BLKTOPTRVL

Headlight Short Circuit.

When I first purchased my ’94 (two years ago), it was fine for the first few weeks. Then I discovered that whenever the car was run in the rain or taken through a carwash, the right headlight would rise slowly, the right front and real turn signal light would be on (dimly), and the headlight would burn dimly too.

The next day it would return to normal.

After living with this for a few weeks, I disassembled the light and found that the wiring had been replaced (the car had been hit on the right side) and that the connections were weak. I repaired the bad connections and the lights functioned normally until last week when the problem started again.

After disassembling the headlight again, and putting a meter on it, I found that I was getting 10 volts on the low beam circuit and 0 on the high and on the common - on the good lamp, and 9 on the low beam and 1 volt on the common for the right (dim) side.


After spending around 5 hours chasing the wires looking for more damage or bad joints, I was about to give up and go see an electrician when I decided to cut the common with the one volt and to run the cut ground wire from the dim bulb directly to the chassis instead of using the common with the short.

The car seems to be OK now with all lights operating normally.

Does anyone here have enough electrical experience with this car to hazard a guess as to what could be shorted? Even thought the car seems OK, I am guessing that in a little while something may burn or fail in some other way.

Viper jr

looking at the schematic, and based on what you said about it getting wet, i question the headlight motor for that side. the motor, headlight, and headlight relay appear to share the same ground so possibly the motor is getting wet and shorting or there is a problem with one of the other components. a shorted motor doesn't necessarily mean a non-functioning motor so by removing the headlights ground from the motor's, you may be getting around the problem.

schematic is on my site under technical info/service manuals - page Z-56

BLKTOPTRVL

Thanks for the reply. I thought it might be the motor and it's relay.

I didn't mention in the last post however that while I was chasing the wires, I had also removed the motor to see if it was the problem. It made no difference.

For now, the car seems to be working fine. So, I'll just wait it out and see what developes.

Ninjak

You turn on your lights for the first time, and then driver comes up like normal but right side... takes it time. Than its all dimly lit, you swtich it off, and they both come down fine, try again turning it on, and you find that hte left side doesnt even come up but you can tell its lit while still down.... but the sides still dim.....doest this sound any familiar?

Im having the SAME Problem with the SAME SIDE.... I fiddled with it a little and found on the right side/pass. side, there was what seemed like a ground wire grounded to pretty much paint and not in conctact with the frame at all... It sat Underneath the headlight lenses in the well that the headlights create when it is up. I sanded down a part close to the headlight ont he body and metal screwed the ground into the body, it was fine for a while. But for some reason, My LEFT/Driver side is goofy, the smaller light (not the actual blinker) in the Front front of the car isnt lighting up. But everything else works fine. I honestly have NO idea, i havent gone as far as taking anything apart and seeing if there is any short circuting, im not well with electrinics so i dont know too much, so if you figure anyhting out, help me too please. TIA
Huy

evot23

iTrader: (17)

Easiest way to fix all that is a headlight conversion

Sorry, I read all the posts and researched my manual but I don't know what the hell is going on.

Best I can do is bump the thread to the top and ask members on my Yahoo site. I'll post if I get answers for you!

Good luck!

Ninjak

oh, forgot to ask, does your blinking rate on the bad turn signal seem twice as fast as the normal setting? cuase mines blinking like crazy when i turn on the signal but when the other side is swtiched on its the normal pattern.......
Huy

Ninjak

Check all your grounds, there was one gound that i though i had figured out, but when the light went dim again i was pissed, so i fiddled with the car for a while. I found the ground wire was connectted to one of those rings that then touchs the body to ground the wire, it wasnt fully in contact with the wire, so when it moved a little not enough power was being put through the metal to get to the bulb. So check all your grounds, i fixed this and i havent had a problem so far, im gonna try to link some picutres of what im talking about, im using yahoo cause my photopoint is "expired" so i guess if it doesnt work by clikcing try to copy and paste. The groudn wire to the bulb is te one on the far right if your looking at the harness ot the blub straight on. I sanded down a spot and grounded the wire as you can see if the pic ( IF you can see it). Hope this helps some!
Huy

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/ninjak_00...c=ph%26.view=t

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/ninjak_00...iew=t&.hires=t

BLKTOPTRVL

Thanks to all, sorry I did not get back to this thread earlier. (I travel a lot).

Turned out to be a short Circuit. I measured the voltage and found that the "bad light" was getting additional voltage from somewhere in the harness (on the ground side). I traced it as far as I could to no avail - I could not find the source.

Finally I decided to cut the ground side wire and re-route it to the frame. This has solved the problem. I have not had light trouble since.

Thanks for all the replys, and again, sorry not to get back to you sooner.

akira_onboost

yeah guys im having this similar problem as well
ive got a 99+ jap spec front bar and 1 park light is really brighter than the other
ive been through about 4 different sets of bulbs i thought maybe the bulbs were faulty in some way.
At the moment i got the LEDs in there.
Would it be this ground wiring problem as well??

my head lights and blinkers are perfect though