Whacky Headlights
10-29-2004, 06:31 AM
#1
'92 Honda Accord LX Coupe
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
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Whacky Headlights
(Did a search, didn't really find anything that matches this problem.)
Car: Canadian '92 Honda Accord LX Coupe
Problem:
Turn on car, DRLs work fine. Turn on headlights, low beam works fine. Flick to high beams, driver's side doesn't work, passenger side does. (DRLs and high beam are same bulb). Remember, DRLs work on both sides...
Now here's where it gets really whacky:
Sometimes, the high beam on the driver side works from the get-go.
Sometimes, I can only get the high beam to work if I turn on the high beams, then turn off the headlights and turn them back on.
Sometimes, I can only get the high beams to work if I turn on the high beams, turn off the CAR and then start the car again.
But the DRLs work 100% of the time.
**As a side note, which may or may not be related to this issue, there is an indicator light on my dash for the brake light. Sometimes that is lit - sporatically - yet my brake lights are working. Does this brake light indicator ONLY light for brake light issues? Or does it light for all lighting issues?**
So, I am figuring that there must be some controller or something? My mechanic said something about a bad connection in the DRL box, but he was going to charge me "look-up" time in order to study diagrams of my car. Well, I'd like to avoid that, if at all possible. (New dad, who has lost his wife's income - money = tight!)
Can anyone point me to diagrams of what the heck I should be looking for?
(I am a computer tech with soldering skills - but when it comes to my car I, I know where to put oil, gas and wiperfluid - that's about it.)
Car: Canadian '92 Honda Accord LX Coupe
Problem:
Turn on car, DRLs work fine. Turn on headlights, low beam works fine. Flick to high beams, driver's side doesn't work, passenger side does. (DRLs and high beam are same bulb). Remember, DRLs work on both sides...
Now here's where it gets really whacky:
Sometimes, the high beam on the driver side works from the get-go.
Sometimes, I can only get the high beam to work if I turn on the high beams, then turn off the headlights and turn them back on.
Sometimes, I can only get the high beams to work if I turn on the high beams, turn off the CAR and then start the car again.
But the DRLs work 100% of the time.
**As a side note, which may or may not be related to this issue, there is an indicator light on my dash for the brake light. Sometimes that is lit - sporatically - yet my brake lights are working. Does this brake light indicator ONLY light for brake light issues? Or does it light for all lighting issues?**
So, I am figuring that there must be some controller or something? My mechanic said something about a bad connection in the DRL box, but he was going to charge me "look-up" time in order to study diagrams of my car. Well, I'd like to avoid that, if at all possible. (New dad, who has lost his wife's income - money = tight!)
Can anyone point me to diagrams of what the heck I should be looking for?
(I am a computer tech with soldering skills - but when it comes to my car I, I know where to put oil, gas and wiperfluid - that's about it.)
10-30-2004, 03:23 AM
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Adirondacks of NY
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it almost sound like the problem may lie inside the headlight switch on the side of the steering collum. With something like this, its almost a "hit-and-miss" situation to fix the problem... you have to start eliminating potential problems. One of the easiest, check all the fuses first... your car has 4 fuses for the headlights alone, one for each bulb basically. The DRL system works seperate from those fuses, on its own circuit, also seperate from the headlight and high beam switches inside the car.
With the brake light, is it the same one that comes on when the parking brake is pulled up? Or the little indicator that lights if there is a brake lamp out? If its the parking brake indicator, check your brake fluid, if it gets low it will trigger that light. If its the light for an out brake light, there may be a loose bulb in one of the tail lights (including the third brake light in the rear window or spoiler if equipped) or the connection to the circuit that controls that little light may be loose, which is a small brown box mounted to the inside of the left, outer tail light.
With the brake light, is it the same one that comes on when the parking brake is pulled up? Or the little indicator that lights if there is a brake lamp out? If its the parking brake indicator, check your brake fluid, if it gets low it will trigger that light. If its the light for an out brake light, there may be a loose bulb in one of the tail lights (including the third brake light in the rear window or spoiler if equipped) or the connection to the circuit that controls that little light may be loose, which is a small brown box mounted to the inside of the left, outer tail light.