Pop-Up Headlight Problem

[Thoughtful_One]

******FIXED******

It ended up being the light switch that was causing the problems. After I replaced it, both my headlights work perfectly.

To change the switch:

-take a Phillips screwdriver and undo the SIX bolts that hold the two black plastic covers together. Four and easily accesible. For the other two, you have to tilt the wheel all the way up .-once you do that, gently tug on the two halves and they should *snap* off. You don't need to completely remove them from where they are, just make sure you have enough room to access the two gold screws and plugs for the switch.-Disconnect the two plugs, pull out old switch and put new one back in, in reverse order

Before you spend money on the switch, check bulbs, connections to bulbs and fuses. If those things check out, try the switch. If the switch doesn't help, follow vancouver's great guide.

Thanks NICO!

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This just started a week ago. When I go to twist the button to turn on the head-lights, the first position lights up the amber lights correctly, but the second position which pops the headlights up lights the left light immediately, but the right one in ~5 seconds. The two lights don't come on simultaneously. The lids come up at the same time, just not the lights. The headlight pop up button works perfectly and has never been tampered with.

Any advice?

Modified by Thoughtful_One at 5:40 PM 5/3/2007
Modified by Thoughtful_One at 5:49 PM 5/3/2007

[vancouverbc]

might be the headlight timer

[kamakazee]

I have ran into this problem a few times on other cars....and most of the time it always ended up being switch itself. Im assuming that you already replaced the bulb and still does the same thing correct? The best thing for DIY is to track the problem down with a volt meter. Checking from switch power to ground and light connection to ground for any loss of power. Try it out and let me know what happends or what you find out...but im pretty sure its your switch. Good lUck!!

[vancouverbc]

Is it possible to put your lights in high beam mode and test this becausehigh beam uses different part of switch. I hope it is just the bulb becauselights are complex to fix.

[Thoughtful_One]

Is it possible to put your lights in high beam mode and test this becausehigh beam uses different part of switch. I hope it is just the bulb becauselights are complex to fix.

I haven't checked the bulb itself. Both lights work in high-beam mode. Although, my sister had a problem with her Corolla where her high-beams worked, but her DRL did not for one side.

[vancouverbc]

I would replace the bulb first before doing any diagnostics. If its not the bulb it is probably the switch or the wire that carries 12v+ to right head light low beam. There is not much difference between high and low beam on right side so you can rule out a lot of things.

[Thoughtful_One]

****UPDATE****

The high beams on the right ride stopped working after a while. At this point I thought that the bulb was the culprit.

I changed the bulbs in my car. Rather than bulbs, I needed to buy entire sealed units. The brand was Sylvania and they costed $10 each. I replaced both left and right, making sure to place dielectric bulb grease on the electrical contact points of the bulb. I also made sure that the connection was tight. I tried the lights and the low and high beams on the right hand-side still **DO NOT** work. How do I fix this? Are there fuses? How do I check them? I really don't want to get pulled over or pay a shop to fix it.

[Thoughtful_One]

Anyone? I can't drive at night. I'm not sure what switch you are talking about. If I go to a junkyard, how do I describe the part, or know what I'm looking for if that's the problem?

[Thoughtful_One]

I just changed the fuses for the headlights (15A) but still the right side does not work... How can I trouble-shoot? I am not too electronics-saavy...

[vancouverbc]

the switch is manual so it is right where you turn the lights on.

[vancouverbc]

zerothread?id=244906

[Thoughtful_One]

FIXED

[vancouverbc]

Good job:) And thanks for reporting back on the fix. It will help others. Seems like a bad switch is the most common cause of this type of problem.

[schumia]

Hello,

I thought I'd like to share my experience. I've run into somewhat similar problem as Thoughtful_One. I have a '92 Nissan 240 SX.

Everything's great until one day my right Low Beam started not functioning. My left side Low/High beam however were both working. My right side High Beam was working, just not the low beam.

So I went to an exhaustive list of testing:

1. Check the fuse2. Bought a new seal unit for the headlamp3. Put Left side headlamp (working one) to the right4. Check voltages on both left and right sides (I get 12 V out of low beam and high beam when I flip the switch from the driver seat, even the reading from my right side gave me 12V. This puzzeled me as there CLEARLY was voltage going to the right side, yet low beam didn't come on!! )

None of the above solved my problem. And performing step(4) above led me to believe maybe somehow my wiring wasn't supplying enough "current" to the right side for Low beam operation? I was confused, until I read vancouverbc's very useful and nice pictures of the relay and wiring diagrams at zerothread?id=244906

I took his advice to check the relay ( I didn't do before! ), swapping Retraction Relay 1 with Retraction Relay 2, since Retraction Relay 2 is connected to the right headlight. And guess what, it worked.

It wasn't that I had a melted relay, I think somehow Retraction Relay 2 connection with the relay box was loose, and as soon as I took it out and put it back, IT WORKED!!

I still don't understand why if the Relay wasn't properly connected, how I got 12V out of my measurement. However, the moral of the story is that often it's the little things that are causing the headache. If you have similar problem, make sure you CHECK FUSE AND RELAYS FIRST!!

Jeff

[pilot240]

Wow, I have the exact symptoms you mentioned. All the way down to reading 12V at the bulb for both hi & low beam. I swapped out the relays but still the light no worky.

How could it be a switch, relay or diode if I am reading 12V at the light???? Very confused HELP PLEASE!!!!