No high beams, low beams work fine

[mountaindude]

I did a search but I did not find the answer. Low beams work fine. Flip to high beams and it is as if lights are turned off. No amount of flipping the switch does anything. Now, I bought the car in about 2008 or so and it has always been the case. This car is typically my snow car and high beams are not good in falling snow so I just live with it. I have never replaced the headlights in this particular car. Should I start there?

If it weren't for the deer, I wouldn't care.

[ARCHINSTL]

See this entire thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9494&hilit=high+beam+switch
Tom M.

[Petros]

I once had a similar problem in our Mazda, we were on a road trip and no low beams, but high beams worked. I just lowered the high beam angle so it was not blinding drivers. Later in Montana I took a closer look, both of the low beam filaments on both sides was burnt out. Replaced both bulbs and the problem solved. it was the high intensity lights, on our rough roads they tended to break (high temp filaments), and driving on one was so bright it was not noticeable while driving, until the other one burnt out on our trip.

Use a simple volt meter, or even a light bulb with a wire on it to test for where you have power at the head lamp. If you do not have 12 v at the high beam contact, you need to look for a new switch. sometimes btw, you can dismantle the switch and clean the contacts and it will work, I have done it. I had a Nissan that got bad contacts at the light switch, no lights at all. I jury rigged a wire from the battery to one head light to get home late one night, checked it out in the morning, the contacts were all pitted and corroded. The switch on the steering column was easy to take apart and sand the contacts clean. worked perfectly after that.

strange things happen to cars that are driven well over 300k miles, because parts like this wear out that do not normally give you trouble.

good luck.

[mountaindude]

I have a 84 and 85. I will swap one of the good 85 headlights and see if it is the lamp. That should give me some direction. Thanks for the imput.

[teranfirbt]

I'm with Petros, I've had both lights go out at the same time. If you need new lights anyway, do yourself a favor and pick up a pair of Autopal 200mm E code lights from eBay (make sure it does not say DOT in the description!). These lights drop into the stock housings and are a night and day difference in terms of light placement and reach. They also use replaceable H4 bulbs, so you never have to replace the housing again. The stock autopal bulbs aren't bad, but Sylvania Xtra vision bulbs put out just a little more light and are legal. Granted, the E code lights technically aren't, but they really should be as the beam pattern is very controlled and much better than US standards.