> Can anyone tell me why my headlights dim when the turn signals are on
> or I hit the brake?
Bad ground.
The ground path for the lights runs in a big loop, from the frame
attach point on the left side (near the alternator), into the cabin,
thru the headlight switch and hi/lo relay and back to the headlights
(on a '69 each headlamp is separately fused to the common terminal
and the hi/low filaments are grounded to turn them on). Anyways,
I bet that you have an inadequate ground either between the end
of the cable where it bolts to the frame (It's attached to the top
of the frame, as I say near the alternator), or possibly a bad ground
between the battery (-) and the frame. You also need a good ground
strap between the engine and the frame!!! If the battery (-) bolts to
the engine block, your lights may be weird. If it bolts to the frame,
you're gonna melt your accel cable one of these days :-)
A bad lighting ground makes weird things happen. Possibilities:
Headlights are dim, they'll 'pulse' with the turn signals, battery doesn't
charge if the headlights are on, one or more of these symptoms go
away (or get worse) when you step on the brake...
Bad grounds = Weird stuff. Trust me :-)
-- John
John F Sandhoff sandhoff@csus.edu Sacramento, CA
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