I messed up my headlights… please help

Question:

>Everything is exactly the same now, and the headlight fuse is fine.

You know each headlight has it’s own fuse in the under-hood fuse box, right?  The right one may be ok and the left one blown. Then check the ground to the body from the headlight itself.  A bad ground can cause all kinds of silly problems. I’d start at the back of the headlight and trace the harness up to the fuse box, physically looking at the whole thing to see if it’s burnt.

Response:

> I was recently wiring some fog lamps into my low beams.

Good thinking, bad to implement. > I simply spliced the power wire of the fog lamps into my driver’s side low > beam power wire.  This wire ran to a switch then back out to the fog

lights. Let’s see, dragging another 70-110 watts (6-10 amps) out of a system that can barely handle what is going through it now. > It worked fine for a second, but then it went wrong. > I unplugged it and connected everything back normally. > The passenger side (which I didn’t touch) works fine, but when I turn my low > beams on my driver’s side high and low beam bulbs burn very dimly.  When I > turn my brights on the exact same thing happens; my high and low beam bulbs > burn very dimly. > Everything is exactly the same now, and the headlight fuse is fine. > What do I do?

It sounds like you melted something.  Take a measurement of how many volts are across each bulb and then across both bulbs. Report back. -Brian

Response:

99 Chevrolet Silverado New Body Style

| You don’t say what year, make or model the vehicle is.  If you need specific | info, more data is needed.  Some vehicles no longer use headlight relays. | | > I also might have shorted a ground or so I’m told.  What would that mean | in | > addition to the rest? | > | > | > | Yeah, thanks.  I sort of wish I had used an auxiliary relay the first | > time. | > | | > | Does each side’s bank of headlights have its own harness, relay, and | > dimmer | > | switch? | > | | > | If its the harness or relay, I’m not too worried.  I really hope it’s | not | > | the dimmer switch. | > | | > | But, if it were the dimmer switch, wouldn’t it affect both sets of | lights? | > | Also, would a fried wiring harness cause the highs to come on also. | That | > | seems a little odd. | > | | > | The relay sounds the most logical, but, obviously, I am a complete and | > total | > | moron. | > | | > | Also, is it hard to replace the relay or wiring harness?  I’m very much | > | considering taking it to the dealer tomorrow to get it done.  Can I do | it? | > | | > | | > | | You probably fried the headlight relay, wiring harness, or dimmer | switch | > | by | > | | drawing to much amperage. If your system has a relay, I’d start with | > that. | > | | Also note that when you get it fixed, you’ll need an auxilliary relay | to | > | | power the fog lights. | > | | | > | | > I was recently wiring some fog lamps into my low beams. | > | | > | > | | > I simply spliced the power wire of the fog lamps into my driver’s | side | > | low | > | | > beam power wire.  This wire ran to a switch then back out to the fog | > | | lights. | > | | > | > | | > It worked fine for a second, but then it went wrong. | > | | > | > | | > I unplugged it and connected everything back normally. | > | | > | > | | > The passenger side (which I didn’t touch) works fine, but when I | turn | > my | > | | low | > | | > beams on my driver’s side high and low beam bulbs burn very dimly. | > When | > | I | > | | > turn my brights on the exact same thing happens; my high and low | beam | > | | bulbs | > | | > burn very dimly. | > | | > | > | | > Everything is exactly the same now, and the headlight fuse is fine. | > | | > | > | | > What do I do? | > | | > | > | | > | > | | > | > | | | > | | | > | | > | | > | | > | > | > | |

Response:

I also might have shorted a ground or so I’m told.  What would that mean in addition to the rest?

| Yeah, thanks.  I sort of wish I had used an auxiliary relay the first time. | | Does each side’s bank of headlights have its own harness, relay, and dimmer | switch? | | If its the harness or relay, I’m not too worried.  I really hope it’s not | the dimmer switch. | | But, if it were the dimmer switch, wouldn’t it affect both sets of lights? | Also, would a fried wiring harness cause the highs to come on also.  That | seems a little odd. | | The relay sounds the most logical, but, obviously, I am a complete and total | moron. | | Also, is it hard to replace the relay or wiring harness?  I’m very much | considering taking it to the dealer tomorrow to get it done.  Can I do it? | |

| | You probably fried the headlight relay, wiring harness, or dimmer switch | by | | drawing to much amperage. If your system has a relay, I’d start with that. | | Also note that when you get it fixed, you’ll need an auxilliary relay to | | power the fog lights. | | | | > I was recently wiring some fog lamps into my low beams. | | > | | > I simply spliced the power wire of the fog lamps into my driver’s side | low | | > beam power wire.  This wire ran to a switch then back out to the fog | | lights. | | > | | > It worked fine for a second, but then it went wrong. | | > | | > I unplugged it and connected everything back normally. | | > | | > The passenger side (which I didn’t touch) works fine, but when I turn my | | low | | > beams on my driver’s side high and low beam bulbs burn very dimly. When | I | | > turn my brights on the exact same thing happens; my high and low beam | | bulbs | | > burn very dimly. | | > | | > Everything is exactly the same now, and the headlight fuse is fine. | | > | | > What do I do? | | > | | > | | > | | | | | | |

Response:

You don’t say what year, make or model the vehicle is.  If you need specific info, more data is needed.  Some vehicles no longer use headlight relays.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I also might have shorted a ground or so I’m told.  What would that mean in > addition to the rest? > | Yeah, thanks.  I sort of wish I had used an auxiliary relay the first > time. > | > | Does each side’s bank of headlights have its own harness, relay, and > dimmer > | switch? > | > | If its the harness or relay, I’m not too worried.  I really hope it’s not > | the dimmer switch. > | > | But, if it were the dimmer switch, wouldn’t it affect both sets of lights? > | Also, would a fried wiring harness cause the highs to come on also. That > | seems a little odd. > | > | The relay sounds the most logical, but, obviously, I am a complete and > total > | moron. > | > | Also, is it hard to replace the relay or wiring harness?  I’m very much > | considering taking it to the dealer tomorrow to get it done.  Can I do it? > | > | > | | You probably fried the headlight relay, wiring harness, or dimmer switch > | by > | | drawing to much amperage. If your system has a relay, I’d start with > that. > | | Also note that when you get it fixed, you’ll need an auxilliary relay to > | | power the fog lights. > | | > | | > I was recently wiring some fog lamps into my low beams. > | | > > | | > I simply spliced the power wire of the fog lamps into my driver’s side > | low > | | > beam power wire.  This wire ran to a switch then back out to the fog > | | lights. > | | > > | | > It worked fine for a second, but then it went wrong. > | | > > | | > I unplugged it and connected everything back normally. > | | > > | | > The passenger side (which I didn’t touch) works fine, but when I turn > my > | | low > | | > beams on my driver’s side high and low beam bulbs burn very dimly. > When > | I > | | > turn my brights on the exact same thing happens; my high and low beam > | | bulbs > | | > burn very dimly. > | | > > | | > Everything is exactly the same now, and the headlight fuse is fine. > | | > > | | > What do I do? > | | > > | | > > | | > > | | > | | > | > | > |

Response:

I was recently wiring some fog lamps into my low beams. I simply spliced the power wire of the fog lamps into my driver’s side low beam power wire.  This wire ran to a switch then back out to the fog lights. It worked fine for a second, but then it went wrong. I unplugged it and connected everything back normally. The passenger side (which I didn’t touch) works fine, but when I turn my low beams on my driver’s side high and low beam bulbs burn very dimly.  When I turn my brights on the exact same thing happens; my high and low beam bulbs burn very dimly. Everything is exactly the same now, and the headlight fuse is fine. What do I do?

Response:

You probably fried the headlight relay, wiring harness, or dimmer switch by drawing to much amperage. If your system has a relay, I’d start with that. Also note that when you get it fixed, you’ll need an auxilliary relay to power the fog lights.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I was recently wiring some fog lamps into my low beams. > I simply spliced the power wire of the fog lamps into my driver’s side low > beam power wire.  This wire ran to a switch then back out to the fog lights. > It worked fine for a second, but then it went wrong. > I unplugged it and connected everything back normally. > The passenger side (which I didn’t touch) works fine, but when I turn my low > beams on my driver’s side high and low beam bulbs burn very dimly.  When I > turn my brights on the exact same thing happens; my high and low beam bulbs > burn very dimly. > Everything is exactly the same now, and the headlight fuse is fine. > What do I do?

Response:

Yeah, thanks.  I sort of wish I had used an auxiliary relay the first time. Does each side’s bank of headlights have its own harness, relay, and dimmer switch? If its the harness or relay, I’m not too worried.  I really hope it’s not the dimmer switch. But, if it were the dimmer switch, wouldn’t it affect both sets of lights? Also, would a fried wiring harness cause the highs to come on also.  That seems a little odd. The relay sounds the most logical, but, obviously, I am a complete and total moron. Also, is it hard to replace the relay or wiring harness?  I’m very much considering taking it to the dealer tomorrow to get it done.  Can I do it?

| You probably fried the headlight relay, wiring harness, or dimmer switch by | drawing to much amperage. If your system has a relay, I’d start with that. | Also note that when you get it fixed, you’ll need an auxilliary relay to | power the fog lights. | | > I was recently wiring some fog lamps into my low beams. | > | > I simply spliced the power wire of the fog lamps into my driver’s side low | > beam power wire.  This wire ran to a switch then back out to the fog | lights. | > | > It worked fine for a second, but then it went wrong. | > | > I unplugged it and connected everything back normally. | > | > The passenger side (which I didn’t touch) works fine, but when I turn my | low | > beams on my driver’s side high and low beam bulbs burn very dimly.  When I | > turn my brights on the exact same thing happens; my high and low beam | bulbs | > burn very dimly. | > | > Everything is exactly the same now, and the headlight fuse is fine. | > | > What do I do? | > | > | > | |

Response:

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