Headlights quit working

[BimmerSooner]

Just need a little guidance on how to troubleshoot some non-functioning headlights. Everything was fine and all of the sudden, out of the blue--nothing.

The parking lights work fine, the high beams flash when you pull back the high beam lever....but the lights don't work on low beam. Instrument lights work fine too. I've checked the fuses, they look fine.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

[ponyboy]

Well, if you use a simple tester to see where the power stops coming through, that will narrow it down a lot.

trace the wries fromt he headlights and keep testing periodically on the way dow the wires with a tester( you know the screwdriver looking one witha wire coing out the end and a clamp that u put on a ground like the battery ground or the body of the car). when you get to the firewall, test just beofre the wire goes in, and then test where the wire comes through the firewall. You may have to take some covering off the bundle of wires to identify which one is the wire that comes from the headlights and then follow on up to the switch.

Test the wires on the switch.

Thats the way I would try to find the problem and then figure out how to fix it...

Good Luck, Lance

[ingraham]

battery, ignition switch, light switch, dimmer switch, fuses 3 and 4, then headlights. Do the high beams work in the normal high beam mode (not the pull-to-flash mode)?

[BimmerSooner]

No they do not.

[Beaner7102]

Do you have relays on the lights? you could have a dead relay, and the dash lights etc would still work. Can you hear the relay click when you turn the lights on? Or maybe the stalk switch is dead, on mine you move the lever to high beam and you get nothing, wiggle it a bit and you have light (dirty contacts I think) but it always works in the pull/flash position. Just a thought. Beaner7102

[02tom]

Just a quick check - mine does this - there's a plastic connector under the steering column where the wiring for the headlight switch lever (opposite the turn signal lever on the column on mine) that I have to wiggle to make a good connection. Might even take it appart to make sure there's no corrosion. It's tucked up under there and you have to remove some of the underdash panels to get to it if so equipt still.

[SteveJ]

WOW!

Same thing happened on my 72tii just last week.

Had everything hooked up after the accident and had everything working. Doing a fun drive on a twisty road and when I got home I noticed that my headlights were out. Parking lights, dash lights, turn indicator all good. Even the pull back to flash the highs was OK.

I haven't been out to troubleshoot it yet, but there are only 9 things in the circuit: Battery, ignition switch, connector, headlight switch, fuse box, fuses, headlight connector, headlight, and ground.

Now I'll read the replys and see what I should check. I was just going to half-split and check continuity/grounds.

[ingraham]

Since the normal high and low beams do not work, I suggest tracing out the 12 volt supply to the high/low beam (dip) switch. For each step below, have the key in the ignition position and the headlight switch pulled full out.

1. Check for 12 V on the big green wire at the headlight switch. If absent, trace back to the ignition switch and then the battery.

2. Check for 12 V on the yellow/white wire at the dip switch connector. If absent, trace back to the headlight switch.

3. Check for 12 V on the yellow wire at the dip switch connector with the dip switch in the LOW beam position. If absent, trace back to the dip switch.

4. Check for 12 V on the white wire at the dip switch connector with the dip switch in the HIGH beam position. If absent, trace back to the dip switch.

5. Report results.