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#304669 - 06/12/2007 01:44 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: tfabris]
mlord
carpal tunnel

Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14491
Loc: Canada
Quote:

Oddly, the lights are working right now. When we moved the car the other night and the lights didn't work, we *assumed* they'd burned out again, but they don't seem to have done so. It was a very cold day, and snowing, maybe that was a factor.


Really, Tony, the only data point that matters much here is, are the bulbs *actually* really burned out? Check for continuity through the filament (ohmmetre or similar).

Without knowing that for sure, this is impossible to correctly diagnose.

If they are burned out, then it's overvoltage.

-ml

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#304670 - 06/12/2007 02:46 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: mlord]
gbeer
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
Over voltage? in a car? Could the spark from the ignition coil blow a filament?
_________________________
Glenn

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#304671 - 06/12/2007 15:31 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: gbeer]
music
addict

Registered: 25/06/2002
Posts: 456
Quote:
Over voltage? in a car? Could the spark from the ignition coil blow a filament?


I think he is referring to overvoltage from the charging system. I.e., alternator/regulator. Not the ignition system.

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#304672 - 06/12/2007 22:43 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: music]
Neutrino
addict

Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
Don't know if you've solved this or not Tony but an interesting little circuit. The only three points I see that would only effect both low beams are the dimmer switch, the point at which the low beam wire connects to the dimmer switch and what looks like a connector in the low beam wire after the grommet. Have you tried just rapidly toggling the low beam dimmer switch when this happens? I thought it interesting that the right lamps are back fed to provide 6 volts to both headlights for DRL's. Pretty crafty and cheap to do.
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#304673 - 07/12/2007 05:28 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: Neutrino]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
This is interesting to know about that circuit. That's the kind of information I'm looking for.

One thing though. This car is not equipped with DRLs. So are we sure we're looking at the right schematic?

If I knew where that "connector at the grommet" was geographically, that'd be real nice. That's something I could easily check if I only knew where the connector was.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#304674 - 07/12/2007 15:52 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: tfabris]
lastdan
enthusiast

Registered: 31/05/2002
Posts: 352
Loc: santa cruz,ca
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2093849776_af98968550_b.jpg

here's another diagram.
allegedly for a 1995 Achieva SC w/o DRL.

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#304675 - 07/12/2007 16:54 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: lastdan]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
Interesting. Am I reading it wrong, or does that diagram have no fuses or circuit breakers on it?
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#304676 - 07/12/2007 17:03 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: tfabris]
larry818
old hand

Registered: 01/10/2002
Posts: 1039
Loc: Fullerton, Calif.
Quote:
Interesting. Am I reading it wrong, or does that diagram have no fuses or circuit breakers on it?


There are some fuses on it, just not associated with the headlights.

This is not a complete schematic. The fuses would be upstream of the switch in the upper left corner.

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#304677 - 07/12/2007 18:03 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: larry818]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
What about that (alleged) timed-reset circuit breaker that only exists for the low beams?
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#304678 - 07/12/2007 20:05 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: tfabris]
Neutrino
addict

Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
It sounds like that schematic is not what you got. I would imagine that your car has a close variant though. The grommet is where the wire runs through the firewall into the engine compartment. The connector can be anywhere from there the where the wire splits off the go to both head lights. If this is indeed indicative of your wiring and you have determined that the lamps are not actually failing, you might try toggling the dimmer switch rapidly when this happen to see if the lights come back on indicating that the problem is in the switch or opening the hood and basically just shaking the wiring looms in the engine compartment to see if the lights come back on pointing to a bad connection there somewhere. I think it is unlikely that you would have simultaneous lamp failure. It is far more likely that you have a bad switch. Again, if your wiring is similar to this.
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No matter where you might be, there you are.

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#304679 - 07/12/2007 20:21 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: Neutrino]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
This sounds like the most logical explanation to me.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#304680 - 08/12/2007 00:59 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: tfabris]
gbeer
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
I did some more digging, here are schematics for achevia w/o DRL.

http://gkb.servehttp.com/images/achevia/achevia_no-drl-sch-6cyl-a.gif

http://gkb.servehttp.com/images/achevia/achevia_no-drl-sch-6cyl-b.gif

The schematics are the same for 6cyl and 4.
_________________________
Glenn

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#304809 - 08/12/2007 06:00 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: gbeer]
Neutrino
addict

Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
Wow! Another nice schematic! It looks like the switch is still the most likely suspect. This one shows a 20 amp circuit breaker but it supplies power for both the high and low beams. I thing I notice is that the flash to pass switch fires up the high beams while allowing the low beams to stay on too! Now that's got to be bright!
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No matter where you might be, there you are.

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#304819 - 08/12/2007 14:18 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: tfabris]
FireFox31
pooh-bah

Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
Tony, even though you've got some good replies, why not call the Car Talk guys anyway. Stump The Chumps!!! Hahaha.
_________________________
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FireFox31
110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set

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#304834 - 08/12/2007 17:50 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: Neutrino]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
 Originally Posted By: Neutrino
Wow! Another nice schematic! It looks like the switch is still the most likely suspect.


I was going to say the same thing last night, but they brought the board down while I was mid-post. :-)
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#304837 - 08/12/2007 18:13 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: tfabris]
gbeer
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
The switch, or there is a dead short on the low beam circuit somewhere between the switch and the bulb.

If it's a short the breaker should reset after having time to cool.

You could unplug a HL and jumper from the battery to each terminal to see that the bulbs light.

Or better yet, with the lights off, unplug the head lamps and check, with an ohm meter, between the terminals of the harness and ground. If you get continuity where there shouldn't be, it's a short, otherwise it's gotta be the switch or a bad breaker. Breakers do fail sometimes.
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Glenn

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#304841 - 08/12/2007 20:48 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: gbeer]
Neutrino
addict

Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
It could be a short, if it is, then the HB's won't work either until the breaker resets unless you use then passing switch, then they should work.
_________________________
No matter where you might be, there you are.

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#304855 - 09/12/2007 06:15 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: Neutrino]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
 Originally Posted By: Neutrino
It could be a short, if it is, then the HB's won't work either until the breaker resets unless you use then passing switch, then they should work.


That's great information. I'm pretty sure the high beams work even when the lows are out. But I'm not certain of this. The trick with the passing switch is a good one... Strange they'd design it so that flash-to-pass would override the breaker?
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Tony Fabris

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#304880 - 09/12/2007 16:04 Re: Low beams keep burning out. [Re: tfabris]
Neutrino
addict

Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
The flash to pass is on it's own fuse. when used it is the only time that both the low beams and the high beams are on at the same time. At 50w / lamp thats 200watts @ 12 volts. Very close to the rating of the breaker.
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No matter where you might be, there you are.

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