Electrical- One Dim Headlight

[barno68]

A guy motioned to me this morning and said my drivers headlight was out. I checked it when I parked and found that it is just very dim. The bulbs are fairly new and the passenger side is fine. I am guessing that it is a voltage issue, but why just one light?

Not sure if it is related, but my tach started jumping around at low rpm's about a month ago... This problem is on a '88 Ford Festiva, I am not sure if the regulator is internal to the alternator.

[derekf]

You might start by making sure that all your grounds are good, especially the one for that headlight.

[Serpa69]

You might start by making sure that all your grounds are good, especially the one for that headlight.

Agree there is a ground wire that attaches to that side. If you cant find it connect one to the ground circuit on the back of the socket and attach it to the rad support

[6'9"Witha69]

Agreed, it sounds like a ground issue.

[paul67]

Check the oposite side as well as I find that's normalaly the side that has the faulty ground.

[barno68]

I always love the idea of tracing wires trying to find the issue! I did not have time to mess with it last night, but will see if I can find and loose grounds tonight or try Serpa suggestion of hooking up a new ground to the socket. Thanks.

[Gordz32]

Its a ground

[462-6spd]

I had the same problem on my '79 TA, I was figuring a bad ground somewhere, wasn't looking forward to the trouble shooting session! Turns out one one prongs on the dim headlight had not made it's way into the plug & was actually on the outside of the plug!! Pulled the plug, slightly bent the errant prong, reinstalled the plug and I had a bright light again!!

Something simple you might want check....