Headlight problem

[Julian]

Hi,

I hope someone can help, all of a sudden my headlights have stopped working, its not the bulbs or the fuse so maybe a relay?? but im not sure which one it is, my hanes manual says its below the steering wheel but i dont know which relay it is or if it is actually a relay, anyone got any ideas??

Hope someone can help
Thanks,
Julian

 

[AlexW]

Julian, you say it is'nt the bulbs. How do you know?

It could be a problem with the contacts in the stalk control switch. They are notorious for causing electrical problems like yours.

 

[Julian]

I tried some bulbs that i know work since my parents car has the same bulbs. I thought it might be the stalk but my front fog lights come on when i turn the main beam on so i thought that the stalk might be ok, or does it work different to what I'm thinking?

Thanks

 

[AlexW]

Can you hear the relay being activated when you operate the headlight switch? You should hear it click.

I believe that the main relays are next to the main fuse box. If you can hear the relay click, then it would indicate that it is ok and there is a problem in the circuit e.g. bad earth/loose connection.

 

[Alex]

Just as a follow-on, what model/year is your car?

 

[Anonymous]

Its a 1.8hlx 1998, i can hear a click for the flash but not the main beam, s I'm guessing its a relay, i can find 4 relays down by the fuse's but im not sure which it is, would it be a larger yellow relay or a smaller black one?

Thanks for the help

 

[Julian]

Well I've had another look and I'm confused, when i flash the lights the relay clicks but i dont hear a click with the main beam so I'm guessing its a realy, but I can take the relay out that clicks for the flash and it still works :S

Another descovery I made is that the front fogs come on when the stalk is put onto the main beam so does that mean that the stalk is working ok?

Thanks for the help guys

 

[Tom]

Do you mean main beam or dipped beam?

There is no relay for dipped beam.

 

[Julian]

the dipped beam, sorry i get confused at the names, not the side lights and not full beam but the other one. So if there's no relay for it it must be a wire somewhere? or could it still be the stalk?

 

[Tom]

Fuse or bulb.

 

[Julian]

Its deffinatly not the bulbs or the fuse

 

[AlexW]

Julian, from what I can make out reading Haynes, the main beam does not have a relay but the dipped beam does!

That would suggest that if you can't hear the relay energising when you flick the switch, then the relay must be knackered.

I don't know which relay is which. The only simple way I can think of to check,is to remove them one at a time, operate your switch and see what functions you have lost. When you remove one and apparently have no change, then that should(?) be the one that activates your dipped head lights. (hopefully).

 

[Julian]

I had a feeling that you wouldn't know which relya, I guessed it was the relay I was just hoping someone might have idea which, I'll go through them all and see what happens.

Thanks

 

[scott]

Please Help!

My girlfriends car has lost the headlights, heater and screen wipers. I'll checked all the fuses and the bulbs.

The fogs ork fine, so does the full beam. Indicators and all the other normal stuff works too.

Please help, shes driving me mad and I'm sure she'll crash my car soon if she continues to use it!

 

[AlexW]

Julian, don't forget, it could still be a faulty stalk switch.

@Scott, if you have'nt tried a search yet, give it a go. You'll find that your symptoms are consistent with a dodgy stalk switch as reported by other people.