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I'm having a problem with my h/lights not raising when switched on any ideas ???, the lights come on they just don't come up.

Hi,

There are a lot of threads on this, try using the search feature. Usual problem seems to be coroded connections where the lamps connect to the main loom.

If you disconnect the red connector you can check to make sure the motors are free.

Other questions are - how long have you had the car? how long ago did they work?

Pete
81 DHC (Undergoing minor body repair)
79 Spitfire (Current Main drive)

Hi Billin, welcome to the forum.
Stock reply is to try a search (top right hand side just refresh when it times out). Its not uncommon.
Usual cause is bad connections, try cleaning the connectors (including earths) in the engine compartment behind the lamps followed by taking the light switch apart to clean out the green crud of ages.

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto
'81 TR7 DHC

First make sure the connectors are clean. Clean all connectors found in engine bay behind the headlights. Also a dirty/corroded/gummed up headlight (master) switch can also cause problems. There are headlight relays (by fuse block), but since there are two usually one gives a problem before the other one. don't forget to clean the connector block that plugs into them. Connectors are open (not sealed) and tend to corrode over thirty years. It's a good idea to systematically clean all electrical connections (and reassemble with dielectric grease) as sooner or later they will give a problem, make your lights dimmer than they need to be. Better to do it at home as a Sunday (or several Sundays) project than suffer problems on the road with much cursing of the Prince of Darkness (Lucas).

Cleaning should be done with your favourite electrical cleaner (aerosol or squirt), brush or rag for flat connectors, a tiny circular brush for round connections or just reconnecting them several times while wet with cleaner. Dab on a little dielectric grease with a tooth pick to prevent recorroding. Just my way OCD way of doing things.[:)]

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra

I repaced the headlight connectors with modern ones branded as Superseal because the Lucas ones were very coroded and regular trouble as a result. You can see photo's of these connectors in Beans posts on the rebuild of his car.

Jolyon

Ah those *@#%! headlights! I just rebuilt one of them due to a leaking seal causing all internal wires to corode into powder. Now when re-installed an interresting thig happens. When I switch them on, the right one goes up and stops. Then the left one goes up and stops, and immediately the right one closes and stops, followed by the left one. Then the right one opens and the cycle repeats itself
continuously until I slide the main switch to off, when they both park in the closed position. What's with this? As near as I can tell, they are both wired identically, not mirror images of each other. If one is disconnected, should the other work normally? If I disconnect either, the other will not work, but I hear a hum from the relays behind the glove box. Oh the car is a '77 US spec, but the wiring color codes look to be from '78-'79 specs, Blue-Pink and Blue-Orange leads.

I had sticky headlight problem too and I eventually solved it by cleaning up the earth where it is connected to inner wing.