Problems with door lock and high beam

[badenstag]

Hi,

I just come back from a short trip to the ice cream parlor. On the way back I unfortunately had to find two problems.

1. I used the high beam on the way back for the first time since I own my Stag. The low beam is working normally but the high beam stopped working properly after about about 2 miles of usage. The high beam indicator in the warning light cluster on the dashboard lights up when I switch on the high beam but the headlights don't.
2. I no longer can lock the drivers door. Neither the door lock on the outside of the door nor the small lever on the inside of the door seems to work.

Any advice on how I can analyze and fix these issues is welcome.

Regards
Gerd

[TonyC]

Hello Gerd,

it happened to me once, it must be the link to lock which got off the bush. You should find it by removing the door card. Then change the bush and clip and secure them with pliers to get a good grip on the link. You're fortunate as that happened to me with the door locked . For your other beam trouble, maybe a blown fuse. Check if you didn't have a halogen conversion with the four headlamps working on highbeam, which puts too much watts on the initially two headlamps system.

Regards

Tony

[V Mad]

If its not the fuses, bad contacts in the fuse box, or blown bulbs the most likely cause is corroded bullet connectors. Replace the bullet females with new, and clean male bullets with dremel wire brush, or wire wool.

[badenstag]

Thank you for your answers

it happened to me once, it must be the link to lock which got off the bush. You should find it by removing the door card. Then change the bush and clip and secure them with pliers to get a good grip on the link.

Do I need some spare parts when I remove the door card (e.g. clips) which I should buy before the repair, just to be prepared and save time?

For your other beam trouble, maybe a blown fuse. Check if you didn't have a halogen conversion with the four headlamps working on highbeam, which puts too much watts on the initially two headlamps system.

If its not the fuses, bad contacts in the fuse box, or blown bulbs the most likely cause is corroded bullet connectors. Replace the bullet females with new, and clean male bullets with dremel wire brush, or wire wool.

Ok, I will check the fuses, bulbs and connections. Also I've to check if I have the four headlamps conversion.

Gerd

[ChasR]

Thank you for your answers

Do I need some spare parts when I remove the door card (e.g. clips) which I should buy before the repair, just to be prepared and save time?



Ok, I will check the fuses, bulbs and connections. Also I've to check if I have the four headlamps conversion.

Gerd

Call me silly but were Stags not meant to come with Halogens from the off unlike other Triumphs of the time? Saying that mine is sporting two sealed beam lights currently.

[TonyC]

Thank you for your answers

Do I need some spare parts when I remove the door card (e.g. clips) which I should buy before the repair, just to be prepared and save time?

You should invest in one of these on fleabay "Car Door Upholstery Trim Clip Removal Pliers & Tool combo Silverline" (item nº 390461668571) it will save your door cards each time you need to remove them. It would be a good idea to check the other side as well before the same thing happens. But usually they are in better condition as it's not used as often as the driver's side. You could also get some plastic clip retainers 613769 as they are often broken or missing over the years.

Cheers

Tony

[TonyC]

Call me silly but were Stags not meant to come with Halogens from the off unlike other Triumphs of the time? Saying that mine is sporting two sealed beam lights currently.

Export cars were sealed beams on outer and inner headlamps in US, inner sealed beams and outer bulbs for other countries and I think you're right for UK cars which were halogen on main and dip. My warning about halogens was when both inner and outer headlamps are operating when high beam is on, hence the frying fuse system.

[badenstag]

Next step

Hi all,

For your other beam trouble, maybe a blown fuse. Check if you didn't have a halogen conversion with the four headlamps working on highbeam, which puts too much watts on the initially two headlamps system.

I checked the fuses and saw that both fuses (25A) for the highbeam were blown. Today I replaced the fuses with new ones. The result:
- Apparently I have a conversion because 3 of 4 headlights light up.
- The bulb of the inner headlight on passenger side only glows very very poor
- One of the replaced fuses was hot after approx. 10 seconds of using highbeam, the other was cool

Supposed that the bulb is broken, could this cause the fuses blow? Whats the recommended way to step back to the "two headlamp system" (if this is the orginal solution)?

As a newbie, please let me ask how to change the bulb. Do I have to dismount the complete headlamp?

Thanks,

Gerd

[wilf]

Gerd - in all seriousness, you have a significant electrical fault on your headlight circuits, you need someone who understands auto-electrics to take a look, as the risk of a fire is high otherwise, and car fires are no laughing matter.

It just is not something that can be adequately diagnosed over the 'net.

[badenstag]

Gerd - in all seriousness, you have a significant electrical fault on your headlight circuits, you need someone who understands auto-electrics to take a look, as the risk of a fire is high otherwise, and car fires are no laughing matter.

It just is not something that can be adequately diagnosed over the 'net.

It seems to me, that you're right, but would you drive the car (with lights off) anyway?
I'll check and replace the bulb. If behaviour doesn't change I have to look for a repair workshop.

Gerd

[wilf]

I can't see a problem with driving the car with lights off, so long as fuses etc. are not getting warm or hot in that condition.

[Mike Stevens]

If a fuse gets hot (and it's a good/new fuse) then the most likely cause is corrosion in the fusebox causing a high resistance connection between the fuse and it's holder. This is easy to check - just clean the fuse contacts with some fine emery and see if the issue goes away. A high resistance there would then drop some volts at the same place, leaving fewer volts at the load after the fuse - in this case a headlamp. So maybe this is also the cause of the dim headlamp.

Cheers,
Mike.

[badenstag]

If a fuse gets hot (and it's a good/new fuse) then the most likely cause is corrosion in the fusebox causing a high resistance connection between the fuse and it's holder. This is easy to check - just clean the fuse contacts with some fine emery and see if the issue goes away.

Thank you for this advice. After cleaning the fuse contacts and checking the contacts in the headlight everything seems to be ok. Fuses also keep cool.

Gerd