Hi All

I have a 1999 Fiat Brava 1.8 ELX.

Recently the headlight dipped beam lights stopped working - both sides. Full beam works, indicators work, parking lights work. I went to Halfords ( auto shop ) to get new bulbs - and when the guy fit them, they still didn't work. He checked the fuses ( to the right of the steering wheel ) and said they were fine.

He suggested the only other thing that may be broken would be the switch on the indicator stalk.

Before I go down a potentially expensive route of putting it in the garage...I thought I'd see if anyone here had any ideas as to what the culprit may be.

What about the dip beam relay...could this cause the fault? ( Can anyone tell me where it is? ).

Many thanks in advance.

If you put your high beams on, the dipped beam relay activates, you should also hear it when you pull to flash the full beams. It is only to keep dipped beam on when you engage full beam and overrides the stalk (according to wiring diagram).
Otherwise the dipped beam is powered trough the stalk and it has two fuses next to your knee. You could test with multimeter if the fuses are getting power when lights are on.
Did he actually pull them of to check the fuses or just looked them over?

Check that the groundstrap is connected inside the headlamp, just behind the dipped beam cover should be spade connectors to the groundplate.

Fiatboo site has guides to repair/replace the stalk unit if needed.

Thanks for getting back so quickly Nereth -

Are you saying it is most likely NOT the relay?

The guy pulled the fuses and checked them visually. He also checked the earth at the lamp cluster. He checked for power at the bulbs with a meter and they had none.

If fuses and bulbs are OK - what could it be?

The relay should only be on when the hibeams are on, pull on the stalk and you should hear it as it is behind the same cover as fuses.

If you hear the relay activating, it should be feeding power to the left and right dipped beam fuses even if the stalk is broken on the dipped beam side.

I would check power on the dipped beam fuses if the relay works. If they get power there is break in the wiring. If they dont get power with the relay on (hibeams on) there is something wrong before the fusebox, and the stalk unit is propably not broken.

If the relay does not engage when full beams are on, the relay could be broken or there is a break in the wiring.

Here is a wiring diagram for the lights. 5 is the relay, 4 the fusebox and 7 your stalk with E being back and forth, D the pull-flash hibeams and F the rotary switch.

Well - went out and had another look just now.

Fuses are OK.

Relay will click when I turn on ( or pull on ) the hi-beam.

On dipped beam there is no power across the fuses ( held my meters leads one on each fuse holders contacts with the fuse out ).

If I put hi=beam on both the dipped bulb and the hi-beam bulbs light up - on both sides. There is current ( 12v ) across the dipped beam fuse.

Does this suggest there is a break in the wiring between the fuse box and lights?


Thanks again for the help

Since dipped beam goes on when you put on the hi-beams, it is most likely the stalk that has gone bad. And as both push and pull on the stalk work, the contact E on the diagram in previus post is propably burnt (if only pulling worked, it would have been the rotational switch).

Here is link to repair guide on fiatboo and the removal guide.

Should propably put relays from battery to the lights so the current does not go trough the stalk.

Both dipped and main beam should be relayed, some cars it's separate relays, others it's an all in one job. Might be worth checking that before changing the switches, as it'll be cheaper

From the wiring diagrams, only after the 2000 update the relay was permanently for dipped beam. On 98 update it is the wiring diagram above or a alternate version (same as on marea) where the relay switches the dipped beam power from stalk to battery instead of just adding it to it as on the diagram above.

Got early 2000 1.6sx brava (really 1999, just registered 2000) and it does not have permanent relay for dipped.

Well - I had to send it into the garage £200

It was the control stalk as suggested above. Had I more time I would have got a second hand one and done it myself...but need the car for work :bang:

Thanks for all the help