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low beam lights are dimm but not blown, alternator?
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:45 pm
by sniblett15
i was driving home from the gf's house tonight and my low beam lights are really realy dimm, almost not on, full beam, sidelights, fogs are all fine tho?
i've checked the switch in the dash and the connection seems fine, haven't checked the bulb housing yet tho as its been pissing down.
i'm hoping its bulbs and not the alternator but not clued up to much and wondered if anybodys had this problem or any advice on what to do?
any help would be much appreciated
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:15 am
by young dubber
try replacing the bulbs first mate to me i would say that the bulbs are near to blowing. if that fails investigate into other areas of the car to find the problem. hope this helps
JAy
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:24 am
by sniblett15
young dubber wrote:try replacing the bulbs first mate to me i would say that the bulbs are near to blowing. if that fails investigate into other areas of the car to find the problem. hope this helps
JAy
cheers mate
, if im gonna change the bulbs i may as wel get something half decent any recommendations?
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 9:57 pm
by Arnoldo
Are HID's out of the question? If not you can get a set for less than a 100 notes and look the nuts.
IF they are you could get some philips highvisions that give 80% more light but without changing the voltage. Havent had them on my car but heard they are really gd but nt as gd as HID's
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:25 pm
by sniblett15
Arnoldo wrote:Are HID's out of the question? If not you can get a set for less than a 100 notes and look the nuts.
IF they are you could get some philips highvisions that give 80% more light but without changing the voltage. Havent had them on my car but heard they are really gd but nt as gd as HID's
been thinking about hids for a while, just bit of a newbie wiv car stuff in general and electrics aint exactly my fortey, there alot involved in installing and running em?
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:02 pm
by 8080
If I were you I'd get someone to look at the voltage getting to the bulbs.
Remember, the electrical supply to the bulbs doesn't come straight, it's routed through long delicate cables from the bay, into the switch, then back out again to the lights. There's a fair chance of getting a voltage drop in that pathway
HOW TO MEASURE YOUR VOLTAGE DROP
This test must be made with the lamps switched on and all bulbs connected, so you may have to work to get access to the correct bulb terminal. In some cases, it may be easiest to remove the bulb from the headlamp and (carefully) operate it outside the headlamp with your voltmeter connected. Or, you can "backprobe" the headlamp socket.
Connect the positive (red) test lead of a voltmeter to the car battery positive (+) terminal, and the negative (black) test lead to the + terminal of whichever headlamp filament (beam) you're testing -- use the bulb farthest away from the battery. Your voltmeter will give a direct reading of the voltage drop. Write it down.
Then, connect the positive (red) voltmeter lead to the ground terminal of the headlamp bulb, and the negative voltmeter lead to the negative (-) terminal of the battery. Your voltmeter will again give a direct reading of the voltage drop. Write it down. Add the two voltage drop figures obtained, and this is the total circuit voltage drop.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... elays.html
Get someone who knows what they're at to do it
Of course, ruling out the bulbs is a good idea too. I've had the Philips 80% bulbs, they're great