No headlights!

[thrown_hammer]

I have a 1961 Baja Bug with a full Beetle sedan wiring harness. Recently my headlights have gone out. At first they would flicker and then come on. Then eventually they just don’t come on at all. I looked at the headlight switch. There are four wires. A big blue, a small brown, a small grey, and a big Black w/white stripe. If I touch the blue to the brown I get dash, running, and tail lights. Any other combination of wire touching yields no lights. I am assuming the big blue is power and the brown is dash/tail/running lights.

I checked the headlights and connections, and they are good. I cleaned the ground. I haven’t checked the dimmer switch on the floor yet.

Right now I am assuming I either have a broken wire between the headlights and the switch, or the dimmer switch completely konked out on me.

I don’t have a meter but will borrow one soon. I can check continuity on the headlight wires that way and also verify which wire is power at the switch.

Any other suggestions or quirky Beetle tricks?

[Speedy Jim]

Jumper across the dimmer switch terminals, as a test.

Examine the grounding for the headlights. Should go to some place
solid on the chassis.

[thrown_hammer]

Jim I didn't have to jump the switch. Turns out the middle wire on the dimmer switch was really(REALLY) loose. I crimped it down a little with pliers, pushed it back on the switch and the headlights work.

[MNAirHead]

great..

Normally have found it's not the wire.. it's the end.