I lost the low beams on my 1991 toyota tercel. Have running lights and have high beams Checked fuses, checked lights, replaced switch in sterring column,. No broken wires that i see
what else could it be ???
This could be caused from bad dimer switch/ lost ground for high beams / or is it possible both of your high beams are bad? have you used a test light at the light to verify no power and good ground?
Testimonial: "good advice "
sorry meant to say low beams...
I didn't say dimer switch for dash lights / i said dimer switch / sorry FOR head lights . that is how they go from high to low beam . thank you for having me clarify that sorry for any confusion. if you should want any further assistance please feel free to ask Thank You . Have a Grate Day
As fore checking for ground hook test light to positive or battery pos. then test to see if it makes a circuit when touching the ground to the head light ground plug . just revers for testing for power except when checking for power you have to have the head lights on . if you feel you want any further assistance feel free to ask thank you for using. FIXya. Thank you.
when working diner switch dos high beam go out when low bean should come on? also when checking fuse do you have power there or did you just verify that fuse is good ? and i tried with key on ?and when testing lights did you hot wire them to verify?
From the head light plug you could back power prob.with power that dead one it may if there is a relay short making a click or noise if a short it may even make a spark , i think that the dimer switch isn't 1st [adjusted rite],or faulty or the wire that runs down the steering column is Broken .if you can get to both ends then test them for a circuit it should plug in just under dash.you have already replaced the switch now test the wires that run down the col om the most likely place to brake.check adjustment then test.
Just checking when you moved the probe to the other one and got 0 you did work the dimer switch? sorry for asking ,just verifying . center being ground / right being low beam / left being high beam /
Ok see if i under stand you / at the head light plug/ 3 wires/ center one is ground/ test light hooked up to battery ground/ probe center wire /no light/ok that tells me it is a negative ground/ switch on or off/same thing//// now hook test light up to positive battery then probe center wire light on or off don't madder center wire test light should light/// that tells me ground is ok// now hook test light up to ground at battery and probe center wire git nothing right//then prob left &right wires switch off should still be nothing // switch on should have power on one or both wiers//then hit dimer switch should have power on one or the other . i will check back in a little while to see how you are doing .
Jason/ is right/ it appears to be what i will call positive grownd / then he is most likely right about checking kick panel /if this is a care with the steering wheel on left hand side then where your left foot would set side panel may have the relay you are looking for/////--so then what i would look for is the wire that is not changing or the one that works your low beams has a positive feed all the time and that wire must be shorted to positive feed through body or that center wire which is also positive or switch isnt allowing it to ground. sorry if i caused you any extra work,
The right wire is not finding it's ground / it appears that it is a positive ground system . what i think i would try is that center wire is most of the time hot or nothing / and the right wire is not finding ground the switch should be switching and giving it the ground instead of the hot like i had though, I'm unsure if this will work /but i would try to give it a ground from the battery with a fuse to be safe.it may work if it is switching /or the most common place is for the wire to go bad would be in the column if it is a tilt?/what is happening seems to be the right wire is[ hot to hot ].so what side is the steering wheel on ?please don't tell me the drivers side]LOL.
Hi mike . Thank you for the blessing. i am new at wighting things out .that being said ./ i am louring also .[ assuming ] has gotten me in trouble before.i see now i did it more then once with answering you.[ so the switch is used ! ] that has caused me Meany headaches be fore i am not against using used parts bot now i make more sure that they are known good parts.so than you now i think I'm going to go change that computer that i have been working on for a month now .but i will probably try another used one first / see i got my car striped down also/ Good Day let us know how it works out ..
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Hi,
Check that there is not a relay on the low beam circut, you should find the relay for this in the engine bay area. Also check for a separate mounted relay which may have been fitted to allow larger wattage headlight bulbs to be fitted. I hope this helps, let me know how you get on.
Jason
Testimonial: "HI HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE A RELAY - THERE ARE TWO IN FUSE BOX IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT - BUT THEY SAY 'MAIN' SO i DONT THINK THAT WOUL BE IT"
Hi
It should have a Box in there engine bay which has some relays in it, sounds like you found it but it will have H/Beam and L/Beam on the lid inside it. You should be able to see which one corresponds to the headlights.
If not under there then they will be inside where the fuse box is. If there is a cover it will have the same information on the lid underneath it.
Another thing to look for is any corroded or broken wires from the headlight bulbs, into the engine bay area.
These are really the only things that could be the problem.
Ok then, hope that works out for you.
Ok its pretty obvious you know a little bit about electrical stuff so I'm gonna give you some instructions.
It will probably be either a connector or the relay, which should either be on the side kick panel next to the accelerator you'll have to take the panel off to get to it properly. hope this helps some more let me know how you get on.Most if not all Japanese Vehicles work on a earth to positive direction. So instead of positive power coming from the switch and going to the light via a relay if they have them, it actually works the other way and connects the earth instead.
So checking for power at the light is not going to tell you whats happening you need to check for the earth instead.If there is no earth going to the low beam side of the bulb then do the following.
Check the connector up by the high/low switch on the column that you are getting an earth signal from the switch, even though you have replaced the switch doesn't mean that the switch is 100%.
If you have an earth there, then trace that color to the main connection on the engine bay wire harness, it probably has 2 harness's 1 is for the engine the other is for the lighting. Tap into that loom and find your wire color. if there is nothing there then you know the problem is in between there and the column.
Jason
Hey,
You almost got it, find the colored wire at the h/light end probe it, then earth the other end. You should have a constant 12v to either the left or right pin of the bulb. Even if you switch from high to low beam, it should always be there. Make sure h/lights on.
Then probe the top pin and place either your meter or probe light clip on the positive of the battery. Now when you switch to high beam it should show voltage. Change it too the other pin and it should show voltage to that pin if it don't then trace that wire until you find the break in the wire, bad connection or the relay. It should splice into one wire.
Ok,
Check inside of the switch you got you should be able to see the contacts working up and down as you work the switch. now when you switch it to low beam just make sure that the contacts are actually touching if not just give them a press an see if your low beam operates. if it does then thats the problem. If you got high wattage bulbs in your h/lights then it may pay to fit a headlight relay as it seems this model don't have them.
High wattage bulbs will cause the contacts to heat up and not contact properly.
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I just the spent the whole day trying to fix this problem. After searching all over the internet I was not able to find a clear direct answer for a non mechanic person like myself. So here it goes.
First, I had to understand how the headlights work. Looking for wiring diagrams on the net I found one that said that the red and yellow cable was for high beam and red and white for low beam. So, automatically I was thinking that the low beam cable red and white had to have 12 volts. Wrong. That's where I spent most of the time. I now know that headlights on this car and most other cars work with ground more like the horn. I'll explain. You have 3 wires on the headlight plug, one red and yellow for high beam (turns negative to activate by the relay), one red and white for low beam which is the center cable (turns negative to activate by the relay) and one that goes to the fuse box which is the positive. Your headlight relay is under the radio base. Remove that front cover and the radio base and there you should find a red 12 volt 4 pin relay. One of the 4 cables should be white and black and another red and white. The other 2 are green. The important cable is the red and white which is the same that goes to your drivers side headlight plug and then jumps from there to the passenger headlight. Now before going out and buying the expensive headlight switch and relays do a ground test. Work on the passenger side since it will be easier. Strip a piece of the center cable which is red and white and run a jumper cable from there to the negative of the battery. Low beam headlights should turn on even though the car and switch is off. That is if the light bulbs are good. If they are next step will be to take that jumper cable connected to the headlight plug and and run it through the out side of the car to the red and white cable on the relay. Now turn on your lights using the switch. If they go on and low beam and high beam work you are almost done. That means that there is a break on that cable from the relay to the headlight. Finding it might be really hard and you might have to remove the drivers side fender to see and check the cables, or you can run that jumper cable from the relay to the headlight like I did. I ran the cable threw a hole on the firewall for the exiting water hose off the AC. According to this problem if you have high beam working the problem is limited to ground like me, relay or switch. Hope I was clear enough for you to understand.
[Information] For a 2002 Toyota Camry, the Daytime
Running Lights (DRL) operate utilizing the High Beams (inner Lamps closer to
the center of the vehicle front) at a reduced power.
[The troubleshooting process:] Review the Owner's Manual and ensure the test
configuration matches the following criteria:
1. According to the 2002 Toyota Camry Owner's Manual (Check your Owners Manual):
"The DRL system will make your headlights come on at a reduced brightness
when:
The light switch s in the "DRL" position.
The ignition is on with the engine running.
The headlight switch is off.
The parking brake is released."
2. Set the Test Conditions according to Step 1 above.
3. Check the headlight bulbs to ensure they are not
burned out. If one burns out, there is a fair chance that the other would have burned
out at the same time. Replace as necessary.
In this case, if the high beams operate, the DRLs should also operate.
4. Test the system, ensuring the step 1 conditions are set. (Engine running, Multi-function
Switch on Turn Signals in "DRL" position, headlight switch off
(repeating what the manual says -- it should be obvious that in the
"DRL" position, the headlight switch should be off / do not have the
switch positioned to "High Beam"), and the Parking Brake
"off").
5. If DRL lights do not work, check the engine compartment Fuse and Relay Box.
there is a 5 Amp DRL fuse -- replace it with the spare. Test (step 4).
6. If it does not work, swap around or replace relays -- there are three (3).
Any one of them could be bad (stuck or burned out). Test (step 4).
7. Other less likely possible issues
could be that the Multi-function Switch is broken or a connection / wire is
broken. [Beyond the scope of this
process.]
My problem was that the test configuration did not have
the engine running and parking brake off - Step 1. Problem solved with much
thought, repetitive tests on the vehicle and going back to the basics -- what
does the Owner's Manual say and where are the applicable fuses and relays
located?
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I am still not certain as the fuse box in the engine compartment just says "main". I dont think it would be a 'main' relay. I tore out the glove compartment so i could access the center console and it looks like there might be one there. What i am going to do is buy the relay and just see what it looks like and then replace one that looks like it ! :))
the dimmer switch for dashboard lights ? really what does that have to do with the headlights? I will see if it is working
No i have not checked the power at the light, I will do that now - how do I check to make sure the ground is ok?
Mike
HI If u mean the switch in the column I have already replaced that.
Heres where I am
fuses checked
light bulbs checked
12 volts at lights for high beams 0 volts for low beams
main switch replaced
grounds good
I still have not found the relay. I have most of the underside of the dashboard torn off. In the center console is just one relay and that says its a circuit opening relay. ( I think thats for the fuel pump etc)
There are two relays near the fuse box one is for emergency flashers the other I ma not certain but i tested it and it works fine
There is another relay next to the glove compartment but that is not it either ( I think that is for heater etc)
can you give me any more direction as to where that relay is ?
Mike
so i still think its a realy but i cant fiont the correct one
Hi Jason :
Great INfo I am not certain I grasp the concept - straight forward electricity is confusing enough 4 me :))
let me c if i understand this . SO what I should do is find the wire coming from the light.
LOcate the same color wire at the switch on the column. Tap into that wire and then what ?
set the voltmeter for 12 v dc - put one probe into the wire the other to ground and look for 12 v dc ?
or look for continuity to ground ?
HI:
Grounds are good. I tested the light bulbs hot wiring to the battery and both the low and high beams work.
I only checked for continuity at the fuse not power I will check for power tomorrow.
I have 12 v for the high beam (when 'on') at the light but 0 volts for the low beams (switch on ).
When i turn the main switch on - I first get the parking lights (orange ones on the side) these light up fine then when i switch to low beams nothing happens. When I click forward then I get the high beams . THis is the same whether I have the key in or out and the car is running or off
I still cannot locate the correct relay. I have the whole underside of the dashboard out. There are two relays "behind" the fuse box one is for flashers and the other one I pulled and the brights still came on I tested it anyway and its working fine. There is a relay in the middle console and this is I believe for the fuel pump. There is a relay near the glove compartment this is for the heater there is a relay in the engine compartment fuse box that says main. SO I still dont knwo where that relay uis and I am beginnig to uspec that.
I guess I could have gotten a bad main switch. WOuld there be a way of hot wiring the wiring harness at the main switch to see if things work?
Mike
Hi GUYs:
I really appreciate all your knowledge and help - people are amazing!
WEll its 12:13 AM here so I will have to try some of this stuff tomorrow.
At the headlight Jason if I recall correctly this is what I got today. With the headlights on and the high beams on - placing probes into the harness that connects to the light bulb there are three "ports"
placing one probe on the end and one in the middle I got 12 volt but when I moved the probe to the other side I got 0 volts which tells me if I am correct that power is not getting to the light for low beams but is for high beams - but I guess we already knew that as the light bulbs work.
I see about the switch but I am wondering if there would be a way to hot wire the electrical tabs on the wiring harness that enters the switch to see what happens
HI:
Yes I did move the dimmer switch. I first put on low beams and got no voltage either side (This is at the outlet that the light plugs into). Then i put on high beams and got 12 v one side o volts the other
Hi guys:
well its the weekend and i have a bit of free time. I bought a 12 volt light tester and that works great.
I think i might understand a bit more what jason said about the japanese backward feeding the light.
OK so at the light there are three wires the middle which is the common ground i believe and then one for high and one for low beams. Now wiht the light swithc OFF everything off the 12v test light lights at each one of these wires. Meaning they are getting power to the headlight and the only reason it doesnt light is the backfeed wire isnt connecting to a ground which is what the switch does? (This is what I think Jason was referring to as this 'backward feeding.' IN a US vehicle we would not expect to have power at the light with everything off?)
but here is the interesting part. I put the light switch on on the column with brights on. Now the test light comes on for one wire but NOT the other ??? so what does that mean
Hi guys:
One more thought - since I have 12 volts at the two side wires of the hub that connects to the headlight (when all switches are off) this must mean that there is no broken wire - otherwise how would i get 12 volts there with the switch off ?
as to the middle wire that I am calling ground return that must be also intact as the brights would not be able to work if it didnt complete the circuit.
so what is happening is when the low beams are put on I lose power at the headlight to the low beams. Power is present to the low beams when everything is off.
Hi guys
further clarification.
OK at the plug that goes into the headlight
everything off. --> test light activates for both side wires
low beam switch on --> test light activates for both wires
high beams switch on --> test light activates for only one wire
there is a fuse box in the engine compartment . That has fuses for r and left headlight. The test light activates for all three conditions at each fuse
ie no switch on, low beams on and high beams on all activated the test light at each fuse
OK heres what I am getting. There are five columns in the chart first is position of light probe clip (to battery ground or battery positive) . Second is position of the main light switch on the steering column (off , low beams , high beams),
3rd, 4th and 5th are the results of the probe light at right, center and left wires of plug harness at headlight
____________________________________________
probe wires at light plug
light column left center right
to switch wire wire wire
____________________________________________
battery off light light light
ground low beams light light light
high beams light light nothing
____________________________________________
battery off nothing nothing nothing
positive low bms nothing nothing nothing
high bms nothing nothing light
The change is always on the left wire which must be controlling the low beams.
I also bough a repair manual and it shows a light relay being in the center console. There is not. I have everything torn out to the shifter. I am wondering if this was rewired or something as there definitely is no relay though the book says there is suppose to be one
Sorry the chart did not post the way it showed in comments box. let me write it out. OK the probe light is to battery ground, column switch is off I get a light at all 3 wires.// column switch to low beams light at all three wires // columns switch to high beams light only at two wires - no light on the left wire ////// Now the probe light clip is to battery positive column switch is off no light to any wire // columns switch to low beam no light at any wire // column switch to high beams no light
at right and center but there is light at the left wire
No need to apologize I appreciate all of the help and I am learning something and that is very important to me.
There is something strange about the car in that the relay is not where the manual says it should be. Also under the dash a lot of the wire bundles are in elcetrical tape . In any case I will see if I can trace that wire back. When it leaves the light it goes to the fuse box in the engine compartment where ther is a fuse for both the r and left headlight. Now at these fuses the test light lights no matter which of the three positions I place the column switch on ( off, low or high beams). I would have thought that I would have lost current at one of the fuses when I went to high beams as that is when the wire loses its power (but I guess that would have done in the high beam as well). There is only a short wire bundle about one foot wire from the fuse panel to the first headlight and that wire looks fine.
I still think that somewhere there is a relay but for the life of me i cant find it. I wonder if the switch that they sold me (used) was bad as well but that would be unlikely. I will try to trace the wire today between the farm work . THansk for all of your help . God Bless
mike
Sorry the chart did not post the way it showed in comments box. let me write it out. OK the probe light is to battery ground, column switch is off I get a light at all 3 wires.// column switch to low beams light at all three wires // columns switch to high beams light only at two wires - no light on the left wire ////// Now the probe light clip is to battery positive column switch is off no light to any wire // columns switch to low beam no light at any wire // column switch to high beams no light
at right and center but there is light at the left wire
steering wheel is on the left (Its an AMerican vehicle)- lol!
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