Technical Dipped headlights have failed

[alsimmo]

Hi all @FF, Started the car this morning to go to work only to find that I had NO dipped beam working on either side. I have side lights,main beam and fog lights all fully functional so I drove to work using side and fog lights.
Had a quick check of the dipped headlight fuses F12 & F13 and both appeared to be ok. I think it is most unlikely for both bulbs to have blown over night so I think I need to be checking the relay for the dipped beam. Does anyone know which one I should be looking at to check it ?? Regards alsimmo

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

It is possible for both buns to have failed at the same time, not common, but not unheard of. Canyou hear the relay clicking as you turn dipped beams and off

 

[alsimmo]

Hi MEP, Thanks for your comments - very much appreciated. I've Nnt tried that but I will give that a go asap. Do you happen to know the actual relay concerned ? Regards alsimmo

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Hi MEP, Thanks for your comments - very much appreciated. I've Nnt tried that but I will give that a go asap. Do you happen to know the actual relay concerned ? Regards alsimmo

I don't unfortunately, is it in the manual? I know it's one of the smaller relays in the fuse board under the steering column if it helps, but there are several

 

[alsimmo]

I don't unfortunately, is it in the manual? I know it's one of the smaller relays in the fuse board under the steering column if it helps, but there are several

From previous posts I believe it to be T1. I could interchange it with T2 ( main beam ) and see if any change. Regards alsimmo

 

[alsimmo]

Help - Which relay feeds my Dipped headlights ???

Hi all @ FF, Could any member please inform me which of the 4 relays (T01 - T11 - T12 - T13) in the incar fuse box (near my right knee) serves to operate my Dipped Headlights ?? Regards alsimmo

 

[Davren]

Re: Help - Which relay feeds my Dipped headlights ???

Dip beam is relay T1 in the dashboard fuse box
Main beam is relay T2 in the engine fuse box.

 

[alsimmo]

Re: Help - Which relay feeds my Dipped headlights ???

Dip beam is relay T1 in the dashboard fuse box
Main beam is relay T2 in the engine fuse box.

Hi Davren, Thanks very much for the information on the relays - very much appreciated. I already have a spare fuse box complete with relays and fuses so may be a straight forward relay swop with a bit of luck Regards alsimmo

 

[StiloBoy]

Re: Help - Which relay feeds my Dipped headlights ???

Why not pull a fog bulb and fit to the dipped beam (think they are all the same bulbs).

If it works then both bulbs went. If it doesn't work then check the Relay/fuses. If that doesn't work go to an auto-sparkie.

 

[alsimmo]

*Update* Dipped headlights have failed

Hi all @FF,
Just a quick update on this thread. BOTH dipped headlight bulbs had failed - not unheard of but not very common either.
They were Osram Nightbreakers and were less than twelve months old with not a great deal of night driving. Thanks for any assistance with this problem.
All the best alsimmo

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Thanks for the feedback. We're they regular night breakers or the night breaker plus bulbs? The regular ones don't seem to have the best of life, although the plus' are normally better apparently. Although I now use Ring Xenon Max which last a very reasonable amount of time.

 

[alsimmo]

If I remember correctly they were the plus version. I think I am going to stick with Osram again. Euro Car Parts have Osram Nightbreaker Plus Gold on special offer at £19.99 a pair. Regards alsimmo

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

What are the odds eh, year to the day, sister who now has my old Stilo wakes me up at 0630hrs (not impressed, only got to bed at 0100hrs after a 7 hour drive in the Bravo) to tell me her headlights are not working.

With no time to investigate she drove into work using front fogs and where she was able to main beam (luckily mainly back roads) so I've got to have a look this evening. Only hoping its just both bulbs which have failed as everything else works ok.

 

[wolfandy]

Hi
I have something like described but without bulb fail.
During my headlight checks i found that fog light bulb is dead. After replacing it headlights start to play up.
turning on dipped headlights and side lights is ok, turning on main beam (long distance lights) is ok.
Issues comes on when i want to turn on dipped, main and fog lights. If i turn on all of them then dipped beam lights goes off. Its like i can turn on only 2 from 3 - dipped with main lights, dipped with for lights or main with fog lights.
Whenever i try to turn on dipped, main and fog lights the dipped beadm goes off.

Any ideas or suggestion?
thanks in advance

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Hi
I have something like described but without bulb fail.
During my headlight checks i found that fog light bulb is dead. After replacing it headlights start to play up.
turning on dipped headlights and side lights is ok, turning on main beam (long distance lights) is ok.
Issues comes on when i want to turn on dipped, main and fog lights. If i turn on all of them then dipped beam lights goes off. Its like i can turn on only 2 from 3 - dipped with main lights, dipped with for lights or main with fog lights.
Whenever i try to turn on dipped, main and fog lights the dipped beadm goes off.

Any ideas or suggestion?
thanks in advance

That is the correct procedure and operation of the lights, and not a fault. The car will not allow all three to be operated at the same time, unless the main beam is just used in flash mode.

 

[wolfandy]

That is the correct procedure and operation of the lights, and not a fault. The car will not allow all three to be operated at the same time, unless the main beam is just used in flash mode.

Im afraaid i can't agree with you. Trip computer all the time shows error message "Brake light bulb"
I have check all bulbs twice and all of them working now. But message still pops up.
i dont know how but in one moment after start up car i got message "Check OK" without any errors. In that moment also all three lights work at once without issues. After i have stop engine and restart it error message came back and lights playing up again.
I'm quite confused now....

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Hi
I have something like described but without bulb fail.
During my headlight checks i found that fog light bulb is dead. After replacing it headlights start to play up.
turning on dipped headlights and side lights is ok, turning on main beam (long distance lights) is ok.
Issues comes on when i want to turn on dipped, main and fog lights. If i turn on all of them then dipped beam lights goes off. Its like i can turn on only 2 from 3 - dipped with main lights, dipped with for lights or main with fog lights.
Whenever i try to turn on dipped, main and fog lights the dipped beadm goes off.

Any ideas or suggestion?
thanks in advance

Im afraaid i can't agree with you. Trip computer all the time shows error message "Brake light bulb"
I have check all bulbs twice and all of them working now. But message still pops up.
i dont know how but in one moment after start up car i got message "Check OK" without any errors. In that moment also all three lights work at once without issues. After i have stop engine and restart it error message came back and lights playing up again.
I'm quite confused now....

That is your choice, however stop lights are completely different to main beam, dipped beam and front fogs, main beam and dipped beam are not even monitored by the bulb check system.

Someone else will be able to confirm that what I've said is correct in time

I'd happily show a video of this being correct, but have recently sold our Stilo - perhaps you can share a video of it working correctly (so you say) and then not

 

[wolfandy]

ok - i will make video how it works now on my day off. And also will do the same when it will be fixed. As far as i understand then monitoring system works on front headlights and that error message comes up if any of front or rear bulbs doesnt work properly - my friend connect Solus Pro diagnostic tool to car and was able to read trouble codes also from headlights. In this case it was saying there is problem with ground connection.
I will try to remove headlights on sunshine day and check all connections.

Did your Stilo trip computer shows "Check OK" and headlights work as described above??

 

[Davren]

That is the correct procedure and operation of the lights, and not a fault. The car will not allow all three to be operated at the same time, unless the main beam is just used in flash mode.

Im afraaid i can't agree with you.

MEP is correct that the car will not allow all three lights to be on at the same time.

This is the paragraph from the Fiat Stilo workshop manual describing the function.

"The Body Computer manages the 'dipped headlamps maintenence' function: when the main beam headlamps are on, the Body Computer keeps the dipped headlamps on. If the dipped headlamps and the main beam headlamps are already on and the fog lights are switched on, then the dipped headlamps are switched off.
Similarly, if the dipped headlamps and the fog lights are on and main beam headlamps are switched on, then the dipped headlamps are switched off.
In other words, with the main beam headlamps and the fog lights on, the dipped headlamps are always switched off".

Hopefully you will be able to agree with Fiat's description of how they designed the car.
.

 

[wolfandy]

Then what the he.. is going on with my car??? And why it still show error message regarding bulbs?