Archived help no headlights

[jessekai]

ok so here is the deal i have a 97 good quality aftermarket headlights with the conversation for the diff bulbs that have been in my truck six months the other day i turned the truck on and no headlights and high beam indicator on all other lights working after a bit of time they came back on but right side was dim and high beam indicator was glowing dimm in low beam position then i heard a click and it was all good. then a few days latter i had the same dim right side again and glow from my high beam indicator and again it went away after about 15 min but now i have no headlights at all and the high beam indicator is on all the time. i have replaced the headlight switch and multifunction switch with no change. and of course its new years and i have a 1200km drive back to work on the 2nd and help would be amazing

thanks jesse

 

[Missouri Mule]

Check ground for head ligjts. High beam indicator on means something but do not recall. But it mite mean that the lows are out or no ground.

 

[Sticks]

Grounds for the bulbs, and check the relays. That click you heard the first time might have been a relay closing.

 

[jessekai]

on the second gens they don't have a relays for the headlights. does any one know where the grounds would be for the headlights?? i have power on both the hi and low beam sides of the light plug and the ground functions with the test light between it and both the high and low beam wires. it shows to me like i am back feeding power from somewhere but have no idea where it could be. if anyone has any ideas i would love to hear them

 

[B.G. Smith]

If you have voltageon both sides of the bulb, ground is lost to bulbs/bulb sockets. I would think the head light cans would ground to the core support somewhere, core support should be grounded back to engine somewhere. bg

 

[Missouri Mule]

OK from 96 service manual. Right side light looks like it grounds over left headlight on the frame above it. Two wires go to it. I would check both sides. Left side headlamp grounds on left fender shield near PDC but towards fire wall. It has another ground with it so there will be two wires a third ground wire is next to it.

 

[jessekai]

thanks MM i will check those but i just plugged a stock 9004 bulb into my stock socket and it works fine so it looks like its the ether the 9004 to 9007 convertions or else its the 9007 bulbs them self. as for grounding through headlight bucked B.G. these trucks have all plastic headlight assembles

i am headed in to the shop to rewire the stock plugs to 9007 and install new bulbs and hope to hell that fixes it

 

[Missouri Mule]

Do you have daytime running lamps feature? Not that it matters because your have juice going to the headlamps.

 

[Missouri Mule]

if they are halogens like the stock ones and you touched them with you fingers/thumb/hand they will burn out quick.

 

[Missouri Mule]

I think what BG was getting at is if you had a bad ground the low beam would ground off the high beam circuit. I have utility trailer sit for 4 months the it would rust the metal part of light bulb and socket that it fit into. The brake/turn signal light circuit (of the trailer) would ground off the parking light circuit of the bulb and the parking light circuit would ground of the brake light circuit. My turn signal indicators would act weird. I would have to change the bulb out and wire brush the socket of the trailer light (right side, water always got into it).

 

[jessekai]

Turned out to be the cheep 9004 to 9007 bulb wiring converter that came with my sport aftermarket lights. I guess good quality lights need closer inspection of the wiring provided it had melted at both bulbs. So a new set of bright white bulbs and a few min with a pick to switch the pins around in the plug and I am back in biz. Thanks for all the input guys.