No dip headlights on 2000 zafira

[Mike (archive)]

Need a quick opinion on this.
got a phone call this evening from herself saying there was no dip lights on her zafira. main beams ok, likewise front fogs. used fogs as get you homes, and when I got home from work, had a quick look at the fuse box. left and right are fused seperately, and fuses are ok. earth should be ok as main beam works. didnt get chance to look at the bulbs as the lamp i was using picked then to go flat. but I think its unusual for both bulbs to go at once. anyone know if they are relay controlled? if so, which relay. or any other less obvious ideas?

Thanks

Mike

 

[me140]

You really need to check the bulbs first - you would be surprised how often both go at once

 

[Olliebears1]

Just had same problem on wife's Megane and it was both bulbs that had gone ..again both fused in the box separately

Olliebears

 

[Mike (archive)]

You really need to check the bulbs first - you would be surprised how often both go at once

Nope, both bulbs ok, but no power getting to them (checked with a meter.) found a diagram and it shows that the dip fuse(s) each supply power also to the headlight alignment motors, and they work ok, so power is getting at least as far as the fuses. am now totally stumped.

Mike

 

[Guest]

Nope, both bulbs ok, but no power getting to them (checked with a meter.) found a diagram and it shows that the dip fuse(s) each supply power also to the headlight alignment motors, and they work ok, so power is getting at least as far as the fuses. am now totally stumped.

Mike

Check the headlamp earth lead.
Dave

 

[Mike (archive)]

Check the headlamp earth lead.
Dave

thought about that. too dark now, will have a look in morning, but am doubtfull. wiring diagram shows common earth for each lamp unit, and all other bulbs ok. checked with meter earlier and couldne find power to bulb at bulb connector, but never thought to check for continuity to ground.

Mike

 

[dogsBollix]

thought about that. too dark now, will have a look in morning, but am doubtfull. wiring diagram shows common earth for each lamp unit, and all other bulbs ok. checked with meter earlier and couldne find power to bulb at bulb connector, but never thought to check for continuity to ground.

Mike

check the contacts on the steering stalk ?

dB

 

[Mike (archive)]

check the contacts on the steering stalk ?

dB

main beams are fine, its the dips that dont work. physically 2 seperate bulbs, dip stays on when main is selected from the stalk.

when you turn dips on with the panel mounted rotary switch it sends power to fuses 24 & 6. F24 (LH dip) powers the MB stalk (which powers the relay etc) and also powers the headlight beam adjustment motors. MB & motors work fine, so F24 has power. F6 (RH dip) also runs the controller for the HL beam adjustment moters. again, they work.

Each front side has a common earth for all the lights. all other lights work ok.

whats driving me nuts is that BOTH dips are out, with no power to either. yet after the fuses there is no common point to the circuits.

Suggestions anyone?

Mike

 

[me140]

Have a look at the big multi plug on the near side - comes through the bulkhead behind the glove box.

 

[Guest]

main beams are fine, its the dips that dont work. physically 2 seperate bulbs, dip stays on when main is selected from the stalk.

when you turn dips on with the panel mounted rotary switch it sends power to fuses 24 & 6. F24 (LH dip) powers the MB stalk (which powers the relay etc) and also powers the headlight beam adjustment motors. MB & motors work fine, so F24 has power. F6 (RH dip) also runs the controller for the HL beam adjustment moters. again, they work.

Each front side has a common earth for all the lights. all other lights work ok.

whats driving me nuts is that BOTH dips are out, with no power to either. yet after the fuses there is no common point to the circuits.

Suggestions anyone?

Mike

You *have* actually checked that the bulbs work (or not)? Take them out and use a meter or battery to check them.

Dave

 

[Mike (archive)]

">>

You *have* actually checked that the bulbs work (or not)? Take them out and use a meter or battery to check them.

Dave

Yep, get continuity on both. then tried using multimeter leads to light both bulbs direct from battery. lights ok.

 

[Mike (archive)]

Have a look at the big multi plug on the near side - comes through the bulkhead behind the glove box.

this sounds promising.
is it engine or passenger compartment side?

( too dark at the moment to go searching, will try when I get home from work tomorrow)

Mike

-starting to get the twitches now-

 

[Guest]

">>

Yep, get continuity on both. then tried using multimeter leads to light both bulbs direct from battery. lights ok.

So, can you power a bulb from the 3 pin lamp connector? Is there continuity to ground? 12V on the relevant pin that can power a bulb? Check the continuity of the headlamp wiring (main, dip and ground) right back through the socket, leads, relays and fuses. I had a failure on an old Cavalier that was caused by the actual dip beam connector in the headlamp socket. The connector was burnt and melted. If at some point in the past someone has been running 100W bulbs (the rallying kind) then the 8A ish they take will fry an ordinary headlamp connector designed for a 55W (4.5A ish) bulb.

Dave

 

[Mike (archive)]

So, can you power a bulb from the 3 pin lamp connector?

Its not 3 pin, its only 2. the bulb is a dedicated dip beam bulb. there is an entirely seperate main beam bulb @ 6 inches inboard of the dip bulb, in its own reflector. when main beam is activated, dip no longer cuts out. this is a feature of the car, and is identical to the 96 vectra i am using at the moment. its not wiring fault.

Is there continuity to ground?

yes

12V on the relevant pin that can power a

bulb?
no

Check the continuity of the headlamp wiring (main, dip and ground) right back through the socket, leads, relays and fuses.

I pulled the dip fuses and confirmed there is no continuity. but I had already confirmed that power was reaching the fuses, but was getting lost between the fuses and the bulb. from the fuses there is no electrical commonality between the lh and rh circuits until they reach the earth point, and thats ok as all the other lights work ok. its this lack of connection between the 2 circuits thats doing my head in. obviously the 2 run together physically in the same loom for a while, but that is not reflected (or relevant) in a wiring diagram. another poster has suggested a block where it goes through the bulkhead, and that will get investigated soon.

I had a failure on an old Cavalier that was caused by the actual dip beam connector in the headlamp socket. The connector was burnt and melted. If at some point in the past someone has been running 100W bulbs (the rallying kind) then the 8A ish they take will fry an ordinary headlamp connector designed for a 55W (4.5A ish) bulb.

I had something similar on an old range rover that some buffoon wired 2 thumping great WW2 surplus anti aircraft sized spots directly into the stalk switch. damn near lost the car to fire with that. so I had already looked for this sot of failure, but it wasnt an exhaustive search as there might have been some loom damage.

Mike

 

[Martin (archive)]

but I had already confirmed that power was reaching the fuses, but was getting lost between the fuses and the bulb.

At the risk of back-tracking on where you've already been or written, it's a strange one, which may warrant challenging everything 3 times over :-(

Have you checked for "power" - i.e. enough "oomph" to drive a 55W bulb? Or could you be getting a 12V reading on a meter (from some continuity route or other) with no usable power behind it? Eg a grubby contact on the stalk, or wherever, which goes o/c as soon as a load is applied. If you haven't already done so, I'd clip a 55W bulb with wander leads to the earth point on h/lights and probe around with other end.

Is anything else powered from same stalk / relay position - eg rear fogs, which extinguish when dipped heads are off - which could be having an unusual effect?

Have you tried inserting a +ve supply to various points along the feed to H/lamp until lights work (or something goes bang)?

 

[Guest]

Mike wrote:

I pulled the dip fuses and confirmed there is no continuity. but I had already confirmed that power was reaching the fuses, but was getting lost between the fuses and the bulb. from the fuses there is no electrical commonality between the lh and rh circuits until they reach the earth point, and thats ok as all the other lights work ok. its this lack of connection between the 2 circuits thats doing my head in. obviously the 2 run together physically in the same loom for a while, but that is not reflected (or relevant) in a wiring diagram. another poster has suggested a block where it goes through the bulkhead, and that will get investigated soon.

<snip>
OK. I suggest that you recheck everything.
Work from the headlamp back and check every inch of loom. Look for insulating tape that shouldn't be there, adjacent damage to the bodywork, an extra "odd" connector, evidence of accident damage etc. Look closely and every connector, disconnect it and check the pins. They can corrode away. Check for continuity on the pins. Using a lamp as a test load is best as you can locate high resistance joints/connections easily. The looms often have a 1 wire to 2 wire connection/split or crimp inside the loom wiring. You'll probably get down to a section of loom that contains this joint. You'll need to carefully unwrap the loom to find the joint. This might be close to the headlight if the leveling motor is powered off it?????. You'll then be able to re-crimp it, insulate it properly and re-wrap the loom. If you still dont find anything check again and again and again. Then give up and pay an auto electrician (who will probably find the fault in seconds 'cos he knows what to look for).
Dave

 

[Mike (archive)]

At the risk of back-tracking on where you've already been or written, it's a strange one, which may warrant challenging everything 3 times over :-(

Have you checked for "power" - i.e. enough "oomph" to drive a 55W bulb? Or could you be getting a 12V reading on a meter (from some continuity route or other) with no usable power behind it? Eg a grubby contact on the stalk, or wherever, which goes o/c as soon as a load is applied. If you haven't already done so, I'd clip a 55W bulb with wander leads to the earth point on h/lights and probe around with other end.

Is anything else powered from same stalk / relay position - eg rear fogs, which extinguish when dipped heads are off - which could be having an unusual effect?

Theres enough power getting through to work both levelling motors

Have you tried inserting a +ve supply to various points along the feed to H/lamp until lights work (or something goes bang)?

no, but thats a good point. it might be interesting to put power to one side and see if the other side comes on! but what conclusion I could draw from whatever result I would have to think about for a while

Mike

BTW, have a look at my reply to Dave Spams post

 

[Mike (archive)]

OK. I suggest that you recheck everything.
Work from the headlamp back and check every inch of loom. Look for insulating tape that shouldn't be there, adjacent damage to the bodywork, an extra "odd" connector, evidence of accident damage etc. Look closely and every connector, disconnect it and check the pins. They can corrode away. Check for continuity on the pins. Using a lamp as a test load is best as you can locate high resistance joints/connections easily.

good advice at any time

The looms often have a 1 wire to 2 wire connection/split or crimp inside the loom wiring. You'll probably get down to a section of loom that contains this joint. You'll need to carefully unwrap the loom to find the joint. This might be close to the headlight if the leveling motor is powered off it?????.

yep, power for them comes off fuse 24, LH dip. control comes off fuse 6, RH dip. although now i think about it, I removed the LH bulb first, as its the easiest to get at (air filter is partly in way of RH) and as I was moving the wire out of the way I remember hearing a veery brief whirr of the levelling motor. I think my brain must have been on a tea break to ignore this, but when I put it with what me140 posted about the loom coming through the bulkhead at the passenger side, I think this warrents a lot closer look. when its stopped snowing, that is

Mike

 

[me140]

When you turn the lights on you get 12v out of terminal 13 on the switch (yellow) this goes to fuses F2.24 and F2.6 then goes to the info display plug ( yellow 1.5mm thick). Then it goes to the big multi plug behind the glove box that goes through the bulk head - terminals 79 and 80. Then to the lights. The lights share a common earth point near the near side bonnet hinge somewhere. Don't know why it goes to info display plug but if you pull the plastic cover off the big plug you will be able to see if you have power after display unit. If both are out worth looking at earth first - maybe loose?
Hope this helps