Thread: Headlight wiring question

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I have a pair of old headlights I found in my dad's garage when cleaning it out. They are a 1-wire headlight as they self ground. How do I convert the 'typical' 3-wire to that? Do I just send the ground to a separate ground and wire the high and low beam wires into the single wire?

Thanks!

David

i do believe you answered your own question .. but `id just hook up one of the low/high wires .. either or ..

Thanks. That's whay I was thinking, but needed to hear it from someone else.....

David

I'd hook up both hi and low beam to the one element. that way you won't be driving along at night and forget, click the hight beam switch, and say "ohhhh shiiiiiiiiiip".
I bought a LM Corvair a few years ago and drove it 300 miles home. It had a bad switch, and if you tried to hit the high beams the headlights would go out. deffinetly got my attention as I was on a winding country road, driving a bit too fast, when I discovered this. I don't recomend it.

Russ

I've never seen one wire "headlights." Are you sure they aren't driving lights? The other thing is that old headlights are often 6 volts. Post some pictures of these things so we can know better what you have there.

Don

That was my thought also, I have a set of 6 volt horns the outside mounting type with the long tubes 1 wire.

Richard

There is no way to have a 1 wire hi-lo beam headlight. Look at the back side of a bulb (or a socket) and you will have 3 terminals or wires. Hi/Low/Gnd. You need this socket (or at least 3 connectors) - available at any parts store for five bucks or less. There is a white wire there too, but hard to see

It's one wire. Uses H1 bulb. The ground wire grounds to the bucket. I found 'Oscar' on the bucket - perhaps Cibie Oscar's..... I like the look of the concave glass.

David

Shoot us a picture, sounds interesting. How big in diameter is the lens?

Don

I'll try and get that done tonight....

David

Here's a photo of the front and back....

David

Yea..... figured that out..... but still. I don't really need high's anyway.

David

OK....... been thinking about this - can these be changed over to H4 bulbs?

David

It depends. How big in diameter are the present bulbs? Pull one apart and see what you have inside. You would probably have to do some modifications to the housing to secure the bulb in place. If they aren't 7 inches in diameter I also don't think they are legal to be used as headlights, but not totally sure about that.

Don

Thats a Cibie Oscar driving lamp, only 1 power lead and earth through the body.