Headlights randomly working!?

[TimmyGTP02]

Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone has had this problem. My headlights seem to work when they feel like it. Right now my passenger side doesn't work on low beams but works fine on high beams. My driver side usually works fine on low but will start flickering and then goes out, so then I flash my high beams and the low beam will work again on the driver side and sometimes that process repeats itself 2 or 3 times. Anybody know what's going on here? It seems to me it could be a short in some wires but I have no idea where to start with that. Please help! Thanks.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by TimmyGTP02

Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone has had this problem. My headlights seem to work when they feel like it. Right now my passenger side doesn't work on low beams but works fine on high beams. My driver side usually works fine on low but will start flickering and then goes out, so then I flash my high beams and the low beam will work again on the driver side and sometimes that process repeats itself 2 or 3 times. Anybody know what's going on here? It seems to me it could be a short in some wires but I have no idea where to start with that. Please help! Thanks.

is your switch loose where you go to brites or even dims? or bulbs are loose and not getting contac all the time if the bulbs are loose? if not bulbs probably switch.

[TimmyGTP02]

Where would I find this switch? The bulbs are only about 4 months old. They're HID lights and at first I thought they might be the problem but I recall the lights doing stupid things before I put HID ones in.

[Blue Bowtie]

Are they true HID lamp systems with ballasts and ignitors, or are they the HID "look-alikes" sold over the counter as drop-in replacements?

The HID systems could have weak ignitors or weak ballasts (under 250V open circuit) or bad mercury in the lamps.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by TimmyGTP02

I recall the lights doing stupid things before I put HID ones in.

But were the symptoms the same before the HIDs?

Also, please be sure to post year and model in your post.

[TimmyGTP02]

Sorry guys, its a 2002 GTP. The HIDs have the ballasts and before those were in the driver side lights were really dim. Almost like it was just about burnt out but then it would be just fine a day or two later. It wouldn't flicker like it does now it would just be dim no matter what. Should I just replace the HID with regular bulbs and see what happens?

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by TimmyGTP02

Sorry guys, its a 2002 GTP. The HIDs have the ballasts and before those were in the driver side lights were really dim. Almost like it was just about burnt out but then it would be just fine a day or two later. It wouldn't flicker like it does now it would just be dim no matter what. Should I just replace the HID with regular bulbs and see what happens?

have you checked and made sure that the ground from moter to car is good? now i'm not talking about neg to your battery to moter?

[richtazz]

The first thing I would do is check the plugs at the bulbs for voltage. If the voltage readings are fine, I'd use a standard halogen test bulb to eliminate the HID assy's as a possibility. If it still acts the same, then you need to start looking into the headlamp control circuits.

[KX2000GTP]

I had a an issue similar to this and it turned out that the fuse socket for the headlamps was loose and gapped out. I ended up applying some solder to the fuse itself (in order to make the prongs a little thicker) and haven't had the problem since...

[TimmyGTP02]

Well I did just put in a standard bulb and turned on the lights and now it works fine. I took out the HIDs and the ballast on that passenger side looked pretty weathered which is weird for only 4 months of usage or so. But Minnesota winters will do nasty things to your car! Either way thank you everyone for your opinions, I appreciate it!

[richtazz]

Glad it was simple Timmy. I've always lived by the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). No sense tracing wires until you eliminate the component first.

[TimmyGTP02]

(Keep It Simple Stupid).

Lol, I love that saying

[richtazz]

Me too, I should have clarified that I wasn't calling you stupid just in case you might have taken that wrong, as I most definitely was not! If you've worked on cars for any length of time, you've had a ..."God I'm stupid moment", myself included!

[TimmyGTP02]

Lol, I didn't think you were calling me stupid but I hear ya about those "stupid" moments. I try to do most of the work on my car myself and have had many of those moments!

[danielsatur]

Don't fix something that already works!
It's hard enough keeping up with regular maintenance.