Bright & Dim headlight question

tkranz wrote:
When I recently bought a 1998 Winnebago Vectra (Freightliner), the headlights were wired as follows:

Headlights dim = one bulb in each headlight assembly is lighted (dim bulb)

Headlights bright = the other bulb, just one, the "bright" bulb is lighted - NOT both bulbs

My local mechanic tells me this is normal and the way it is supposed to be.

I have seen this on all sorts of vehicles, Cars and trucks both. In fact the car I used to have the same lamp was used in both high and low beams (They are not called "Dim" and "Bright" any more and have not for years.. The biggest reason for this is back in the days when you had only one lamp on each side it was not uncommon for the HIGH beams to be like 36 watts (The "Brights") and the lows... 52, as memory serves.. That is much brighter)

The car I used to have the same lamp cartridge was used for both. Makes stocking spares easier.

That said, I have also seen many cars with a double filiment lamp in teh HIGH/LOW beam lamp and of course a different (HIGH only) in the other lamp on the 4 eye system.

So it is done both ways..

To find out which you have for sure take a look at the wire side of the lamp. Each lamp has only 2 wires.. Then it's working as designed.

(On the all 4 light up on high you will hae 3 wires to one lamp)