Headlights delay to come on, Help

[Nick Mesich]

Went for a nice ride this evening when it was light out and payed a visited with some friends.

When I came out after about 2 hours and turned on the headlights I had nothing up front, but the rear lights were on.

Drove the car down the block a little and after a minute or so the headlights came on.

Has anyone had this happen to them before and what could have caused this?

The car is a 1966 L79 vert.

Thanks in advance.

[Wayne P.]

Re: Headlights delay to come on, Help

Click the dimmer. Sometime corrision in the switch will cause the lights to go out and changing the position helps them come on.

[Dick W.]

Re: Headlights delay to come on, Help

If the dimmer switch checks out, I would check the connections on the switch and the main harness junction on the firewall. Sounds like a possible loose connection.

[Jack H.]

Re: Headlights delay to come on, Help

Could be a number of things, but one that comes to mind is contact oxidation in the main junction block connector (engine compartment firewall in front of driver). Poor contact there between the mating pins can generate lots of 'gremlins'....

[Nick Mesich]

Re: Headlights delay to come on, Help

Thanks Gentlemen for your responses.

I pulled the main block a few weeks ago and found a couple of the pins pushed in and crooked.

I pulled them out and straightened them, brushed the connectors best I could with a small brass brush, sprayed all the surfaces with electrical cleaner let it dry and then added a light coat of dialectric grease.

I will pull the block apart again to check the mating surfaces.

I will also look at my switch and dimmer. What should I really be looking for here? Corrosion, dirt etc.

This at least gives me a starting point.

Thanks again.

[Gary Schisler]

Re: Headlights delay to come on, Help

Try turning your lights on and switch to high beams. Do they work? Next, repeatedly cycle between high and low beams. If they start to work better, I would look for corrosion where the electrical connection is.

Do you have a known working switch to put in and see if that helps?

Gary

[Phil P.]

Re: Headlights delay to come on, Help

another check would be the limit switches on the head lights---if they are like a 67 that could be another area to look at---had one of mine come loose and the lights would not "lite up"---good luck

[Joe C.]

Re: Headlights delay to come on, Help

Phil,

I don't think that the "limit" switches have anything to do with the power feed to the sealed beams. What they do, is to control the operation of the flashing, telltale. "headlights" idiot light in the cluster. They should only activate when the headlights are turned on, and the buckets are not fully opened. The switches, although mistakenly and often referred to as "limit" switches, are actually "position" switches.

Joe