Headlight mystery...

[colotracker]

For those of you electrically-apt people...
please read (and I mean the whole thing), before suggesting a bad ground. it may still be a bad ground, but the mystery continues to deepen...

When I bought the 95 4wd Tracker 8 months ago used, one low beam light was normal, and the other very dim (as if a bad ground dim). When using the high beams, my working low beam would work on high as well, but the problem lamp would remain equally dim (still indicating a bad ground). Then, the other day, my good low beam went to the very dim level (identical to the other), and when I switch on high beams, the one that used to be good on low still goes high, but now the other one shuts off completely (when switched to high beams). There seem to be too many strange things going on for a bad ground. Maybe it's a tricky combo problem?

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[trackerlove]

This is going to sound like a really stupid question, but have you tried changing the bulbs out?

[colotracker]

Indeed, I have. Maybe I can blame it on the Great Salt Lake -- I bought the car from a guy in SLC, in the salt has done quite a number on several other parts of the car -- does the salt cause problems on the electrical system? Not being from the East or the coast (or Utah), the salt issue is kind of a new thing for me.

[trackerlove]

We actually don't get much salt from the lake. A lot of our salt comes from winter driving as that is all they use to keep the roads clear from freezing. My Tracker is suffering from road salt symptoms namely rust on the underbody and the windshield frame. I actually keep it in the garage now during winter so it doesn't get worse.

I have however noticed that with mine and a couple of friends who have Trackers, electrical problems do creep in the older it gets. It is as though they used cheap wiring when they built the car. (My reverse lights keep shorting out my turn signal fuse, go figure)

I recently replaced most of the ignition wiring from the firewall throughout the engine compartment which included head lights and haven't had a problem. The only other thing that I can think of is that the bulb contacts in the housing has become corrided or dirty in some way not allowing power to come through to the lamp itself.

Good luck and if you do find a solution, let us know for when our Trackers act up in the same way.

[edeee2]

Did you clean the inside of the bulb socket? Maybe replace sockets and bulbs.

Had a similar problem with my chevette. They started going dim one at a time untill all both bright and dim were very dim. These are sealed beams, replaced both and zoom daylight at night.