Main beam not working

[Kevin Garrod]

As per title, main beam works if I use the flasher but not if I push the stalk forward into the 'on' position.
My thoughts are that it can only be the switch or the relay at fault, is there a separate relay to operate the flash? If not it only leaves the switch within the stalk, thoughts and knowledge welcome!

[saffronstag]

Had same problem, cleaned up switch contacts with some emery cloth and has been fine since.

Worth a try before anything else.

Andy

[Kevin Garrod]

Had same problem, cleaned up switch contacts with some emery cloth and has been fine since.

Worth a try before anything else.

Andy

Will do, thanks.
I should add that before complete failure there was a short delay of about half a second between switching on main beam and the lights actually coming on.

[Kevin Garrod]

I cleaned the contacts as suggested but still no good, further investigation by shorting between various points with a piece of wire revealed that the switch contact wasn't connected electrically to the copper strip below.
My garage didn't appear to contain a soldering iron so I fashioned one by wrapping some copper wire around an old screwdriver and heated it with a lighter.
A little blob of solder in just the right spot and problem solved!

[brian0443]

Now that is an example of real engineering. Diagnose problem, make a tool from existing resources, fix.
Well done Kevin
Brian

[Andrew S]

Very impressive Kevin and glad its fix and for free

[fedex]

this seems to be common had the same problem, but I did the same as andy, dry wet and dry paper between the contacts, a squirt of wd 40, flicked it between main and low beam about 30 times and it still works, cheers roger