1966 Pontiac Strato Chief - My headlights are flickerint

[Hip1966]

Good day folks,

   I'm a new to the classic car world.  My entry level '66 Pontiac Strato Chief has flickering headlights?  I've checked the battery and replaced the alternator yesterday the voltage test seems to be ok as well.  Still my headlights are flickering?  I've attached a brief video showing the flickering while car/alternator are running.  Any suggestions... harnesses? bad ground? 

Much appreciated.

[Frosty]

Hi Hip1966 to FP and the madness.

Quick question - these are not stock replacement headlights are they? These are either Halogen or LED replacements aren't they? Are they LEDs? If so, I suspect one of two problems. First could be an intermittent ground. Second possible problem is that a lot of vintage cars expect a certain voltage load with the lights on. LEDs draw significant less voltage. So replacing both the turn signal flasher and emergency flasher with LED-load compatible ones might solve the problem.

Since this is with the headlights, a loose, broken, or corroded ground is my first suspect.

[Hip1966]

The lights are halogen.  Now that my alternator seems to be working OK, I will check the some ground wires.  

How difficult is to change the headlights to LED?  Can I use a pig tail to convert?

 

[Last Indian]

1 hour ago, Hip1966 said:

Good day folks,

   I'm a new to the classic car world.  My entry level '66 Pontiac Strato Chief has flickering headlights?  I've checked the battery and replaced the alternator yesterday the voltage test seems to be ok as well.  Still my headlights are flickering?  I've attached a brief video showing the flickering while car/alternator are running.  Any suggestions... harnesses? bad ground? 

Much appreciated.

Actually it appears, don’t know if someone might have rewired them, that they are wired to a flasher unit. They do not appear to be flickering, but flashing.

In my opinion I would not go with LEDs in the round headlights! LEDs have some definite advantages in some cases, but in a true parabolic light, which those are, the only upgrade better than halogens would be HIDs! HIDs truly burn at a Kelvin temperature & at a true lumen number not a comparison number. 

[Frosty]

3 hours ago, Hip1966 said:

The lights are halogen.  Now that my alternator seems to be working OK, I will check the some ground wires.  

How difficult is to change the headlights to LED?  Can I use a pig tail to convert?

 

It depends on the conversion kit. I have gone to 5 3/4 halogens (H4s) myself, from Octane Lighting, for my 72 Lemans. It was plug'n'play kit. I had no flashing / flickering issues at all. 

Miind you I also installed the LED-compatible flashers because I installed LED bulbs in the instrument cluster, interior, and rear taillights too.

Edited July 1, 2022 by Frosty