brake also adjusts the rear brakes

So...........hold out the Parking brake release, and pump the Parking brake pedal, you should feel it get tighter(higher pedal stop) when it stops getting tighter then it is fully adjusted

 

[91stranger]

I know ericphoto covered this already, but I'll do it again just for fun. Read carefully.

The headlight switch sends power to the dimmer. The dimmer directs that power to either the high or low beam. Where they are physically located does not change any of that so I don't know why you are confused about this just because the main switch is on the dash and the dimmer is on the column.

You pull that stalk (that is the proper term) back or push it forward to change from high to low beams, so it has to be involved, right? One of them works, the other doesn't, so if power for both of them comes from the same place, and is switched to one or the other somewhere in the middle. Doesn't it make sense that the problem would be in the part that switches between them?


I know electricity is hard, and it confuses a lot of people, even though they are very familiar with the concepts involved when they are used in other contexts, so I am going to try an analogy.

There is a train line that runs from Washington D.C. to San Francisco and Seattle. Both lines start from the same station D.C. and the track gets switched in Kansas City. Trains are making it to Seattle but not San Fran. Do you assume that the station in D.C. is the problem, or do you start your search for the problem at the switch in Kansas?

Now think of your head light circuit like the rail system. D.C. is the main light switch, Kansas is your dimmer, and Seattle and SF are your high and low beams respectively.

This response about the trains cracked me up. lol. So if train A is traveling at 57 mph from DC.. and train B is traveling a 68 mph from Seattle then when will they cross paths?

 

[Curious Hound]

5:61pm on Feb 30, 2019

This message composed solely of recycled electrons. Go green!