97 accord - low beam head lights don't work

Remco wrote:
> On the common path, there must be a different non-shared high/low beam
> path, because if they were all the same all lights would go on: one
> would not have low or high beams.

The lights are wired so that you can not have the high beams on without
the low beams on also. Clearly you can have the low beams on by
themselves.

Specifically, the head light relay supplies current to both the high
beam and the low beam bulbs. The low beams are always grounded, the high
beams are grounded through a relay controlled by the dimmer switch. See
http://www.geocities.com/ng_randolph...ord_lights.pdf

So, if the high beams are working, a relay failure can not be the cause
of low beams not working. What is left is broken wires, missing grounds
or a failed head light switch.

To the OP: You said the high beams *are* working; When the high beams
are on, are the low beams on as well? If so, the switch is most likely
the problem. If not, my guess is that both bulbs failed.

> To the OP: You said the high beams *are* working; When the high beams
> are on, are the low beams on as well? If so, the switch is most likely
> the problem. If not, my guess is that both bulbs failed.

I stand totally corrected and need coffee now to wash that crow and shoe
down with
This schematic is quite different from the one I have, but mine is much
older.

Agreed also on the relays -- if the high beams work by themselves, low beams
should be on as well. It could still be the column switch.

Measure the voltage on the light's connector. Weird if both are blown at the
exact same time, but I guess they developed Mean Time Between Failure to an
exact science so they can count on selling lamps from time to time
That ground connector from the low beam (black) could be something they put
on a common connection somewhere so I'd trace that, should you not see 12V
on the low beam connector.

msgal wrote:
> They just stopped working. Bulbs are not blown, fuse under hood is good,
> even changed out with a new one to be sure. Bright lights work, brake
> lights work, everything is working fine. What do I need to check now?
>
> Help
> G
>

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The hi- cut relay can get welded over time (what's your mileage??) At
least we're talking about an American version. Throw in DRL, and the
troubleshooting gets even wierder. My '95 Odyssey welded the relay and
it was solved the second we changed it, HOWEVER, the lugs in the
headlight lamp connectors can get loose from torqueing them on and off
so many times, so keep an eye on that too. The hi-cut relay is above the
brake pedal, attached to the firewall, in a '95 Ody. Accord is
probably similar. The relay will probably be mounted in a rubber (sound)
isolator.

'Curly'