Due to the weak headlights on the '96, I replaced the globes with new aftermarket ones. That was a considerable help. Them, I purchased some Sylvania Silverstar bulbs.

But, now the blue hi-beam light in the speedo stays on any time the head lights are on. The headlights do switch from lo to hi, but the little light stays on. Also, the dim lights look too dim and yellowish. The hi's are fine.

Seeing that the low beam yellowish and weak lights appear identical side to side, along with constant blue dash light I'm thinking "sumptin' done blowed up" somewhere in the truck's electricals.

I had access to one, and its an easy switch, I changed the combination switch in the column. No change.
Maybe the dash light switch next? I'll check dim light voltage over the weekend. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Ron

 

The ones in my GMC would get too hot and melt the plastic at the base of the bulbs.

I wonder if yours did this and are crossing some connection and dulling out the lows but signalling the system that the hi's are always on.

 

Sixslug, thanks for the response. But, you probably figured I had enough of an attention span to walk in a parts store and walk out with the correct bulbs. I rechecked and I purchased 9007 bulbs. I don't know what they fit, but I wouldn't recommend them for a '96 Dodge.

 

9004 and the 9007 the low and high are reversed

 

unless you upgraded and swapped in the sport headlights then you would have 2 bulbs on each side. a 9007(low) 9004(high).

but if you have the oem housing your bulb is a 9004.

but your post is confusing due to the typing. Globes? I guess your meaning the housing. so not sure if you have new oem housing or you got the sport housing.

if you stuck with the oem housing and its a single bulb your system uses a 9004

so if you have stock oem and placed in 9007 you could have melted and did a short.

 

If you use a 9007 bulb in the place where a 9004 should be this is perfectly normal.

Low beam will then go through 2 filaments in series, therefore lighting bth high and low at the same time but with only 6-7V each- makes for brownish light.
It also gets a feedback through to the high beam indicator.
Usually this does not fry anything.
You can either install the correct bulb, or move the pins on the connector to match the bulb you use.

But since the position of the filaments is different between 9004 and 9007 it is preferrable to use the correct bulb for the reflector you have.

My suggestion to get much better lights on these trucks is as follows:

Get Relais- simply use the stock lighting harness to just control the relay to switch a fused feeddirectly from the battery.
Install sports headlights - if possible.

HTH

Markus

 

Man! lots of great information. Thanks gentlemen. I don't think it has any type of sport option. In fact, other than the Diesel, A/C and 4X4 its pretty bare bones. Manual windows, regular cab, mat instead of carpet, etc. Yea, I was referring to the housing when I said globes. They were hazed over pretty bad. The ones I took out and the aftermarket replacements were both single bulb types. The old ones were OE. The new ones OE copies sold by chain auto parts stores like Auto Zone.
AlpineRAM, I do plan on doing the relay modification as soon as possible. It, and my night vision can use the upgrade.But many thanks for a real education on these headlights.

 

Ron, if you by chance did already exchange the front fenders it is quite likely that you already have the option to install sports type headlights.
The difference between the packages was the hole for the headlight assembly in the front fender. The "sports hole" is approximately rectangular, the standard is round.




If you look at part number 2 the front fender you see the hole that you need to install sports headlights.

If not, firepunk has a nice set of pictures on how to mod your stock fenders:
step1

On my friend's truck I used the plug from a brite box to "grab" the stock headlight as a signal and then wired in relays for the sports headlights (aftermarket)
I used 3 relays per side:

1st relay: 9004 plug low beam to 85 ground to 86
2nd relay 9004 plug high beam to 85 ground to 86
3rd relay 9004 plug high beam to 85 ground to 86 via a switch in the cab

1st relay 30 to battery plus, 87 to low beam plus on 9007 socket in sports headlight
2nd relay 30 to battery plus, 87 to high beam plus on 9007 socket in sports headlight
3rd relay 30 to battery plus, 87 to high beam plus on 9004 socket in sports headlight

All bulb grounds directly to battery minus.
Naturally all battery plus are fused.

Like that you have power directly from battery and also good ground.
The outer lights behave like stock, and with the cab switch you can turn on the additional high beams. They will only come on when you select high beam.

By that only the power to drive the relays is going over the stock switch and wiring harness. If you have problems with the relays you unplug the "relay plug" and simply plug in the stock plug into the 9004 bulb of the sports headlights.
Cheers!

Markus

 

The Dodge wiring system to me seems a tad odd , but I may be wrong . Mine at the bulbs seems to have a power feed , in the middle of my socket , The other two , one is high and the other is low beam and there the ground part of the circuit that is sent to the switch which is caring current to ground the circuit . Many years some one on the forums posted how to turn one both high and low beam and I did the mod and it works but that was probably not a good idea to carry all of the current in the switch . I search the forums to see how I did this mod but nothing came up , I was thinking that I might use two relays and just power up or ground the high and low side of the bulb and then run a couple of jumpers to run to the other side of the truck to do the same thing . Leave the power alone on both sides . I do appreciate your help Sir . I was trying to decide on the best way to do this . I would buy a kit if it was plug and play . If I have to I guess I just have to cut and splice solder ect thanks Jim