4/87 XT Vortex hi beam = no lights

[Step-a-toe]

Back story is LED headlight inserts from local 4*4 lighting genius and his conversion loom for the LED to function

Maybe now two years since installed, driving at night on low beam, switch on hi and suddenly darkness just the other night

Not sure if I just switched back to low beam in a panic ( was in Kangaroo Alley ! ). or if I had to lights off and down and back up to get them on.

Coincidentally the old resurrected battery no longer holds charge so it is now out, replacement needs cable mods before I can test lights again

Speaking to mate says pre led days the relays can sort of ash up contacts as the work harden? Fine for lights with load, but LED bit finicky and may not be up to the task

Went looking at LHD drawings to suggest headlight relays just up near accelerator cable meets pedal

Two round ND relays , one green socket, other white socket

Have half tested them. Seem to be a NC relay

Not blaming the new relays in conversion loom or anything else.

Anyone similar experience?

 

[idosubaru]

I’m a little uncertain on your details, symptoms and custom install but I’ll take a stab since I’ve owned 20+ XTs and worked on more. 

when you turn the lights on does the high beam indicator light turn on in the instrument cluster?

low beams work fine and normal?

in general custom wiring is always suspect. Check the wiring and any added relays.

XT light wiring flows through a large connector just above the pedal assembly and in manual transmission vehicles this is prone to short out. It gets hit more due to little clearance between pedal and wiring and in areas that see moisture rain or snow where your shoes are wet when hitting it.  Cut it out and splice in new or used connectors. Obviously they’re not available from Subaru so you’re on your own for that.  

the high beam switch itself can be problematic. You can look up in there and play with the mechanism to get it to work, or even attach a paper clip to it to turn them on and off. But be careful messing with the steering column covers. They will break very easily. 

check the custom wiring and relays again. 

[Step-a-toe]

Low beams worked fine until selected high beam

The high beam indicator in dash did not illuminate

Ido, two headlamp relays

Is it one for both sides low beam, the other for both sides high?

This baby is very tidying the wiring, never molested until I got it with 172,000 km and then the conversion loom installed rather fastidiously.

I need to get the battery cable sorted before I do any more sleuthing

Do you know if the relays are NC?

Owned 20 ?

I have only ever seen 12, just thought of another, and another ....14 in 35 years !

Edited August 5, 2020 by Step-a-toe

[idosubaru]

There’s a relay for right side lights and one for left side lights.  There’s a relay for left side motor and one for right side motor. Same with fuses - they are left and right side specific too. Fuse 7 and 8.

no relay for highs.

No relay for high beams and unlikely for both relays to fail, but lows work anyway.

FSM is online somewhere with a little digging. Section 6 page 60 has the headlight diagram  

I’ve always owned an XT (or multiples) since high school in 1992. Never kept track, but I’ve had more than 20. They weren’t common back then but they weren’t hard to find with some effort.

[Step-a-toe]

Hmm, only high beam for both sides sounds like switching mechanisms ....pulled my other Vortex (FWD turbo wreck) apart thinking much like an MY 4WD DR box - never to go back together !!

The wiring is jammed in there up the steering column and the plastics tricky, fiddly and delicate.

I have two paperback sections of US print 87 manuals 2 and 6 from memory

Also full volumes of 85 that includes Vortex

And somewhere is a new combo switch

so got some work to get through...checking the intro conversion loom and relays

thanks Ido..

[el_freddo]

Also check the contacts in the combination switch. If they’re anything like the L series they will need cleaning/filing flat much like the old points in distributors. 

I hope it’s an easy fix Jonno. 

Another thing, have you tried a regular globe to eliminate the LED setup as the real issue. You could be chasing a red herring if the LED system doesn't check out in the first place. 

Cheers 

Bennie

[idosubaru]

2 hours ago, Step-a-toe said:

Hmm, only high beam for both sides sounds like switching mechanisms ....pulled my other Vortex (FWD turbo wreck) apart thinking much like an MY 4WD DR box - never to go back together !!

The wiring is jammed in there up the steering column and the plastics tricky, fiddly and delicate.

I have two paperback sections of US print 87 manuals 2 and 6 from memory

Also full volumes of 85 that includes Vortex

And somewhere is a new combo switch

so got some work to get through...checking the intro conversion loom and relays

thanks Ido..

Sure thing. Hope you find something simple.  Custom wiring is so commonly problematic as a car ages that it’s hard not to triple check that.