Dipped beam issue - not working!

[Ecosport2019]

Have you got a multimeter?

[StephenFord]

Just now, Ecosport2019 said:

Have you got a multimeter?

Yes thank you...

[Ecosport2019]

Are they 2 terminal bulbs or 3?

[StephenFord]

3 minutes ago, Ecosport2019 said:

Are they 2 terminal bulbs or 3?

 As already stated earlier, complete with photo, they are standard H7 bulbs, so, 2 terminal...

[Ecosport2019]

Ok so i suggest you get your multimeter, put it on volts, unplug a bulb and stick your meter in the multiplug with the ignition on and headlight switched on, what output do you get?

[unofix]

I'm excited to know the answer to this, you need to get it to your man asap 😀

[Paulkp]

6 hours ago, StephenFord said:

Just noticed that when I turn on my 'non working' dipped beam, I can hear a definitive click from under the glove box. Does this further a diagnosis, or just an irrelevance?

With the fusebox underneath the glovebox, it could be the Dip relay operating, the relay is I think mounted in that fusebox.

 

On 12/17/2022 at 8:28 AM, Botus said:

the fault was there as supplied by ford - after becoming expertly proficient at swapping bulbs, but poor from buying them....  I read a KNOWN design fault was "fudged over" with a resistor loom to each light unit that dealers can fit (the fault is on most of the fords of this era mondeo included) I bought the bits fitted and the bulbs carry on popping just as they always did

I would not have thought a resistor would have reduced the relative amplitude of a spike compared to steady state voltage.  More likely to have been a capacitor ?

[Paulkp]

18 hours ago, Ecosport2019 said:

get your multimeter, put it on volts, unplug a bulb and stick your meter in the multiplug with the ignition on and headlight switched on, what output do you get?

If the fault is a high resistance relay contact, you may well still get 12V.

You need to then plug a good bulb back in and see if the voltage disappears.

On low voltage circuits, a test lamp can be more use, a voltmeter only tells you what the voltage is, not the source resistance, and thus the current it can deliver.

[StephenFord]

Above you'll see a very large slice of humble pie! A genuine apology to all those that suggested I had 2 x blown bulbs, that was exactly the fault! Still can't believe that my bulbs went so quickly of each other, and I'm not impressed with Philps Ultra White vision who I calculated lasted about 20 hours. 

Still, the thread provoked over 30 replies and was quite entertaining! 

Again, apologies for all those who got the 'right' answer, and my stubbornness at not believing you...

[TomsFocus]

Quality must have declined on the Phillips H7s.  I fitted a set to the Golf in summer 2018 and they're still working now.

[Ecosport2019]

1 hour ago, Paulkp said:

If the fault is a high resistance relay contact, you may well still get 12V.

You need to then plug a good bulb back in and see if the voltage disappears.

On low voltage circuits, a test lamp can be more use, a voltmeter only tells you what the voltage is, not the source resistance, and thus the current it can deliver.

🤣Yes fully agreed, but... the point was he didnt want to replace the bulb so how can you use a test bulb without replacing the bulb.

[Tizer]

I buy Lidl ones, they sell either 30% brighter or longer lasting.

I use the 30% brighter and they last about one year, that is with a commute in the darkness for six months of the year but they are so dirt cheap that it does not matter.

Who knows, they may be made in the same factory as the Phillips ones.

[mjt]

4 hours ago, Ecosport2019 said:

how can you use a test bulb without replacing the bulb?

I think Paul was referring to the use of a bulb mounted in a holder fitted with test leads that can be used as a 'quick-and-dirty' tester in place of a voltmeter. It doesn't have to be the same bulb as is used in the headlamp, just one that'll draw enough current to show up any high resistance paths in the circuit.

[Ecosport2019]

1 hour ago, mjt said:

I think Paul was referring to the use of a bulb mounted in a holder fitted with test leads that can be used as a 'quick-and-dirty' tester in place of a voltmeter. It doesn't have to be the same bulb as is used in the headlamp, just one that'll draw enough current to show up any high resistance paths in the circuit.

Yes i know, it was the fact of using a bulb to test a bulb! I was having a laugh.

Its sorted now anyway👍

[Botus]

10 hours ago, StephenFord said:

Above you'll see a very large slice of humble pie! A genuine apology to all those that suggested I had 2 x blown bulbs, that was exactly the fault! Still can't believe that my bulbs went so quickly of each other, and I'm not impressed with Philps Ultra White vision who I calculated lasted about 20 hours. 

Still, the thread provoked over 30 replies and was quite entertaining! 

Again, apologies for all those who got the 'right' answer, and my stubbornness at not believing you...

in all the bulbs I fitted to her Focus, it was the expensive brand higher brightness one's that popped much faster - LEDs sorted it, and gave substantial light output upgrade - which none of the alleged upgraded halogen/xenon filled filament junk ever did - and the LEDs are vastly less violent on the eyes than the rubbish merc try to blind you with on most of the stuff they peddle

[StephenFord]

8 minutes ago, Botus said:

in all the bulbs I fitted to her Focus, it was the expensive brand higher brightness one's that popped much faster - LEDs sorted it, and gave substantial light output upgrade - which none of the alleged upgraded halogen/xenon filled filament junk ever did - and the LEDs are vastly less violent on the eyes than the rubbish merc try to blind you with on most of the stuff they peddle

Now that's interesting. I am looking at a set of LEDs that I may buy in the new year.  The tech seems to have come on quite a bit in the last 24 months with the ones I'm looking at not even having that awful looking cooling fan, they are the same exact size of a halogen.

Before anyone states it, yes, I know they are illegal, I really don't care LOL

The garage earlier just fitted standard 'Lucas' ones this morning and I was just so relieved to have working headlights.

[Botus]

fanless ones have been out for at least 5 years...  nighteye or novasight (same things) are the daddies

you want 5k (but the fools only do 6 or 6.5 k idiots - a bit too blue) and certainly no more than 6k and 4000 LM a side (this will give you a 4 fold upgrade on any daydream filament bulb u ever found )

and all the idiots quote the output of BOTH bulbs together so 20,000 LM is really 10,000 a side which is five fold above the legal max) - so you don't want them  NIGHTEYE+H7+8000LM+LED 6000K (20w each fanless) - found the ad - she's had those in hers for 5 years and 3 months, and been flashed by other motorists 3 times in all that time - and blinded by Nissan and Merc's 17 times a day by factory fit death ray LEDs

5k 3000LM per side is what they should be allowed to sell and we'd have none of the silliness we got...

 

[Paulkp]

On 12/19/2022 at 11:08 AM, Ecosport2019 said:

Yes fully agreed, but... the point was he didnt want to replace the bulb so how can you use a test bulb without replacing the bulb.

 

On 12/19/2022 at 3:58 PM, mjt said:

I think Paul was referring to the use of a bulb mounted in a holder fitted with test leads that can be used as a 'quick-and-dirty' tester in place of a voltmeter. It doesn't have to be the same bulb as is used in the headlamp, just one that'll draw enough current to show up any high resistance paths in the circuit.

Being a bit of a nerd, this is what I use.  A 55W in an old fog lamp, a 5W sidelight bulb, using Tamiya connectors, a Ford two pin plug, and I do have two cables with big and small croc clips.  The black box is a combined voltmeter and ammeter so I use that in series with the test lamps to indicate volts and current being drawn.

I have used a lot of Tamiya connectors over the years.  These on my battery chargers, and fitted to the batteries (with a fuse) so I can just plug them in, then using a black box monitor V & A.

Happy Xmas !