Headlight connector fried

[markg8]

Hi All,

I've been here a number of times before looking for solutions to various problems with my 2003 base Vibe, 5 spd manual, 177,000 miles on it. I'm not much of a mechanic but you guys have saved me a ton of money over the years just reading the tips and asking for advice on this site and for that I'm forever grateful. Last time was last fall when my clutch crapped out on me.

Now I have a problem with my drivers side headlight. It went out the other day and having a spare 9003 bulb I changed it. The connector was melted a bit but the bulb fit in the socket so I plugged it back in and reinstalled the battery and checked it out. The headlight worked but I took it for a ride and the headlight was out again. The connector is too fried to click the bulb in securely and I guess when I hit a bump it comes loose. In any case I need to replace the connector cuz that won't last.

So here's my problem. I don't really want to cut off the connector and solder or crimp and heat shrink a new pig tail one to the wiring if I can avoid it.

I bought a Blue Streak Standard LWH109 hi temp wiring harness that has the 9003 female end for the bulb and the H4 male connector to go to the main wire harness on the other end 8" away. Both O'Reilly Auto Parts and Standard Ignition websites say this is compatible with my Vibe for this purpose.

I need to figure out where the H4 end plugs into and what I need to remove to get at it. It looks like the wire runs up under a bracket near the grill but I can't find the socket it goes into with my fingers. Anybody know what I need to take off to get at the socket? Has anyone ever replaced the complete wire from the bulb and not just the connector?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

StandardLWH109headlightharness.jpg (166 KiB) Viewed 2907 times

[andrewclaus]

I've done a bunch of wiring and repairs, and that part is a new one to me. It's just a "pigtail," a short extension cord, with male and female ends. I've never seen a headlight circuit with a pigtail in it--it just doesn't make any sense to have two connectors so close together, in such a crappy environment.

I fear you'll have to use half of the part you bought as a new female connector and do the solder and heat shrink job you really didn't want to do.

But that part is sold for some reason and I could be wrong. I've changed headlights on the Vibe and have never looked for a second harness connection nearby.

[tpollauf]

I fear you'll have to use half of the part you bought as a new female connector and do the solder and heat shrink job you really didn't want to do.

X2 ..... this is exactly what you'll have to do. My 2004 Vibe GT already had the drive side socket replaced by the prior owner before I purchased it. Because of the "daytime running lights" on these cars, for some reason the drivers side gets too hot and melts the wiring. This is somewhat common on the 1st generation Vibes.

[Mark]

I did the same thing on Frosty many years ago, the driver side plug fried. I bought a wiring harness with the 9003 plug and 3 wires, then did some cutting, soldering and shrink wrapping. It held up fine for years after that though.

*Frosty = 2004 Base, recently sadly deceased. May she rest in peace.

[markg8]

I've resigned myself to crimping and heat shrinking a new connector on the bulb end but before I do I decided to see if the bracket holding the air intake hose(?) for the air cleaner is hiding a socket behind it. I could see the wire from the bulb go up under that bracket.

So I took the bracket off and the wire drops down and back into the engine compartment. The original wire branches in two with one side I guess going to the other headlight and on the other side I followed it to an end with a female socket on it. This is strange, it doesn't go into anything. It's just resting on another electrical wire to the side of the engine. I didn't take it off anything.

I don't know if someone disconnected it when they were working on something else. The headlights work but the engine is idling worse since I got it back last fall from the guys who replaced the clutch. I wonder if that could be part of my problem with the rough idle? I thought it would be a coil or plugs. Anybody know what that plug goes to?

In the third pic you can see where it rests on that other wire. I brought it out in the 4th pic to get a good look at the mystery connector.

[joatmon]

Do your back up/reverse lights work? There's a two pin connector on the top of the 5-speed for the reverse switch, can't say for sure that's what your mystery connector is.

or it could be one of the various things between the air box and the engine, perhaps the clutch replacer missed, and if so, might explain the poor idle

[markg8]

Nah, I found it. The guy who replaced my starter and a worn out wheel well liner left the radiator fan unplugged when he put it back in. Glad I found it.

Thanks guys.