FC Headlights won't turn on (low/highbeam)
03-15-11, 01:32 PM
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FC Headlights won't turn on (low/highbeam)
I've searched so many threads, but haven't been able to find anything similar so here goes.
I have an '89 FC (JDM, if that matters). The headlights were working fine until Friday night. I turned them on, the lights flipped up, but there's no light from either of them. No highbeam, no lowbeam. All other lights in the car work, and the lights flip up no problem.
The only other strange thing is that the blue high beam dash light is on (when the headlights are "on"). If I pull the lever for high beams, nothing happens. Dash light stays on, headlights stay off.
Replaced the fuse under the hood just in case, but nothing changed.
This is obviously causing massive problems for driving at night, so any help would be appreciated.
I have an '89 FC (JDM, if that matters). The headlights were working fine until Friday night. I turned them on, the lights flipped up, but there's no light from either of them. No highbeam, no lowbeam. All other lights in the car work, and the lights flip up no problem.
The only other strange thing is that the blue high beam dash light is on (when the headlights are "on"). If I pull the lever for high beams, nothing happens. Dash light stays on, headlights stay off.
Replaced the fuse under the hood just in case, but nothing changed.
This is obviously causing massive problems for driving at night, so any help would be appreciated.
03-16-11, 03:11 PM
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At the front of the car lies a series of relays situated in front of the radiator. The second from the left should be the Headlight Relay. This relay has 4 wires. Two are Red, one is Red/Green and the 4th wire is White/Blue. Both Red wires in this relay should have constant voltage no key necessary (relay receives voltage from the 30 amp Head fuse in engine fuse box). If the Red wires have constant voltage then jumper a wire from the White/Blue wire in the relay plug to a ground and the lights should come on while the jumper is held to a ground.
The Dimmer Relay is located to the left of the Headlight Relay. This relay has 5 wires. Two are Red/Green and both of these wires only have voltage when the lights are in the on position. The other three wires in this relay are Red/White which have voltage when the brights are to be on, the Red/Black wire has voltage when the low beams are supposed to be on and the last wire is White which has a ground signal when the brights are on.
Check these wires and see what you get.
The Dimmer Relay is located to the left of the Headlight Relay. This relay has 5 wires. Two are Red/Green and both of these wires only have voltage when the lights are in the on position. The other three wires in this relay are Red/White which have voltage when the brights are to be on, the Red/Black wire has voltage when the low beams are supposed to be on and the last wire is White which has a ground signal when the brights are on.
Check these wires and see what you get.
03-16-11, 10:36 PM
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At the front of the car lies a series of relays situated in front of the radiator. The second from the left should be the Headlight Relay. This relay has 4 wires. Two are Red, one is Red/Green and the 4th wire is White/Blue. Both Red wires in this relay should have constant voltage no key necessary (relay receives voltage from the 30 amp Head fuse in engine fuse box). If the Red wires have constant voltage then jumper a wire from the White/Blue wire in the relay plug to a ground and the lights should come on while the jumper is held to a ground.
The Dimmer Relay is located to the left of the Headlight Relay. This relay has 5 wires. Two are Red/Green and both of these wires only have voltage when the lights are in the on position. The other three wires in this relay are Red/White which have voltage when the brights are to be on, the Red/Black wire has voltage when the low beams are supposed to be on and the last wire is White which has a ground signal when the brights are on.
Check these wires and see what you get.
The Dimmer Relay is located to the left of the Headlight Relay. This relay has 5 wires. Two are Red/Green and both of these wires only have voltage when the lights are in the on position. The other three wires in this relay are Red/White which have voltage when the brights are to be on, the Red/Black wire has voltage when the low beams are supposed to be on and the last wire is White which has a ground signal when the brights are on.
Check these wires and see what you get.
To be honest, I have no idea how to check for voltage, but I assume I'll need to go buy some sort of meter. Haha, I have no idea what I'm doing. But this gives me somewhere to start, and a few things to check. If the wires all have the correct voltage, I'll know it's something else.
I'll give this a try tomorrow and hopefully will have lights soon.
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03-17-11, 03:29 PM
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Yeah, I think this is beyond my skill level. I had a look at the relays under the hood and it looks messed up. I don't really know where to take the car to get it fixed. Most shops will charge a ton of money for electronic diagnostics, and I'm out of cash right now.
But driving at night with no headlights isn't exactly bright either.
But driving at night with no headlights isn't exactly bright either.
03-17-11, 04:14 PM
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Have you tried replacing the light bulbs? I'm new to Rx series so I'm not sure that I'm gonna be helpful but I had that same problem on my accent and it was just broken bulbs. If that's not the problem then maybe ask someone in your family or friends who knows a bit about electricity or cars to help you. I know you posted this almost a year ago and the chances are you already fixed it but if not...good luck ^^
03-17-11, 09:38 PM
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Have you tried replacing the light bulbs? I'm new to Rx series so I'm not sure that I'm gonna be helpful but I had that same problem on my accent and it was just broken bulbs. If that's not the problem then maybe ask someone in your family or friends who knows a bit about electricity or cars to help you. I know you posted this almost a year ago and the chances are you already fixed it but if not...good luck ^^
Anyway, update!
Just took the car to Streetpower (in Mississauga) tonight, and it's all fixed! The sockets were just old and melted. They were replaced and the headlights are working perfectly now.
Problem solved.
04-19-16, 01:26 AM
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At the front of the car lies a series of relays situated in front of the radiator. The second from the left should be the Headlight Relay. This relay has 4 wires. Two are Red, one is Red/Green and the 4th wire is White/Blue. Both Red wires in this relay should have constant voltage no key necessary (relay receives voltage from the 30 amp Head fuse in engine fuse box). If the Red wires have constant voltage then jumper a wire from the White/Blue wire in the relay plug to a ground and the lights should come on while the jumper is held to a ground.
The Dimmer Relay is located to the left of the Headlight Relay. This relay has 5 wires. Two are Red/Green and both of these wires only have voltage when the lights are in the on position. The other three wires in this relay are Red/White which have voltage when the brights are to be on, the Red/Black wire has voltage when the low beams are supposed to be on and the last wire is White which has a ground signal when the brights are on.
Check these wires and see what you get.
The Dimmer Relay is located to the left of the Headlight Relay. This relay has 5 wires. Two are Red/Green and both of these wires only have voltage when the lights are in the on position. The other three wires in this relay are Red/White which have voltage when the brights are to be on, the Red/Black wire has voltage when the low beams are supposed to be on and the last wire is White which has a ground signal when the brights are on.
Check these wires and see what you get.
04-19-16, 11:06 AM
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Yes I tried jumping a wire from w/b to ground and nothing came on, but when I jumped 12 volts to the r/g wire my lights came on
04-19-16, 11:14 AM
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There are two Red wires at this relay. If both have voltage on them and jumpering the W/L wire to ground does not cause the headlights to turn on then either the ground you used is not good (battery ground is best for this) or the relay itself is bad.
Last edited by satch; 04-19-16 at 11:29 AM.
04-19-16, 02:40 PM
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I did use the ground on the battery so by process of elimination my relay is shot! Thank you
03-11-18, 10:04 PM
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Sorry to bump an older thread. So I have no power at the 12v red wires on relay but i have power at the fuse for head in engine bay and a good fuse. If I jump a 12v wire to the red wires on the relay my headlights work fine.
So am I right in thinking I just need to rewire from the fuse box to the 2 red wires at the relay and my headlights will be sweet again. Is this a single wire that goes to both points or does it have 2 different 12v sources?
also I tested buzz tested both red wires to the head fuse wire from fuse box and neither of it caused it to buzz on my multimeter so its clearly not connected unless its broken somewhere along the wire.
Car is a rx7 fc3 s4
Thanks
So am I right in thinking I just need to rewire from the fuse box to the 2 red wires at the relay and my headlights will be sweet again. Is this a single wire that goes to both points or does it have 2 different 12v sources?
also I tested buzz tested both red wires to the head fuse wire from fuse box and neither of it caused it to buzz on my multimeter so its clearly not connected unless its broken somewhere along the wire.
Car is a rx7 fc3 s4
Thanks
06-30-19, 03:24 AM
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Sorry to bump an older thread. So I have no power at the 12v red wires on relay but i have power at the fuse for head in engine bay and a good fuse. If I jump a 12v wire to the red wires on the relay my headlights work fine.
So am I right in thinking I just need to rewire from the fuse box to the 2 red wires at the relay and my headlights will be sweet again. Is this a single wire that goes to both points or does it have 2 different 12v sources?
also I tested buzz tested both red wires to the head fuse wire from fuse box and neither of it caused it to buzz on my multimeter so its clearly not connected unless its broken somewhere along the wire.
Car is a rx7 fc3 s4
Thanks
So am I right in thinking I just need to rewire from the fuse box to the 2 red wires at the relay and my headlights will be sweet again. Is this a single wire that goes to both points or does it have 2 different 12v sources?
also I tested buzz tested both red wires to the head fuse wire from fuse box and neither of it caused it to buzz on my multimeter so its clearly not connected unless its broken somewhere along the wire.
Car is a rx7 fc3 s4
Thanks
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