My Low Beam headlights are dead! Help.
03-05-02, 03:45 AM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
My Low Beam headlights are dead! Help.
I was on my way to dinner at about 4:45pm with the wife and kid when we stopped in a strip mall because I had to run in and get a few things. The wife and kid said they'd stay in the car.
I always drive with my headlights on, day or night and this was no exception. It was still light out. I left the car running, them in it and wen't into the store.
In the meantime they decided to go into the grocery store and my wife reached over and just turned off the ignition, pulled the keys out and got out of the car. She didn't turn the headlights off. She said she locked the car and noticed the headlights didn't go off, but assumed they were automatic and would turn off.
A few minutes later we all met back at the car. We basically met there at the same time and I didn't notice if the headlights were on at that time. I approaced from the rear of the car. I unlocked the car, we got in and took off, assuming the lights were still on. When we got to the resturant, we got out, locked the car and went in. The resturant, which was on the second floor of a building, had a walkway to the outside and I could see my car as we were walking to the door so I pulled my keys out and again pushed the remote lock button. I was probably 150 ft away and the car did it's normal lights flash and beep. I remember seeing lights flash, but I don't recall if it was the headlights and the side markers or just the side markers only.
When we came out, it was dark. We got in the car, started it and I had no headlights. No low beams. The high beams worked just fine.
I was thinking it might have something to do with my wife getting out of the car when it was parked and shutting off the ignition, etc. without opening the drivers door.
I have the switch in the on position, when I put it in auto and cover/uncover the sensor the dash changes intensity and the headlight indicator comes on.
I have pulled the Low Beam relay, opened it and checked and it's in good shape. No burned contacts, etc.
I have checked both low beam fuses. Pulled them looked at them and reseated them.
I have pulled both headlamps and looked at the filaments and they are good.
I have disconnected the battery hoping the computer had some brain damage because the drivers door wasn't open and it got lost, but that didn't help either.
This is like some psycho problem. :eek:
Plus it's like 35 degrees outside with the wind blowing and I'm out there checking all this stuff freezing my nuts off.
Anybody have a clue?
I always drive with my headlights on, day or night and this was no exception. It was still light out. I left the car running, them in it and wen't into the store.
In the meantime they decided to go into the grocery store and my wife reached over and just turned off the ignition, pulled the keys out and got out of the car. She didn't turn the headlights off. She said she locked the car and noticed the headlights didn't go off, but assumed they were automatic and would turn off.
A few minutes later we all met back at the car. We basically met there at the same time and I didn't notice if the headlights were on at that time. I approaced from the rear of the car. I unlocked the car, we got in and took off, assuming the lights were still on. When we got to the resturant, we got out, locked the car and went in. The resturant, which was on the second floor of a building, had a walkway to the outside and I could see my car as we were walking to the door so I pulled my keys out and again pushed the remote lock button. I was probably 150 ft away and the car did it's normal lights flash and beep. I remember seeing lights flash, but I don't recall if it was the headlights and the side markers or just the side markers only.
When we came out, it was dark. We got in the car, started it and I had no headlights. No low beams. The high beams worked just fine.
I was thinking it might have something to do with my wife getting out of the car when it was parked and shutting off the ignition, etc. without opening the drivers door.
I have the switch in the on position, when I put it in auto and cover/uncover the sensor the dash changes intensity and the headlight indicator comes on.
I have pulled the Low Beam relay, opened it and checked and it's in good shape. No burned contacts, etc.
I have checked both low beam fuses. Pulled them looked at them and reseated them.
I have pulled both headlamps and looked at the filaments and they are good.
I have disconnected the battery hoping the computer had some brain damage because the drivers door wasn't open and it got lost, but that didn't help either.
This is like some psycho problem. :eek:
Plus it's like 35 degrees outside with the wind blowing and I'm out there checking all this stuff freezing my nuts off.
Anybody have a clue?
Last edited by additude; 03-05-02 at 03:51 AM.
03-05-02, 09:02 AM
#3
It is difficult to tell whether or not the filament in halogen bulb is bad by looking at the filament as it is constructed differently than ordinary household bulbs. Get an Ohm/Volt meter and measure the resistant on the bulb filament. Also measure the voltage at the connector that connects to the bulbs. Make sure there is 12V+ when the headlight switch is on and 0V when off.
If in doubt buy your car some new headlamps.
If in doubt buy your car some new headlamps.
03-05-02, 09:55 AM
#4
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Well,
Guess what? I decided to just go ahead and put one of the spare bulbs in just to see if it was a bad bulb and the spare worked.
Can you believe that I blew two bulbs at exactly the same time? on the same day? What would you say the chances of that happening are?
One might think a power spike or surge..but from where? Why wouldn't any other bulbs be affected or anything else burned out? It didn't even blow a fuse.
Weird......I said I thought it was psychotic......the deamons are out to get me.
Guess what? I decided to just go ahead and put one of the spare bulbs in just to see if it was a bad bulb and the spare worked.
Can you believe that I blew two bulbs at exactly the same time? on the same day? What would you say the chances of that happening are?
One might think a power spike or surge..but from where? Why wouldn't any other bulbs be affected or anything else burned out? It didn't even blow a fuse.
Weird......I said I thought it was psychotic......the deamons are out to get me.
03-05-02, 04:08 PM
#6
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Originally posted by fusi0n 1er
my first instinct would be to see if the lightbulbs were burnt out.....how fast are you?
my first instinct would be to see if the lightbulbs were burnt out.....how fast are you?
If you read what I wrote, I said I pulled a lamp, checked it and it appeared fine. And even when I looked closely at it there was no obvious damage to the filament. Even the old used one I swapped in today appeared exactly the same as the one that did not work. Exactly.
If you had two headlamps burn out on you at exactly the same time, the same day, the exact minute and probably the exact second, I assure you the first thing you would not think of is the chance that both headlamps failed simultaniously.
Even the thought of a power surge is remote because no other electrical circuits or lamps in the vehicle were effected. Any electrical surge would also be felt by all components in the system.
If that would have been your first thought, two headlamps going bad at the exact same time, then you have no obvious skills as a technical troubleshooter.
The chances of that happening have to be at least 100 million to one. A failure common to both lamps would be more obvious as a first choice.
A relay, the on switch or even a fuse that provided both lamps current would be by far a much better first choice to investigate.
You may not know how fast I am, but I assure you that I do know how fast you are.
Last edited by additude; 03-05-02 at 04:13 PM.
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