SoCal Driver

The switch on the steering column; or the wiring from the switch on the steering column to the fuse box. Pull one of the high beam fuses #20 and 21 and see if there is current at them when the arm on the steering column is clicked.

AndyK

The high beems work, so I assume there IS current. Did you mean the low beam fuses?

AndyK

Update: I spent $60 on a new headlight switch. Other than fixing my dash light so now I can find the headlight switch in the dark (glows a nice 993 green), I still have only high-beams, and no low beams.

Could BOTH low beams have blown out at the same time due to age, cold, etc?? Should I be buying new headlights?

J Berk

For some reason I seem to recall reading that the high and low beams were each on their own fuse....have you checked?

dme

Did you get the headlight on/off switch or the lo/high arm switch. I doubt you blew both low beams at the same time. Left and right lights have their own independent circuitry back to the hi/lo switch. If you are not getting voltage to the light or fuse box for lows then it sounds like it must be the hi/lo arm switch.

AndyK

I got the round headlight switch that goes on the dash. If it's the arm switch, does that mean I would need an entire new turn signal/wiper stalk unit??$$$ Or can I spray contact cleaner in near the headlight stalk to "fix" it?

Luis de Prat

Just had this very same problem in my S2.

Question: Do you have the IceShark headlight upgrade in this car? If you do, the low beam relay in the kit is blown. Replaced mine yesterday and got my low beams back.

J Berk

Andy this is what I meant...see copy of one of Iceshark's old posts....last paragraph....

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Jon, What the heck are you talking about? If he just wants to pull out the headlight he doesn't have to remove body panels! Just pull the black plastic surround and the retainer ring as Ryan said. 5 minutes per headlight. If you are installing new headlight wiring then, yes, it helps to have that headlight bucket sheet metal off so you have some room to work in and see what you are doing.

Now to the original problem. Intermittent on/off can be caused by various items. It may be as simple as the bulb filament being fractured (now burned out) but if you hit a bump the filament will weld itself back together and work for awhile until it falls apart again. You need a new bulb or sealed beam to solve that problem.

Another common problem is broken wires due to the headlight bucket going up and down and fracturing the wires inside the headlight harness where it flexes between the bucket and frame. To try and find the fracture point you turn the lights on then grab the harness in the flex area and squish and wiggle it around until you locate the fracture point. Then you have to cut open everything and replace the wires.

Other items could be the bulb socket is shot (they are really the cheapest ****-poor sockets I have ever seen), you have a loose brown colored ground wire where it bolts up to the forward frame rail, or something else is loose/broken anywhere all the way back to the fuse/relay box. The stock cars have 4 fuses for the headlights, one for each high and low beam filament, and if the fuse holder is bent up and loose that could be it.

Best thing is to rewire your headlights altogether as they are a total and complete POS.


best

Joe

Luis de Prat

By the way, last night when I was working on my headlights I noticed one of the relays in the stock fuse box popped a few times and the lights went out again. Pushed it back in and all was well.

It's a small, metal relay. I think it's the second in the second row from inboard outwards and the owner's manual calls it something like "auxiliary driving lights." Maybe yours has gone bad? Good luck!

AndyK

I don't have the Iceshark kit. Stock setup. Metal relay, eh? I thought there were only 4 fuses, and no relay? I'm confused and pissed off! I can't drive the car at night with no headlights.

Luis de Prat

Andy, check the fuse and relay chart on the fuse box cover. It says something to the effect of "lights," but not headlights per se. It's got a metal housing. You can't miss it.

BTW, did you check all the fuses while you were in there?

AndyK

All fuses check out OK. When the lights last worked, I remember seeing them flash bright, then go out, both at the same time.

If I turn the headlight switch to "on", pull the fuses, and use the multi meter to make sure there is voltage at the fuses:
If I get NO voltage, does that mean it's the switch?
If I do get voltage, could it be the actual headlight bulbs?

Luis de Prat

I forget you still have the sealed beams. Heck, maybe the low-beam filaments are burnt out, but I doubt it. Did you try pulling the relay and popping it back in?

tifosiman

You could check this by checking for current at the plug when the headlight lowbeams are supposed to be on due to the H/L switch position. If the current is getting to the low-beam part of the plug, it is the bulb.

AndyK

Ah, you mean pull the headlight out, un-plug it, and check the voltage on one of the plug pegs? Wouldn't I be able to see a burned out bulb?