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97 ZJ, driver side headlight keeps not working. Filaments are separate, but housed in the same glass. High beam works. Has anyone had the same experience and if so how did you fix it?
zj driver side low bean keeps "blowing"
- Thread starter weaponoffreedom
- Start date
I had an 86 cutlass ciera that would go through drivers side low beams every 8 months or so. I never figured out why. No water getting in, good socket. No vibration. And i used regular good brand bulbs ,none that were coated. Never figured it out.
Check the battery cables, grounds, and maybe the voltage regulator in your alternator.
Good advice for sure, but I wonder why only the bulb on the one side fails?
Crusty ground on that side, loose connector.
my guess would be some sort of vibration , maybe a loose fender or body mount on that side.. Hi beam probably works simply because it doesn't get used as often.. Thats my guess
Yes I’m thinking some sort of resonant vibration as well. Are the headlights the same brightness if you are standing outside the vehicle? Do they look the same color?
another possibility is local heat from a faded reflector. If the silver has turned dark it may be holding too much heat close to the bulb instead of sending it outward. In my experience, ZJ plastic headlamp material doesn’t age gracefully.
another possibility is local heat from a faded reflector. If the silver has turned dark it may be holding too much heat close to the bulb instead of sending it outward. In my experience, ZJ plastic headlamp material doesn’t age gracefully.
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they seem to be the same brightness, I did replace the carriers several years ago, they do seem to move a bit, perhaps I will see about immobilizing them.
Today, I replaced it, the bulb, and installed a new connector to the existing harness. A common consensus is the connector being bad. Another consensus was a voltage spike due to bad alternator............which I just found that mine was making about 13 volts=bad, to i replaced it
Checked continuity on both sides=good
Voltage was 25 or so
thanks for reply
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yeah that is what the meter said, i think it has to do with how the wires switch to high beam, 2 12 volt legs switching to ground...not sure the info is grest, and the battle continues
assuming it is an auto with a 12v dc system, it isn't 24, simply because DC doesn't act like AC ... so that 24v reading is either something up with your meter or who knows... if it truly was 24vdc, the 12v headlight won't last a couple seconds. ( ask me how I know>
)most auto dual filament bulbs will have a supply to each filament with a common ground wire, but the voltage doesn't double.
Never should be 25V no matter how you check it. Double check the meter by checking across the battery with engine off. Should be just under 13V .
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Yep sure enough, the voltmeter i was using is messed up. Switched to my good one, at the battery for verification, alternator 14.1 v battery 13.97
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