ok so i need electrical help... i do not know much about electrical on cars.. i have a 65 mustang and the regular headlamps work but when i hit the high beams only on turns on, the driver side doesnt come on... so it time to replace the lamps? also the lamps themselves were always kinda of dim.. if u guys think im a have to replace the, are there any easy switch that will look brighter? one more question on a 65 is there way to adjust also how the lamps point because the lamps were always kinda too low to the ground.... alos my battery coil and alternator are all brand new.. thanks guys

 

Sounds like a bulb has gone. you can remove the 4 screws that hold the headlamp cover, then remove the 3 screws that hold the headlamp ring and replace the bulb. If you want to make them brighter, you can do this mod http://www.midnightdsigns.com/james/headlights.htm, and along with this I'd recommend replacing the headlamp switch.

To adjust the beams, there are vertical and horizontal adjusting screws attached to the headlamp bucket.

 

Are all the connector tabs on the headlamps clean, Any corrosion? Switch the lights sides ( put the left on the right side and the right on the left side). That way you will know whether lamp is bad or not.

Your headlights have two adjusting screws for each one. One is on the side and the other, I believe without going out there to see, is on the top. The top one adjusts the horizontal level (up and down) and the side adjusts left to right. The car should be on a level ground and have a Garage door or wall to aim at. And it should sit about 10-12 feet from the wall. Don't adjust it too high because you could blind oncoming traffic. The verticle adjustment on the left light should be slightly adjusted to the right of straight so that it also doesn't shine at oncoming traffic too. Use the wall to get both lights leveled together.

If your lights are dim it could be that they are worn out, bad connection on the tabs, or you may need to replace your voltage regulator

 

To adjust the lamps I have to remove the cover n get to the head lamp bucket?

 

I m going through this on my 1964 1/2 right now. Only one headlight has a high beam. I probably have the one bulb with a burned out filament, but I also had really low light in low beam. Way less than should be. It turned out to be the high beam switch.

I have a cowel leak, that has leaked water inside the passenger compartment, corroded the high-beam switch. I tried to take it out to test it, I couldn't get the plug off. After an hour of ""rusty bolt remover" and prying the terminals with a screwdriver, i got it to come apart. The water not only corroded it, but also shorted it out, melting the plastic parts on the switch and plug into the terminal connections. It's amazing that it was working at all. New switch and plug cost about $20. 10 minutes of soldering and shrink tubing and it'll be better than new. This is something to check since the headlight dimmer switch also has circuit breakers/fuses in it!
Really easy to check, something else you may want to look at.

 

I did basically the same thing the James did. I got a headlight relay harness from these guys. That along with a higher output alternator and Sylvania Xtravision bulbs make a good combination. The XV bulbs look just like the regular halogen sealed beams but are higher wattage like the new capsule bulbs. I wouldn't run them with out a relay setup.

http://rjminjectiontech.com/?p=8

The light output and beam pattern is very good. I think the lights work better than the lights on the other vehicles that we have. If not, its at least as good as the newer cars.

 

so i figured out it is just the actual bulb itself... so i wanna replace it and might as well do the pair... but r there just actual bulbs i can buy that will be brighter themselves without having to re wire the bulbs.. the reason is i do not know anything about electrical at all...

 

one other question.. the plug that goes right into the headlamp.. the one with three slots for low and high beam and ground.. do they sell that plug seperate with out having to buy the whole wire loom?

 

The reason for upgrading to the relay setup is that the factory wiring and switch was not designed to run Halogen bulbs. So the regular 10 dollar replacement sealed beam bulbs are Halogen these days and the factory wiring is not setup for them. You can do it. Most people do, and I did for years.

I would not run any increased wattage or brighter bulbs with out a relay harness.

Also, stay away from any bulbs that say simulated HID, or white, blue etc. Any of those will have tinted bulbs that make the light whiter but actually reduce the amount of light output.

Yes you can buy that plug separately from most auto parts stores.

 

Here in AZ, checker and Pep boys sell just the plug. I prefer to use the crimp and solder connectors that NAPA sells. I have not found them at the other stores. Otherwise my second choice for coneecting wires is to use the crimp on metal tubes without plastic coverings and use heat shrink to seal the connection.

In order for you headlamps to receive electricity, the current has to travel from batt to fuse panel to swith to dimmer to headlights. All this distant is small 45 year old wire loses a lot of its juice. So, what the other members are saying by installing a relay harness/system whatever is to use the current wiring to ignite an electric switch called a relay. I chose to place 2 relays on the driver side engine compartment at the front where the wiring harness heads into the left headlight and across the top of the radiator. Jameswstang gives good instruction on this modification and it makes a big difference in light output even with the stock bulbs. The relays are fed power from the current wiring for the switch and a new power wire (with inline fuse) from the hot side of the starter solenoid.

Frys electronics had the relay plugs and relays. Checker has the headlight plugs, 14 gauge wire and heat shrink. Radio shack has the wire crimping tubes without the plastic insulator. You will also need wire stripping/crimping tools, 25ft of red 14 gauge, 25 feet of green 14 gauge, 25 feet of black 14 gauge and 10 feet of red with an inline fuse. Don't forget to run good grounds for you circuits. Electricity has to form a loop to work.

You should have a lot of wire left over for your next wiring project.

Good luck.