55 6 volt headlights not working after 12v battery install

[Dick Rupp]

I accidentally put a 12 volt battery in my 6 volt car. When I tried the headlights with the 12 volt battery the headlights went on then off. Now I have the 6 volt battery in. All of my lights work except high beam. The red indicator lights up but the headlights don't light. Low beam works fine. Did I blow out the high beams on both headlights? Parking lights, brake lights, turn signals work fine. Do I need two new headlights?

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[cokefirst]

I accidentally put a 12 volt battery in my 6 volt car. When I tried the headlights with the 12 volt battery the headlights went on then off. Now I have the 6 volt battery in. All of my lights work except high beam. The red indicator lights up but the headlights don't light. Low beam works fine. Did I blow out the high beams on both headlights? Parking lights, brake lights, turn signals work fine. Do I need two new headlights?

It is very likely that you burned out the high beams in both lights by running them on 12 volts. If you have a little electrical knowledge and a ohm meter you can check the headlamp for continuity. one of the three prongs of the back of the headlamp will be the ground and the other two will be the terminals for low and high beam. Take and ohm meter and place one of the leads on the ground tab and then touch the other lead to the two other tabs one at a time. you should show continuity between the ground tab and the high and low beam tabs. If you don't have continuity, then you have a burned out bulb.

 

[doug7740]

It is very likely that you burned out the high beams in both lights by running them on 12 volts. If you have a little electrical knowledge and a ohm meter you can check the headlamp for continuity. one of the three prongs of the back of the headlamp will be the ground and the other two will be the terminals for low and high beam. Take and ohm meter and place one of the leads on the ground tab and then touch the other lead to the two other tabs one at a time. you should show continuity between the ground tab and the high and low beam tabs. If you don't have continuity, then you have a burned out bulb.

The terminal on the back of the headlight with the black wire is ground. The terminal on the back of the headlight with the green-black band wire is the high beam, and the terminal on the back of the headlight with the red-black band wire is the low beam.

After disconnecting the headlamp connector, take the ohm meter and place one of the leads on the headlight ground tab that had the black wire and then place the other lead to the on the headlight high beam tab that had the green-black band wire. Like cokefirst said, you should show continuity between the ground tab and the high and low beam tabs.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Dick Rupp]

It is very likely that you burned out the high beams in both lights by running them on 12 volts. If you have a little electrical knowledge and a ohm meter you can check the headlamp for continuity. one of the three prongs of the back of the headlamp will be the ground and the other two will be the terminals for low and high beam. Take and ohm meter and place one of the leads on the ground tab and then touch the other lead to the two other tabs one at a time. you should show continuity between the ground tab and the high and low beam tabs. If you don't have continuity, then you have a burned out bulb.

The terminal on the back of the headlight with the black wire is ground. The terminal on the back of the headlight with the green-black band wire is the high beam, and the terminal on the back of the headlight with the red-black band wire is the low beam.

After disconnecting the headlamp connector, take the ohm meter and place one of the leads on the headlight ground tab that had the black wire and then place the other lead to the on the headlight high beam tab that had the green-black band wire. Like cokefirst said, you should show continuity between the ground tab and the high and low beam tabs.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

Thanks for the advice