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 Main Beam and other gremlins!
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Dirtbiker
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1060 Posts

Posted - 15 Oct 2018 :  21:47:17 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi All,
Been chasing electrical gremlins round the 95 and have now just about got everything working except main beam.
The brown wire from the switch to the relay is doing it's job I think as when you pull the switch the wire makes a circuit to earth and the relay flicks between dipped (which work) and main which gives nothing.
Any thoughts on what to check next. Haven't actually checked the bulbs as surely they both can't be faulty in the same way...
I guess the next step is to trace the wiring from the relay to the lights and see what's what.
I've cleaned all the fuses and terminals - any more tips appreciated!
Cheers

TTruckie
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
320 Posts

Posted - 16 Oct 2018 :  22:06:47 Show Profile Reply with Quote
It could be a number of things, but have you checked the output of the relay. It may be clicking across but id it actually making contact and transferring the voltage. A test lamp and some crocodile clips are very handy
good luck
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Derek
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2187 Posts

Posted - 17 Oct 2018 :  12:04:53 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Maybe have a look inside the dip switch. The paxolin circuit board can crack causing intermittent contact.

I would have said recheck the fuses but as it appears that both mains are out that may not apply. Each main has its own fuse. Both could be bad so give them a wriggle with mains switched on.
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Dirtbiker
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1060 Posts

Posted - 18 Oct 2018 :  21:29:29 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Thanks chaps,
I think the next place to look like you say is the output of the relay.
I actually tried another dip switch as the first port of call but decided the original one was fine when I thought about it a bit harder.
Unfortunately this week has been taken up with new bathroom related DIY tasks "I said lets buy a small house that didn't need any work and had a garage and instead we bought a big house that had been empty for a year and previously untouched since the fifties and I even had to build my own garage..." and next week we are on an exotic holiday to Shropshire so all car jobs on hold for now.
I'll let you know how I get in when we're back though,
Cheers
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72sonett3
V4 Fanatic

Spain
269 Posts

Posted - 20 Oct 2018 :  21:35:37 Show Profile Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Derek
I would have said recheck the fuses but as it appears that both mains are out that may not apply. Each main has its own fuse....

High beams do not have fuses...



--
'72 97
'77 96L conv.
'79 96GL (LPG)
'83 900i (LPG)
'95 900SE conv.
'99 9-3T
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Derek
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2187 Posts

Posted - 20 Oct 2018 :  23:04:28 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Thanks for the correction.
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Dirtbiker
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1060 Posts

Posted - 02 Dec 2018 :  21:17:09 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi Guys,
Reporting back that I have cracked this one - nothing too clever. I was getting nothing from "F" when switched to Full Beam so tried another (third) relay and this time it worked fine.
As someone not very electrically "switched on" I can see there is no fuse for Full Beam but don't understand why... Is it that the Dipped Beam fuse will do the job as it is the same circuit but switched...?
Cheers
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72sonett3
V4 Fanatic

Spain
269 Posts

Posted - 03 Dec 2018 :  15:43:35 Show Profile Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Dirtbiker
Hi ... tried another (third) relay and this time it worked fine.

FYI you can use a headlight relay out of a 99 or 900, it looks different on the outside but connections and function is exactly the same.
quote:
... no fuse for Full Beam but don't understand why...

I too question the infinite wisdom of the Saab designers to not use a fuse in the high beam circuit...

It would be an easy thing to do though. Just take the relay's grey power supply wire off the hot side of the fuse box (contact #2), and reconnect it through a floating fuse, 10 or 15 A should be enough.

--
'72 97
'77 96L conv.
'79 96GL (LPG)
'83 900i (LPG)
'95 900SE conv.
'99 9-3T

Edited by - 72sonett3 on 03 Dec 2018 15:46:04
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andydeans3
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1994 Posts

Posted - 03 Dec 2018 :  18:30:05 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Guessing here, but I think maybe high beam is not fused, to reduce the likelihood of suddenly losing high beam, when driving at speed on a dark winter road in Sweden!

I've actually re-wired my main beams through a relay, (so that the main lighting relay only sees the current required to operate the relay, rather than the current to run two main beams.) and nice heavy new cable to each headlight. Also replaced the old connectors on each light, and ran new earth cable cables back to main battery earth.

Lights are slightly brighter now. There is a built in fuse on the new relay which gave up the ghost last night, which meant I had no main beams, but because I have big spotlights, which were still working, I got home alright in the dark. The fuse literally fell apart in my hand when I pulled it out. Faulty fuse I think.

Andy

1978 LHD SAAB 96
1978 MGB Roadster
2008 LHD "Classic" Renault Twingo
1991 Nissan Figaro

Edited by - andydeans3 on 03 Dec 2018 18:31:39
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