When the engine is warm, the underhood electrical center housing can expand, causing the headlamp low-beam relay control circuit wire to bend slightly. If replacing your headlight bulb does not work, there may be an electrical issue in your vehicle that should be addressed by a professional. The failure resulted in poor lighting. Turn the headlights on to make sure the bulb lights up. You could replace one cheaper bulb first to test whether it is the switch.
You turn them on when leaving the house, but that's not completely dark then, is it? A broken bulb is significantly harder to remove. If this is the case, then replacing the bulbs should fix your problem. That is really my only guess as to what happened. A disconnected wire or something? The oil on your fingers will react adversely with the special quartz glass, and cause the bulb to burn out prematurely sometimes within a few days or weeks after replacement! Make sure to swap the relays back so that the cooling fan is not inoperative. After installing the bulb into its socket, test the bulb before you insert it back into the headlight housing. I drove this way to my home about seven more miles. As always, it is… sure its not just a bad lightbulb with the high beams blown? If the fuse has blown, replace it with a new fuse same amp rating and try again.
To test if your relay has gone bad locate the relay in your fuse box. It controls the amperage for the high beams. Watch which way you turn the bulb to get it out and pay close attention when you pull the bulb out to see which way to put it back in. Dirt on outside of the headlights, or moisture inside the lens cover will reflect light back and reduce the brilliance of the headlights. I am pretty sure I am gonna get a ticker sooner or later for driving at night while holding a MagLite out the window. Thus far , has not experienced a problem, but was just concerned.
The same is true if one bulb works on high beams but now low. I've worked on cars my whole life and work as a design engineer and the odds of both dying at the same time are slim to none. Identify a blown out bulb. I checked fuses 9 and 11 under the hood and they were both fine. Then seal the holes with silicone glue or plastic tape to keep the moisture out. On low beam, both lights should be aimed straight ahead with the brightest area of both beams no higher the hoodline of your car. If the system uses a relay, pull it out and shake it.
Is there anything else that would cause this problem? The question then becomes, how did they both blow at approximately the same time as I'm not completely sure when they went out. In many vehicles, you will only need to twist the headlight a quarter turn counter clockwise and pull it out straight back to remove it. The low beams on a 98 Contour are the ones located on the far left and far right of the vehicle, all you have to do is grab ahold of the back of the light and turn, it may be a bit tight but they will come out. I suggest you purchase a wiring diagram of service manual for the vehicle. Jul 05, 2011 yes, ideas,your headlight switch on the steering column may be going bad.
Jun 26, 2017 Check the fuses, I am not sure if the 1990's had a headlight relay or not My 1987 Cabriolet does not but if there is a head light relay its by the battery, if there is one, put your ear down by it and have someone turn the headlights on, you should hear a click. I drive both a '93 and an '89 F-150, and am not experienced with your newer model. They are all good, the bulbs are also good. It will be attached only by the wires. Switches get a lot of wear and tear, so it's not unusual for a switch to wear out after many years of service. One has a center pin and one does not. High Intensity Discharge Xenon headlight bulbs do not have a filament, so if the bulb has failed it may be cracked or leaking.
Then get back in your vehicle and turn on your high beams. Make sure the bulb is seated firmly in the bulb housing so it has a solid electrical connection. I tried the lamps and still no lights on drivers side low beams. Pull the headlight bulb out of the bulb housing. I'd kinda agree, but I rarely am awake when it is dark so I rarely drive around in the dark, but less than 2 weeks ago I am 100% sure my headlights were working. When that happens, the operational lifespan of your headlight capsule will be severely compromised, and the only fix is to replace the headlight assembly. The problem is the retainer on the switch is melted from the heat generated and the wires aren't making contact in the module.
Or buy another relay and plug that in to see if that restores power to the headlights. You will probably need to refer to the vehicle service literature to find the module's location. Please look into this matter, I can't be the only person with the same issue. Someone may have disconnected them for this reason. Moisture can be difficult to remove from a sealed housing. Beyond that, the diagnostic procedure is a little more complicated. Most instances then, the issue will be inside the driver door---not sure but I think there is a magnetic relay for these functions.
Do you know what the problem could be? After 5 days of being with the dealer service, we picked up the vehicle, the taillights went out again after 100 miles. When you say switch, do you mean something like this? On older cars with sealed beam style headlamps, there are usually two adjustment screws that can be turned from the front of the headlamp. You can then pull the headlight assembly forward and out of the truck. Take your car to a dealer or repair shop and have them replace the switch for you. The housing is a sealed plastic shell with the bulb and socket mounted on the back.