Headlamps just went off!

[Dom]

Hi,

I have to confess I was a bit heavy on the accelerator with the window down, listening to the growl between 1st and 2nd gear tonight.

But as the front lunged down between gears, both main beam headlamps went out. Exactly the same time. The full beam works (only one side but that may have been an old injury). The sidelights work. The fuse is fine.

Given that its a bit wet and cold out there, does anyone have any suggestions where to start?

I would be shocked if its the bulbs but I cant check that tonight. Shocked because they both went at the same time, unless the extra right pedal gave the electrics a supercharged boosting?

Seriously though, wiring or steering control...which one is most likely, are there any 'common faults' to look out for?

Thanks guys
Dom

[brian0443]

Dom
Each of the four headlamps has its own fuse, clearly labelled on the lid of the fuse box.
The dip beams should draw power through the master light switch and through a single blue wire which delivers to the top contacts of both fuses. I would check first that you have power at this point.
Both going out together could indicate that either you have lost this power feed, OR that (as I discovered on my car) someone has incorrectly linked the two lights so power is being drawn through one fuse.
It is again possible that both are now served from a common earth which has become detatched.
Good luck
Brian

[Guest]

If you have a multimeter, or just a test lamp, as Brian says, check that you have power at both terminals at each fuse. If so, then there is something common not right downstream of the fuses. In my case last week, it was one bulb blown and an intermittent earth connection behind the grille - corroded and almost broken. Dipping the terminals in CocaCola cleaned them up as good as new. Goodness knows what that stuff does to your insides when you drink it!

[Bob Heritage]

I had that problem a couple of years ago, The light switch was cream crackered.

[Dom]

Thanks everyone, Ill try them all and see how it goes.
Dom

[Essex Stag]

Had my headlights going off and on at random when I first bought my car four months ago traced it to bad connections in the bullet connectors that go from the nearside to the off side headlights all had a resistance in the current cleaned them all up and squeezed all the connectors no more problems. The only way to access them easily is to remove the grill and the connectors are just inside hanging across in the middle at bumper level a great place to put a connector. Good old BL .
Good luck Derek