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Old 09-21-2023, 10:11 AM   #1
Dodge68charger
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Explaining High Beam Circuit?

I Installed Some Dapper Headlights. Look Pretty Good But The High Beams Are Staying On and Won’t Go Off.

Can Anyone Explain How The High Beam Circuit Works Through The Dimmer Switch.

Do Both High and Low Beam Wires Send Power To The Headlight When The High Beams Are On?
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Old 09-21-2023, 10:21 AM   #2
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

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Originally Posted by Dodge68charger View Post
I Installed Some Dapper Headlights. Look Pretty Good But The High Beams Are Staying On and Won’t Go Off.

Can Anyone Explain How The High Beam Circuit Works Through The Dimmer Switch.

Do Both High and Low Beam Wires Send Power To The Headlight When The High Beams Are On?

No, it's one or the other. I don't know anything about Dapper Lighting but I do know dimmer switches....

Did the lights work OK before?

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Old 09-21-2023, 11:01 AM   #3
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

Its a New Build.

When I Hit The Dimmer Switch Before The Headlights Were Installed The Blue Indicator Light Would Bounce Back From To Hight Beam as It Should

I Noticed With a Test Light Both Hi and Low Beams Had Power At The Same Time But I Gotta Double Check
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Old 09-21-2023, 12:11 PM   #4
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

LockDoc speaks truth, only one powered circuit in each mode. Green is high beam. BTW, what are you working on?
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Old 09-21-2023, 12:19 PM   #5
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

I too, know nothing about Dapper Headlights.. Here's a detailed explanation of how the dimmer switch works.. Its a single pole, double throw switch. The headlight bulb has 2 filaments and 3 terminals, one for hi beam, one for low beam, and the third is ground.. Each headlight has its own ground. A blue wire from the headlight switch brings voltage to the common terminal of the dimmer switch.. A tan wire carries voltage to the low beam bulb terminals. A green wire carries voltage to both the bulb's hi beam terminal and the hi beam indicator bulb in the dash. Voltage is not sent to both hi and low beams simultaneously, only one at a time.

To test the dimmer switch, disconnect the plug. Using a DVM, check continuity between the blue wire's terminal (common) and the other 2 terminals. Depressing the "button" selects continuity between the blue wire and the other 2 terminals.. Again, continuity between the blue and the others is selective, only one at a time. Any other results means the switch is bad. If the switch checks good, check your wiring again...
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Old 09-21-2023, 12:41 PM   #6
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

Nothing to add here that RustyPile didn’t cover.
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Old 09-21-2023, 12:57 PM   #7
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

Thanks Guys. Working On a 69 C10

I ll Test The Dimmer WhenI Get Home.

I Called Dapper Lighting and They Said They Seen This Before. They Said I Takes As Low As a Half a Volt To Trigger The Hi Beam To Stay On.

Said Voltage Can Be Seeping From Somewhere

Said To Check The Grounds. They’re Solid,
And Dimmer/Headlight Switch.
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Old 09-21-2023, 04:52 PM   #8
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

I went to the Dapper Lighting website:
https://www.dapperlighting.com/pages...-high-low-work

If I'm understanding the concept, there is only one "filament" in the bulb.
The dimmer switch is used to energize/de-energize a "shield" inside the bulb that changes the beam configuration from that one "filament".. The dimmer switch in our trucks switches between two separate filaments for hi and low beams.

If I'm correct on how the Dapper system works, it's not plug and play, some wiring and switch modifications are necessary for this system to work..
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Old 09-22-2023, 12:58 AM   #9
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

Lights are plug and play. Switching needed is done by the ballast harness (hid) or led driver harness (led) Check voltage at the stock headlight connector. If you have 12v at two terminals or 12v on one and a few volts on another, probably the dimmer switch is most likely bad. Dapper has a relay harness available to take load off the headlight switch that is mostly plug and play that would fix problem of "seeping voltage" as it isolates the lights from the switch and provides direct power from battery. But best to locate problem (dimmer?) It could be the old headlight switch causing a voltage drop as well. A DVM is your friend.
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Old 09-22-2023, 01:34 AM   #10
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

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Lights are plug and play. Switching needed is done by the ballast harness (hid) or led driver harness (led) Check voltage at the stock headlight connector. If you have 12v at two terminals or 12v on one and a few volts on another, probably the dimmer switch is most likely bad. Dapper has a relay harness available to take load off the headlight switch that is mostly plug and play that would fix problem of "seeping voltage" as it isolates the lights from the switch and provides direct power from battery. But best to locate problem (dimmer?) It could be the old headlight switch causing a voltage drop as well. A DVM is your friend.
Not debating or disagreeing, but simply seeking information. If the lights are plug and play, why is all that other paraphernalia need to make it work?? Enlighten me, I'm intrigued by any headlight system that costs $300..
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Old 09-22-2023, 02:54 AM   #11
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

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Originally Posted by RustyPile View Post
Not debating or disagreeing, but simply seeking information. If the lights are plug and play, why is all that other paraphernalia need to make it work?? Enlighten me, I'm intrigued by any headlight system that costs $300..
Every led needs a driver, it can be built into or on the back of the bulb or separate. Some higher output led's have a fan, are pretty large and hard to fit. Obviously if on the bulb it has to be more compact for some fitments. All hid bulbs need a ballast, it is separate. All the OEM vehicles I have had with hid or zenon headlights have one. Many of the Dapper headlights are projectors which are used by OEMS and offered as upgrades on the vehicles costing as much as $1k. Operation is simple as you said, bulb is iluminated in high and low. A "shield" as you called it changes the light pattern. The switching is provided in the harness. Big difference in night vision with a quality projector versus a standard type headlight. Guessing you have never used a car with them?
Edit- you mentioned cost. Another thing adding to that is the glass lenses that will not yellow in a couple of years reducing vision and looking like C**P like the plastic ones.
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Old 09-22-2023, 03:28 AM   #12
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

Cycle the dimmer switch with your foot about 20 times. You won't because nobody does, but the contacts get dirty and the switch stops working.
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Old 09-23-2023, 09:39 PM   #13
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

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Cycle the dimmer switch with your foot about 20 times. You won't because nobody does, but the contacts get dirty and the switch stops working.
When my headlights would act up I would spray WD-40 on the top of the dimmer switch button then cycle the mess out of it. The WD would seep past the peened over rivet that holds the button to the switch, eventually cleaning the internals enough to where it worked fine again.
The easiest way to tell if you're having contact, or spade connector issues is by looking at the molded plastic connector cover for obvious hot spots. If that's the case, replace both the dimmer switch and the connector with new parts.
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Old 09-24-2023, 03:12 AM   #14
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

Anyone who has WD40 should toss it in the trash. Dirty dimmer switch contacts don't make the switch bad--do we throw dishes away because they're dirty? No. Cycle the switch til it works.
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Old 09-24-2023, 10:13 AM   #15
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Re: Explaining High Beam Circuit?

On the website it mentions the diode wiring.

[Different vehicles use different systems for high beam control. The diode allows different vehicles to keep
their high beams plug and play with Dapper Lighting headlights.]

Have you checked that?

Link: https://www.dapperlighting.com/pages/diode-instructions

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