One headlight not working

[bible9230 0]

The driver side headlight was not working on my 2013 Connect.  I just replaced both bulbs and the driver side is still not working.  The fuse appears to power both lights, so I figured that is not the problem.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Matthew

[Fifty150 288]

1st, check the harness.  Pull the bulb off, and look inside.  Is it burnt out?  Is there corrosion?  

[bible9230 0]

The bulb is good and brand new.  There is no corrosion on the contacts and there is no visible damage to the harness.

[Beta Don 142]

Time for some basic troubleshooting  -  Remove the bulb, turn on the lights and measure the voltage on the socket pins with a voltmeter.  If there's no voltage there (and if you're 100% sure the new bulb is good, it's very likely there's no voltage there) then it's very likely the fuse that the other bulb uses isn't the same fuse for both headlights.  Sometimes (rarely, but sometimes) when an incandescent bulb burns out it creates a momentary short which can blow a fuse and then when you replace the bulb, you still have no light

 

But . . . . if you do measure 12 volts or something close on the pins of that socket, it's very likely your 'new' bulb was defective right out of the box  -  That doesn't happen very often either, but it does . . . . sometimes

 

If it was me, and I didn't own a voltmeter, I would have already swapped the bulbs side for side before I went to a forum asking for ideas  -  If the not lit bulb swaps sides when you swap bulbs, you've found your dead bulb

 

Don

 

 

Edited November 27, 2019 by Beta Don

[G B L 232]

Step one if you own an old car and you have  an electrical issue is to get a test light an and volt meter!  Another way out is to find a friend with the stuff. There is a good chance if they have the volt meter they know how to use it.

[bible9230 0]

I tested the voltage on the working light and I have 12 volts there, but no voltage on the non-working light.  The fuse is not blown; looking in the engine compartment fuse box at fuse #8, 15 amp.

 

I have the main power harness removed from the headlight assembly.  There is power coming in through this harness, but I need to find out which terminals supply power to the main lamp.  The small running light has always worked properly.  I am just having trouble with the driver side main lamp power.

[G B L 232]

How many wires on the headlight plug? What happens when you turn on the hi beams?

[bible9230 0]

5 wires coming in on the main harness.

 

Both hi beams actually turn on.  So it is just the driver side low beam having trouble.

[G B L 232]

When you have the hi beam on where do you have 12 volts on both sides , what  are the wire colors ? When you have the low beam on were is the 12 volts on the right side?

[G B L 232]

I checked the owners manual for your tc and it shows right and left fuses  you need to check the left fuse. It no 25 in the fuse box.

Keep us updated.

[bible9230 0]

Wow. Fuse #25 was blown. I replaced it and the lights work perfectly.

 

I'm disappointed in myself that I did not see that from the first moment.  When I scanned the fuse list several times I only noticed fuse #8 (headlamps).  It was even mentioned earlier in this post that there should be 2 additional fuses, but I still only saw #8.

 

I clearly made this 1000% more complicated than it should have been.  Live and learn.  Thank you for your help.