High / Low Beam issue - How to troubleshoot ?

[prginocx]

'95 Pathy V6, 5spd stick, 4X4, 98k miles.

 

 

Low beam works both L and R side. L side High Beam doesn't work. Both bulbs have been replaced with known good h9004 type replacement bulbs. These bulbs have two filaments each. the socket they plug into has 3 wires going to it...

 

What I can't understand is this:

When I put my meter on the wires, with the bulbs plugged in, both sides act the same. The wire on the Right is black, the other two are red and red/something stripe. On low setting, I have 12 volts tween the farther wires. On the high setting I have 12v on both wires. Both sides the same.

 

But only one high beam lights ? WTF ? Do I have the wrong bulbs installed ? I did notice the sockets they go into aren't exactly the same, previous owner had replaced the R side ( Working side ?). When I say socket here I mean the glass enclosure for the bulb. Both fuses of course are good. I actually have 3 known good bulbs now.

 

How can I troubleshoot this problem ? It looks like I have the wrong bulbs installed and the circuit is unbalanced somehow...

[88pathoffroad]

Wiggle the wiring plug a little and see if it comes on. Could be a burnt socket with a poor connection.

[GlucoseGrin]

'95 Pathy V6, 5spd stick, 4X4, 98k miles.

Low beam works both L and R side. L side High Beam doesn't work. Both bulbs have been replaced with known good h9004 type replacement bulbs. These bulbs have two filaments each. the socket they plug into has 3 wires going to it...

 

What I can't understand is this:

When I put my meter on the wires, with the bulbs plugged in, both sides act the same. The wire on the Right is black, the other two are red and red/something stripe. On low setting, I have 12 volts tween the farther wires. On the high setting I have 12v on both wires. Both sides the same.

 

But only one high beam lights ? WTF ? Do I have the wrong bulbs installed ? I did notice the sockets they go into aren't exactly the same, previous owner had replaced the R side ( Working side ?). When I say socket here I mean the glass enclosure for the bulb. Both fuses of course are good. I actually have 3 known good bulbs now.

 

How can I troubleshoot this problem ? It looks like I have the wrong bulbs installed and the circuit is unbalanced somehow...

 

If all the bulbs will light high beam on the right, and none will light high beam on the left, then it's not the bulbs. If you're worried about "balance" when testing them, unplug the RH bulb and leave it empty, only hook up the LH bulb. Shouldn't make a difference, but should clear up any doubts about bulbs. Or just buy yourself 2 new matching 9004's.

 

http://npora.ipbhost.com//index.php?s=&amp...ndpost&p=99 has the headlight switch/stalk as a common problem.

 

 

http://npora.ipbhost.com//index.php?s=&amp...st&p=272718

DRL module will sometimes cause the headlight on one side to stop working. It hangs just inside the right fender under the hood, a bit in front of the battery. If you turn your lights on, and give this little box a bit of a smack with a screwdriver, the lights may work temporarily. Could be the problem. Reheating all the solder joints to the connectors and relays usually fixes the module for another 5-10 years

 

Not much else I can tell ya.

[MY1PATH]

I think the socket may be bad, solder in a new pair of 9004 sockets and see what happens.

[Mookie]

I'd check the headlight switch if you've ruled out the bulbs.

 

Common problem with the tabs needing realigning.

[prginocx]

Well, you guys were right , it was the on/off multifunction stick switch on the column. I mashed it back/forth a bunch of times, and now my HB and LB on both sides work fine !

 

What is the ultimate solution ? Replace the turn signal headlight switch lever assy ?

[Mookie]

Well, you guys were right , it was the on/off multifunction stick switch on the column. I mashed it back/forth a bunch of times, and now my HB and LB on both sides work fine !

 

What is the ultimate solution ? Replace the turn signal headlight switch lever assy ?

 

 

Good to hear!

 

Some people have luck by gently pushing the tabs down. Some don't. Depends on how bad it is. I just grab a few from the junkers if I see them.

 

Ultimate would be to replace with new I s'pose.

 

[GrimGreg]

I opened mine up and cleaned the contacts with sandpaper.

[GhostPath]

FYI, a new one *from the dealer* is only around $60 or less.

[GrimGreg]

FYI, a new one *from the dealer* is only around $60 or less.

 

Sandpaper $.05 < New $60.00

 

[kiwipete]

Or for a more permanent solution.

Tie both pairs of Low beam wires and both pairs of High beam wires together, giving you two pairs of two wires.

I say to tie both so as to relieve the switch as it has two sets of contacts, one for each lamp. The problem is generally the lack of a relay as this switch is switching full current. It doesn't go through a relay.

Take these two wires and run them through a relay so they energise the relay. Each relay then powers the headlights, giving a better light output too. Why, because the headlights are now running off heavier gauge wire directly from the battery and not through the crappy Nissan small gauge wiring loom.

Your switch and headlights will love you for it.

[Kittamaru]

kiwipete, do you have a decent guide on how to do that? I read the one on the site and, to be honest, I'm iffy about doing it... I'm not electrically inept just... I don't want to fskc up my truck XD

[GrimGreg]

Or for a more permanent solution.

Tie both pairs of Low beam wires and both pairs of High beam wires together, giving you two pairs of two wires.

I say to tie both so as to relieve the switch as it has two sets of contacts, one for each lamp. The problem is generally the lack of a relay as this switch is switching full current. It doesn't go through a relay.

Take these two wires and run them through a relay so they energise the relay. Each relay then powers the headlights, giving a better light output too. Why, because the headlights are now running off heavier gauge wire directly from the battery and not through the crappy Nissan small gauge wiring loom.

Your switch and headlights will love you for it.

 

I know of a few who have done that,but mostly just to run HID headlamps and such. Not a bad idea, but more work than I want to get into.

[kiwipete]

kiwipete, do you have a decent guide on how to do that? I read the one on the site and, to be honest, I'm iffy about doing it... I'm not electrically inept just... I don't want to fskc up my truck XD

No sorry, it was all off the top of my head.

I am going to do this to mine ASAP and will be using some 4 core rubber flex (240V rated as we have this at work) similar to trailer wiring. I will cut and splice into the wiring loom where it plugs into the back of the headlights and run this new wire to and from the new relays.

[Kittamaru]

Any chance you'd be willing to do a quick write up for those of us wanting, but scared, to do this as well?

[kiwipete]

Any chance you'd be willing to do a quick write up for those of us wanting, but scared, to do this as well?

 

Well, um, er, ...ok.

 

But it will be a couple of weeks away as I'm flat out with work, and here in NZ its dark when I go to work and dark when I come home, so weekends are all I have to do any mods.

Gasps for a breath, and of those weekends, I only get a limited time to myself................. (insert sympathy vote here, lol)

 

But I will do something, with pictures too, because; :worthless:

[kiwipete]

Ok, chaps, here we go.

This is just a quick write-up as I found a spare 6 hrs today to do some re-wiring on the truck.

 

Installing relays to switch HIGH and LOW beams.

 

I used two relays for my installation, one for the Low beam and one for the High beam lights.

 

First I tested the wiring harness going to the headlamps at the lamp sockets for their correct polarity. There are three wires to each socket being, High Beam, Low Beam and Ground.

I labelled the position of both the High and Low Beam wires on the socket and harness.

Next I cut these wires about 12mm out from the plug.

To the ends of the left harness wiring, I soldered on some new wires to reach the right harness, thus tying both harnesses together.

Care has to be used here to ensure the correct pairs of wires are tied together. My reasoning for this was to alleviate any issues that may come about by the stalk switch becoming faulty in the future as I suspect it has contacts for both the right and left lights.

 

Each pair of wires then had an extra wire soldered to them and these were crimped to the relay. The Low and High Beam wires goe to Pin 86 on each of the relays.

 

To the plugs I soldered new wires to the lugs and ran these to the relays in this order.

The High and Low Beam wires go to Pin 87 respectively.

The Ground wire goes to Pin 85 and then to chassis Ground.

To Pin 30, I used a waterproof Blade fuse, that connects to the battery positive terminal. I used 20A fuses in these as its what I had on hand.

 

All soldered joins were covered in heat shrink.

The wiring I used in the end was some multi strand 2.5mm rubber coated flex. All pairs of wires were taped together with good quality 3M 33 insulation tape for added protection.

 

The relays were mounted to some sheet tin and this was in turn bolted under the lip of the guard. You can choose where you wish to mount yours.I chose this area as I intend to install a 2nd battery here and it will power these relays and other accessories.

 

Right side plug

 

Left side plug

 

Re-Wired Plug

 

All done

 

Wiring diagram

 

Relay Pins

 

Fuse

 

Relay

 

I hope this helps some of you.

[Kittamaru]

Nice write up Kwiki... but it left me more confused than anything XD

 

I'll have to open up my truck and take a look - my big issue is I know nothing about my wiring harness... not even where these wires originate XD

[kiwipete]

Nice write up Kwiki... but it left me more confused than anything XD

 

I'll have to open up my truck and take a look - my big issue is I know nothing about my wiring harness... not even where these wires originate XD

Surely if you follow those pics and write up, you should be able to make sence of it.

I have another "basic" wiring diag of doing the relays, but this might confuse you further...............

[kiwipete]

Here is a "line" diagram of wiring headlight relays.

 

 

This shows the two wiring looms tied together and feeding separate relays for both the high and low beams.

The relays then feed the high and low beam wiring on the headlights respectively.

[Kittamaru]

My problem is, I don't see where/how the switch in the dash ties in. I'm decent with electronics, but only the more basic stuff. *shrugs*

[87pathy]

Well, you guys were right , it was the on/off multifunction stick switch on the column. I mashed it back/forth a bunch of times, and now my HB and LB on both sides work fine !

 

What is the ultimate solution ? Replace the turn signal headlight switch lever assy ?

 

 

ya, thats normal. a new switch is about 75 bucks.

I've changed mine.

 

 

How many people have had to change it?

[OffroadFreak]

I was having the same problem, passenger side head light not coming on and brights not working at all. I just got a new switch at the dealership ($77+tax) and it fixed it! I know I could have just cleaned the connectors but now I don't have to worry about it again.