dim headlights
12-23-02, 01:49 PM
#1
dim headlights
ok, here it goes. the passenger side headlight has been dim since i bought the car a few months back. just this weekend the driver's side has dimmed to the point it looks like a bad flashlight. the thing couldn't outshine a small candle. when i hit the brights, however, everything turns out fine. someone already mentioned in a previous thread about a grounding issue, which i figured. question is, where are the points along the system to check. it is only affecting my lights and i believe just the low beams.
12-23-02, 02:05 PM
#2
HAILERS
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Both lights share the same ground. I'd take the connector off the back of the light and repossition it back on. Clean it etc, and see what happens. Might swap lights if that does not work. Might check the other connectors in the diagram if that does not work. Might try........
JPG:
JPG:
12-23-02, 02:08 PM
#3
HAILERS
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Might also ringout the ground wire from the suspect light connector to the ground. Ground is near the MAIN RELAY. See the attached JPG.
It's not too clear in the first jpg that the ground for the lights has a black five written in the symbol. On the second jpg you'll find a symbol with the five in it near the MAIN RELAY.
Its also obvious that the high and low beam share the same ground.........so its probably not the ground wire. Oh well. So much for trouble shooting one oh one. Anyway, the 87 schematic is there in the jpg's. Get a bulb or swap bulbs.
It's not too clear in the first jpg that the ground for the lights has a black five written in the symbol. On the second jpg you'll find a symbol with the five in it near the MAIN RELAY.
Its also obvious that the high and low beam share the same ground.........so its probably not the ground wire. Oh well. So much for trouble shooting one oh one. Anyway, the 87 schematic is there in the jpg's. Get a bulb or swap bulbs.
Last edited by HAILERS; 12-23-02 at 02:16 PM.
12-23-02, 03:10 PM
#4
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HAILERS, have more confidence in yourself! 
Actually ground wire being shared could still be the problem. Typically, bad grounds can cause the absolute strangest problems you could ever imagine -- and quite a few that you couldn't. Simply put, don't rule out the ground because it's shared. A bad ground may have enough of a ground to make some things work, just not as you'd expect.
If worse comes to worse, make yourself an extra ground wire and try that as a temporary fix -- i.e. attach it to the chassis or block or somewhere else unpainted and then back to the ground on the headlights. If that seems to correct the problem, then it's likely the ground -- in which case you can leave your temporary test in place or clean/rebuild the ground structure. (clean terminals, tighten connections, resolder, etc. whatever it takes)
Actually ground wire being shared could still be the problem. Typically, bad grounds can cause the absolute strangest problems you could ever imagine -- and quite a few that you couldn't. Simply put, don't rule out the ground because it's shared. A bad ground may have enough of a ground to make some things work, just not as you'd expect.
If worse comes to worse, make yourself an extra ground wire and try that as a temporary fix -- i.e. attach it to the chassis or block or somewhere else unpainted and then back to the ground on the headlights. If that seems to correct the problem, then it's likely the ground -- in which case you can leave your temporary test in place or clean/rebuild the ground structure. (clean terminals, tighten connections, resolder, etc. whatever it takes)
12-23-02, 04:08 PM
#5
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Well, you could go to the plug on the light. See the plug at the bottom of the jpg??? EA-04? See the socket with the B? Put your meter on that and see if the ohms are under an ohm. If it does, I'd swap light bulbs. Or since your there already, do as described in the above post and put a known good ground to that B wire while its attached to the bulb.
I don't know. It seems to be a bad buld in my gut.
I don't know. It seems to be a bad buld in my gut.
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