1991 240sx - No High Beams

[Soy]

Hey guys and gals - got an interesting problem...My brights don't work on my s13. I've replaced the bulbs, and no dice.

When i click over to brights, the light in the dash comes on, but the headlights just die out completely. If I try to flash my brights, again, the light comes on, but the headlights don't flip up, nor do the bulbs activate.

I've checked the switch on the tree - it seems fine, though I don't have anything to replace it with to be completely thorough. However, from everything I've read, it seems as though it would be the relay under the hood? All the fuses (both in car, and under hood for headlights) are good, so I can only assume it's a relay problem.

I don't hear any relay fire when i try the brights... shoud I?

Also, which relay would it be that needs replacing, and how would I go about checking to see if it actually works, outside of hearing it click over?

...on a similar note, my cruise control isn't working either. The switch on the bezel turns on and off, and when I use the steering wheel controls the light in the dash turns on and off, but the cruise itself never engages.Are these two related? Do they run off the same relay?

(As you can tell, I'm not exactly an electrical guru... I'm more of a motor guy)

Thanks for your help in advance.

James

[navysnail]

I will check that when I go to find the other guy's specs about the IACV. check back in about 30min

[Soy]

Any word?

[navysnail]

allright, I checked in the FSM. The first thing I would check is the switch. You do not have to pull the steering wheel off, just remove the column cover and unscrew the headlight switch part. test it to see if it has continuity when the high beams would be on.

[fatboy]

look at the positive battery terminal. the lights get their power directly from the battery. wiggle the terminal

[Soy]

Tested both, no luck.

I noticed that the headlights in this car are ghetto wired though - the stock wiring is going to the driver's side headlight, and then there are 3 wires spliced into them that lead over to the passenger side light. I found the stock wiring - I will check that for activation and see if it works.

Are the brights somehow regulated by the passenger side headlight? (i.e., will they only operate after the passenger side light fires?)

[Soy]

Well, I determined the cruise is unrelated - it was a screwed up vacuum line that caused that to stop working.

As for the brights, can anyone confirm that the passeger side bright has to fire in order to get the driver's side to as well? Or am I barking up the wrong tree trying to diagnose this?

[180fan]

The passenger side lighting up first sounds plausible to me.