# time to take the bull by the horns.....

Posted by Mikey P (93 SE) on June 18, 2002 at 10:49:50:

In Reply to: here are my symptoms posted by PaxMax on June 18, 2002 at 10:28:00:

time to get out to Sears and get yourself a cheap multimeter. You don't need a shop to help you. You can tackle this one yourself. At Sears you can get a meter for less than $20 that will let you test the light socket. If you go to Sears.com tools section and the electrical and you will see several options for under $20
"Craftsman High Precision Digital Multimeter with Case"
was 19.99 and would work well for you.
With the lights off you can test for continuity to ground to make sure the ground is decent. With the lights on you will be able to check for +12 at the socket. you will have 12 at one lead with the low beams and 12 on the other with high beams. There should be 3 leads altogether; ground, high, low. You can also test the bulb with the meter. If there isn't continuity across the bulb then you know there is a break in it. The mulitimeter is good to have around to help fix any electrical problem. It's hard to do anything electrical in a car without it. If you need more help send me an email.

-MP

: My passenger headlight only works some times.
: The low beam passenger headlight will sometimes
: automatically turn off after a while. It sometimes
: the headlight takes a few seconds later to turn on too.
: If I switch from High beam to low beam, eventually
: the low beam will stop working. The high beams
: have no problems though. The problem is only on
: the passenger side. I wind up driving with
: one headlight. (+ fogs)

: I suspect the shop messed up my headlights after
: installing my new stock 55W H3 fogs. I suspect a 2nd ground problem in the headlights. Could the fogs
: be competing with the headlights for ground?
: I noticed that the passenger headlight is less
: bright than the driver side one.

: PaxMax

: : Under no circumstance that I can imagine short of an engine fire should you need to replace that harness. Do you own a multimeter?
: : Is the passenger light not working at all now or is it only working sometimes or is it taking a few seconds to come on like it did a while ago?

: : -MP

: : : This headlight problem is giving me a headache.

: : : 2 years, I used over-wattage bulbs 9004
: : : headlight bulbs for a few days. After noticing that
: : : they were not very bright, I switch to stock
: : : bulbs. Soon afterwards, my passenger headlight
: : : turned off frequently.

: : : Thus, I paid $300 to have some replace the wire
: : : harness.

: : : After about a year, the problem resurfaced, so
: : : I paid $7 to my electric to splice an extra ground
: : : wire to the fender chasis bolt. This fixed the
: : : problem for about 3 months.

: : : Yesterday, I added new 55W H3 bulbs to the factory
: : : fog light connectors. I was testing all my lights.
: : : After testing my headlight high beams, I noticed
: : : that the low beam on the passenger bulb stopping
: : : working again. This the 3rd time this problem occurred.

: : : Now I am upset that this problem kept coming back.
: : : Should I replace the wire harness a 3rd time?
: : : Why would adding new fog lights affect the headlights.
: : : Sometimes it takes a few seconds for the passenger
: : : headlight to turn on. I thought I had fixed the
: : : "ground" problem with the extra ground wire.

: : : Is there anyone that can give me any advice???
: : : I have ran out of feasible ideas.
: : : See my picture below of the extra ground wire (in white).
: : :

Replys:

- Anyone got a good website to learn to use a Multimeter? n/m PaxMax (91 SE) 11:03:05 6/18/2002 (4)
  - http://www.multimeterwarehouse.com/usingamultimeter.htm n/m abdul (90 GXE 92 SE) 11:07:29 6/18/2002 (0)
  - try this.... Mikey P (93 SE) 11:06:41 6/18/2002 (2)
    - lol..I bet that was a google result ! n/m abdul (90 GXE 92SE) 11:08:36 6/18/2002 (1)
      - correct sir! :) n/m Mikey P (93 SE) 11:09:50 6/18/2002 (0)

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: time to get out to Sears and get yourself a cheap multimeter. You don't need a shop to help you. You can tackle this one yourself. At Sears you can get a meter for less than $20 that will let you test the light socket. If you go to Sears.com tools section and the electrical and you will see several options for under $20 : "Craftsman High Precision Digital Multimeter with Case" : was 19.99 and would work well for you. : With the lights off you can test for continuity to ground to make sure the ground is decent. With the lights on you will be able to check for +12 at the socket. you will have 12 at one lead with the low beams and 12 on the other with high beams. There should be 3 leads altogether; ground, high, low. You can also test the bulb with the meter. If there isn't continuity across the bulb then you know there is a break in it. The mulitimeter is good to have around to help fix any electrical problem. It's hard to do anything electrical in a car without it. If you need more help send me an email. : -MP : : My passenger headlight only works some times. : : The low beam passenger headlight will sometimes : : automatically turn off after a while. It sometimes : : the headlight takes a few seconds later to turn on too. : : If I switch from High beam to low beam, eventually : : the low beam will stop working. The high beams : : have no problems though. The problem is only on : : the passenger side. I wind up driving with : : one headlight. (+ fogs) : : I suspect the shop messed up my headlights after : : installing my new stock 55W H3 fogs. I suspect a 2nd ground problem in the headlights. Could the fogs : : be competing with the headlights for ground? : : I noticed that the passenger headlight is less : : bright than the driver side one. : : PaxMax : : : Under no circumstance that I can imagine short of an engine fire should you need to replace that harness. Do you own a multimeter? : : : Is the passenger light not working at all now or is it only working sometimes or is it taking a few seconds to come on like it did a while ago? : : : -MP : : : : This headlight problem is giving me a headache. : : : : 2 years, I used over-wattage bulbs 9004 : : : : headlight bulbs for a few days. After noticing that : : : : they were not very bright, I switch to stock : : : : bulbs. Soon afterwards, my passenger headlight : : : : turned off frequently. : : : : Thus, I paid $300 to have some replace the wire : : : : harness. : : : : After about a year, the problem resurfaced, so : : : : I paid $7 to my electric to splice an extra ground : : : : wire to the fender chasis bolt. This fixed the : : : : problem for about 3 months. : : : : Yesterday, I added new 55W H3 bulbs to the factory : : : : fog light connectors. I was testing all my lights. : : : : After testing my headlight high beams, I noticed : : : : that the low beam on the passenger bulb stopping : : : : working again. This the 3rd time this problem occurred. : : : : Now I am upset that this problem kept coming back. : : : : Should I replace the wire harness a 3rd time? : : : : Why would adding new fog lights affect the headlights. : : : : Sometimes it takes a few seconds for the passenger : : : : headlight to turn on. I thought I had fixed the : : : : "ground" problem with the extra ground wire. : : : : Is there anyone that can give me any advice??? : : : : I have ran out of feasible ideas. : : : : See my picture below of the extra ground wire (in white). : : : : <img src="http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~ph3/car/9004_splice_ground.jpg">