Drvs side low-beam is out

[ThunderRoad]

I have replaced the bulb. It's still out. All other headlights work fine, just the drivers side low beam doesn't.Talk in another thread is that there is a seperate relay for low-beams; that work each side individually...anyone sure about that?and where it is?

[northvibe]

did you use aftermarket bulbs?check the fuses?check the harness if it burned out?is your car still under warranty?

[ThunderRoad]

"did you use aftermarket bulbs?"Yes, I got the 8-9$ ones at Walmart...but I cannot find a burned filament in the one I took out."check the fuses?"No. Does it have a seperate fuse for the left front low-beam?(that's kinda what my original post was asking...)"check the harness if it burned out?"Yes. Nothing wrong, that is visible in the engine compartment.."is your car still under warranty?"I doubt it, it's a 2004 with 90-something thousand miles on it...and we aren't the original owners.

[Digger]

They have a left and right side fuse.

[djkeev]

Hi,Unplug your bulb, turn on your headlights to the proper setting. Take a test light (3 - 4 bucks for a cheap one) hook the alligator clip to ground and touch the wire terminals in the plug. Does the test ight light up?If yes, bad bulb, bad connection at the bulb, improperly connected onto the bulb.if no, bad fuse, bad relay, bad wiregood luckDave

[joatmon]

Since you replaced the bulb and the light is still out, the fuse would be the next thing to check.There are four headlight fuses in the underhood fuse block, one each for left low beam, right low beam, left high beam, and right high beam. All four are 10 Amp fuses. In the attached pic I drew a red box around the location of the low beam fuses.

Attached files

[vibolista]

If you don't have a test light, take the 'good' bulb out of the passenger side assembly, and connect it to the drivers side. Switch it on and see if the same thing happens. If it does, you probably have a fuse problem, connector corrosion, or bad wire. Hope it's just the fuse Thunder. Connectors can be cleaned off. Bad wires have to be traced down.

[ThunderRoad]

HOT DOG- I hadn't checked the replies in a few...but this is exactly what I was hoping for joatmon- THANK YOU!Now to check the fuse itself...

[ThunderRoad]

JOATMAN... thanks for the schematic...I finally got to check it and..in the area inside the red square?...there are NO fuses on our fuse block. Can they be located somewhere else?

[joatmon]

well that's an odd thing.I bought the expensive massivefactory service manual set, two large volumes. VOlume one pretty much covers the engine, VOlume two covers all the wiring stuff. Somehow I stupidly lost Volume 2 and I was using the downloadable Matrix service manual. I fully expected the headlight circuit to the the saem, but apparently it isn't, because I just went out and looked in my car, and you're right, there are no fuses there.There are two 15 Amp fuses marked left and right headlamp, so maybe it's one of those. However, without the real Vibe wiring diagram for the headlamps, I can't tell if those are for low beams, high beams, or both. Also, I can't look up to see what else might cause the problem if the fuses are good. Anyway, the fuse locations (Page 5-100 in the 2004 Vibe owners manual, available at http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1010 ) areif those are both good, then we'll need someone who hasn't stupidly lost Volume 2 of the service manual to look up and post the headlamp wiring diagramsorry about posting bad info before

Attached files

[joatmon]

Nevermind, I just checked it out on mine, waiting for oil to drain.Each of those fuses control both hi beam and low beam, but since you have high beam on the problem side, then the fuse must be good.

[bull77]

b u m pI'm having the same issue. my driver side will only come on High with no Low beam. I'm replacing a projector kit for the driver side and have tested with a 9003 (x2). Driver side headlight and connections work on passenger side. Also fogs and turn signals work on both sides. other light mods include cutting pin12 and rewiring fogs to work with on high. if my High works than based the last reply -- the fuse should be good. what's my next thing to test?

[ThunderRoad]

bull... I finally fixed mine, but the "fix" is gonna sound odd. I took the drvs side bulb out then inserted some spade terminals to make it easier to hook a meter to...used the upper slot (which I think is the ground slot) as a reference and check the voltages with the headlights on.I then went to the passenger side to do the same voltage check for comparison...got my numbers, whcih WERE different, and then went back to the drvs side to recheck...and found them to be the same as the passenger side...put the bulbs in and BOTH low beams were operational.What did I actually fix?What was really wrong?I don't know, on both counts...but I thank God for His assistance... :-)Hope this helps you.

[bull77]

Quote, originally posted by ThunderRoad »Hope this helps you.strange -- hopefully its that easy. I'll give it a shot tonight --- what should the meter be reading and do you remember what yours read?

[Sublimewind]

I would bet that the terminals where corroded to the point of not making contact.. by inserting the spades, you knocked/scrapped the corrosion off enough to make contact.. At least it's one theory.. wouldn't be the first time..

[bull77]

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »I would bet that the terminals where corroded to the point of not making contact.. by inserting the spades, you knocked/scrapped the corrosion off enough to make contact.. At least it's one theory.. wouldn't be the first time.. well the reason i'm replacing my projector kit is b/c the controller got wet and stopped working. It's a possibility

[ThunderRoad]

I bet you could very well be right...all i am sure of, it wasn't working and now it is...sometimes that's good enough for me.bull, I don't remember the exact voltages, but probably around 10-11 if the bulb is to give light.

[bull77]

so i tried a 3rd 9003 and HI/LOW work -- guess the others I had laying around were both no good Now the only issue I have is getting the projectors powered.