I came across this site because I am having some serious trouble with my headlights and I am trying to find an answer or see if others are having the same problem. I am so glad I found this site.
I have a 2009 HHR and my low beams will not shine even though the car indicates they are. I was able to get the low beams to shine when I turned on my high beams but now they cut off while driving. Has anyone had this issue and if so what was the cost to repair. Any insight would be greatly appreciated

 

are the lights engaged to come on automatically or manually? are you talking about night time or day time driving?
if its both headlights, might be a fuse/relay problem
your highbeams and signals work all the time or they faulty as well?

 

I have do it both manually and automatically with the same result. All the other lights work and yes it is both heaflights

 

The only way the low beams shine is when I engage the high beams. The high beams dont shine it just turns on the low beams

 

Let me see if I understand you correctly......

Your low beam headlights do not illuminate even though the dash indicator displays they are on.

Also the low beams have illuminated when you switched to high beam.....but then the low beams went out.

Is the car a recent purchase or did this recently just start?

Do you still have high beams?
Has work been done on the electrical system?

The headlights, if I recall correctly, have a fuse for each light and each beam (high and low, so 4 fuses total). I would check those, but I doubt if that is the problem because they didn't work, then did, then didn't.

Opps.......have you witnessed the low beams functioning properly?

 

Sometimes failing headlamp bulbs can act oddly, the filaments can break leaving you in the dark, then you hit a bump and the broken ends make contact...ta da! You've got lights again for a little while.

You may want to start by changing both bulbs, or having them changed, it may solve the problem.

P.S. to the forum!

 

Sounds like the High beam connectors are disconnected and the low beams connected to the high beam feed. Maybe not though.

Has the car been in an accident and had front end work done?

 

This problem started about 1 month ago. Initally the low beams did not shine and a bump on the light turned it on. When that didnt work my sister stumbled upon the fact that if you shine the high beams it cuts on the low beams. Now if you do that it will shine but will stop shining while driving. I do believe the high heams still work. The car was hit 28 months ago and the front end on the drivers side was repaired. Now no matter what I do the low beams or high beams wont shine. This poses a big issue at night

 

Maybe someone changed them out with the incorrect bulbs?

Remember the old days. Seems like someone was always sticking double filiment bulbs in single sockets, or visa-versa. 1156,1157 kind of mixups.

 

Assumption 1: we are not confused about DRLs.
Assumption 2: The head light bulbs have been replaced.

Many times a failing bulb can be rattled into submission a few times before refuses to work anymore.

DRLs are low power low beams. They are on in daylight, if the switch is in auto. Then they are promoted to full power at dusk. During the daylight operation, if you flick the "passing" lights the DRLs go off and the highs go on.

Just covering some common points. I don't know your level of expertise.