1996 chev cavalier, both left side headlights quit working fuse is ok, checked voltage reading both are low arround 8.3 volts. has voltage through the blue wire but will not complete circuit back through red wire, if i attach a jumper to the red wire and battery ground it then lights up both the left and right side bulbs don't know why !!!! help

check low beam fuse when switched on if it has voltage registering across the fuse ,if there is voltage across the low beam RHS fuse then it is possibly a pinched wire from the headlight running back towards inside of the car

U will need a schematic for you to find out the path of electricity to all of the affected areas. Apparently they all have something in common so it should ne be too hard to locate the cause.

I am sure that a 12 Volt bulb means it needs 12 Volts. Since you changed the bulb to the other side, why not check the voltage in the working side and see what it reads?

Sometimes the turnstalk can interfere with the lighting. Try pushing the Hazard switch several times and see if the headlights straighten out. I read that too much goes through the turnstalk and that using the Hazards can derail a contact inside the stalk.

If this does not help, you may need a headlight relay in the powerbox. One contact may be dirty or burned down for the wire it feeds. Unless you have a single wire feeding both low beams to the headlights, I would bet the left and right side come out directly through the relay.

that can be so much fun, remove the headlights, and check for voltage at the sockets, also check the grounds, go back to the left side of the car and find the harness connector and check for voltag there , next step is the headlight switch, from there the dimmer switch, if it has daytime running lights, go to cavalier drl repairs, qhite often its a bad contact or broken wiring inside the insulation, so have a continuity tester on hand

a bad new bulb?????

try checking the ground wire on the frame next to the head light if you have a volt meter measure voltage on the hot side, if there is 12 volts then measure it on the ground side, is it lower than 12 volts? if it is you have bad ground strap follow the wire it will be near the radiator core support and sand it off if that does not help then it's in the light switch.

Several things on your cavalier could cause this to happen...
If it's just your high-beams, low-beams, or DRL that are out (just one), start with the DRL relay (in the fuse box). If that's not it, and it's not the DRL, try the multi-function switch (the thing attached to the left of your steering wheel, the headlight switch/cruise control switch). If all that checks out ok the next place to look under the hood... there is a pin-out connector/harness under the battery box (located in the front on the driver's side) that may be corroded. It is attached to the underside, and not easy to see without a mirror. If there is corrosion on the battery box, this connector is probably corroded as well...anything that runs off the battery will find it's way to this connector.

Note for anyone else that reads this: Different people will experience similar problems, sometimes with the low-beams, sometimes with the highs, because of different corrosion patterns and the DRLs being run from different bulbs.
Good luck...i hope this helps, please take time to rate me a fixya.

in this case make sure you have voltage going to the low beam lights. 12 volts. you need a volt meter. if you do not have volatge you have to check and make sure power is going through the fuse. a bad fuse will be broke, but you can have a good fuse with no power going through it. if you have power going through the fuse you have a wiring open somewhere between fuse and whatever is between the headlight connecter.

plz check and get back i will keep checking on here on and off.

Michael
ASE certified
PLZ rate

hello you have a ground problem on the 0.05v side . Check the ground or add a ground you can do this with a volt ohm meter hope this helps


workitover

Clyde,

I've been troubleshooting this same problem on a different vehicle this week, and I can give you the steps I'd take.

1. If both sides went out at the same time, the problem is *NOT* likely to be the bulbs.

2. Check the fuses to see if both low beam lights are on the same fuse. Many cars have one fuse for low beam and another for high beam, so both lights out at the same time typically means fuse blown.

3. If the headlights are OK and the fuses are OK, then the problem is *LIKELY* the headlight switch. In my case, AutoZone has one and it can be installed easily; but in your case, that may not be as simple.

Please post your findings or comments.