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Help!! Dim Headlight Problem

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Old 03-27-2009 | 06:08 PM
  #1  
Rcflyboy's Avatar
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From: Westerville, Ohio
Help!! Dim Headlight Problem

When turning on my headlights the right one comes on but is very dim while the left one turns on fine. Sometimes the light will suddenly work correctly, but more often than not it's dim. Doesn't matter if the lights are on normal or bright.

I have been running Silverstar bulbs for 6 months and thought one may be bad. However, when I replaced the bulb with two different GM ones that came with the car I still had the same problem. I have also checked the 4 low/hi fuses and they are also OK. I,m at a loss for what could be wrong. I was hopping to see of anyone else has ever had or heard of this problem. Yes I know I could take it to the dealer but I won't have an opportunity to do so for awhile.
Old 03-27-2009 | 06:47 PM
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oneton's Avatar
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CK the ground for that light, when you say that it sometimes works sounds like the ground is loose..
Old 03-27-2009 | 10:30 PM
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Rcflyboy's Avatar
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I was thinking the same thing. I wounder where the ground would be, under the fender or in the wire bundle heading who knows where.
Old 03-28-2009 | 10:06 AM
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Sounds like a bad ground, but don't overlook there are 2 other fuses that control the 4 individual headlight fuses. They look like relays to me but they are called fuses by GM. The larger gray boxes right next to where you found the fuses... Fuse/relay #71 supplies drivers side lo beam fuse #65 and passenger side lo beam fuse # 66. Fuse/relay # 72 supplies drivers side hi beam fuse # 63 and passenger side hi beam fuse # 67.

If they're all good and have power you might try a jumper wire from a good ground spot directly to the ground side of the bulb and see if it works properly.

I had a low beam Silverstar go out a couple weeks ago and checked all these fuses b/4 pulling out the bulb as it's not the easiest to get at. It was the bulb.
Old 03-28-2009 | 11:08 AM
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It is definitely not the bulb. If it was it would not work sometimes, plus the OEM bulb does the same thing. I also swapped around the fuses and relays but no help.
Old 03-28-2009 | 12:02 PM
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oneton's Avatar
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If it is on but dim it is not a fuse! it is a poor Ground!
Old 03-29-2009 | 03:57 AM
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heres the head lamp wirring.
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Old 03-29-2009 | 06:44 PM
  #8  
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"Fixed it". Thanks for the input "oneton" and "Lucky". I was able to look at it today and it did turn out to be the ground wire. The ground is located just next to the fuse box on the finder. Just a bolt with a nut on it. The nut was about 3 turns loose which enplanes the erratic operation. Really happy to save a trip to the dealer.
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