Crazy ass JDM headlight issue... FIXED

[Bubba02sti]

its in my journal too but im going to post it here as well


from my journal
http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy345/Rally_Subie/All%20Things%20subaru/Photo-0627.jpg

sorry for the crappy pic

ok when the drivers side low beam is hooked up it is very dim and my brights turn on and are very dim.. and the passenger side low beam is bright how it should be but the high beam is on and dim. when the drivers side is low beam is unplugged the high beams turn off and the drivers side low beam is on and just fine... any help would be nice

If any of this doesn't make sense ill try and word it better just say so :thumbsup:

[DirtyBugEye]

Check out Lightwerkz.net, they have a plug and play wire harness for JDM bugeye headlights:
http://www.lightwerkz.net/prod_subaru.htm
Scroll down to Plug & Play Wiring Harness

[snaggleto0th]

have you checked for any loose grounds? That could be one cause for dim lights but that is odd how the pass low beam is bright. Id still check for a ground and see what kind of voltage your getting on each V+ wire for your headlights. If your getting anything less that 12V with the car running, Id then assume theres a issue with your wiring and check for shorts on the power side.

[rollo]

So when you unplug the driver's side low beam harness, the driver's side low beam comes on?

The pic is kinda hard to make out what's happening but it looks like a bunch of spliced wires.. maybe you got a positive and a ground mixed up?

Weird stuff can happen because a hot positive will act as a ground.

[Bubba02sti]

Check out Lightwerkz.net, they have a plug and play wire harness for JDM bugeye headlights:
http://www.lightwerkz.net/prod_subaru.htm
Scroll down to Plug & Play Wiring Harness

The lights were already wired up and working fine for the past 4 years

have you checked for any loose grounds? That could be one cause for dim lights but that is odd how the pass low beam is bright. Id still check for a ground and see what kind of voltage your getting on each V+ wire for your headlights. If your getting anything less that 12V with the car running, Id then assume theres a issue with your wiring and check for shorts on the power side.

All the grounds seem to be fine but also I haven't really dug into it too much... there is a tapped mess in there so i need to cut back the tape and i figured i would just re wire them

So when you unplug the driver's side low beam harness, the driver's side low beam comes on?

The pic is kinda hard to make out what's happening but it looks like a bunch of spliced wires.. maybe you got a positive and a ground mixed up?

Weird stuff can happen because a hot positive will act as a ground.

Like I said a minute ago they have been fine for the past 4 years...

when i unplug the drivers side harnes the passenger side high beam goes off (low beams on) and the low beam is on... just like it should be.. but the drivers side obviously wont work being on plugged... its ass soon as i plug the low beam harness in that it turns the high beams on and they are dim... the passenger light is still bright like it should be but the drivers side is low beam is dim... make sense now...

Sorry about the pic... I took it with my cell phone... on monday im just going to go pick up the car (in the daytime) and bring it home and try to figure it out... I think its a short but im not too sure... its just kinda odd that it is happening all of a sudden... my body guy told me it wasn't him that pulled out the lights prior to having my body work done... It was another mechanic and he wasn't there yesterday... Is it possible that when they were PDR'ing the quarter panel that he got snagged on the wires and caused a short???

[snaggleto0th]

Is it possible that when they were PDR'ing the quarter panel that he got snagged on the wires and caused a short???

I wouldnt think any grounds in the rear of the vehicle would be for the headlights maybe for your stop/tail lights or even the harness for the rears including your power and grounds. It could be possible that the tech that was in the 1/4 panel in the rear might of pinched some wires but I wouldnt think they would be for your head lights. If your rear lights are acting weird too Id dig around where that tech was and see if he effed up.

I would def. check for power to the headlights on DRL, low, and high to be sure that your getting the correct voltage to them and go over your wiring to be sure its not a loose connection/splice/something.

[Bubba02sti]

I wouldnt think any grounds in the rear of the vehicle would be for the headlights maybe for your stop/tail lights or even the harness for the rears including your power and grounds. It could be possible that the tech that was in the 1/4 panel in the rear might of pinched some wires but I wouldnt think they would be for your head lights. If your rear lights are acting weird too Id dig around where that tech was and see if he effed up.

I would def. check for power to the headlights on DRL, low, and high to be sure that your getting the correct voltage to them and go over your wiring to be sure its not a loose connection/splice/something.

I don't have daytimes...lol something happend to those a long time ago... lol

BTW im talking about the front fender...

it put a voltage meter on the hot and ground wires for the low beams... and had power to them with both the high beams and the low beams on... now my understanding is when you turn on the high beams power is cut to the low beams so there shouldn't be any power...

Im going to pick the car up on monday... the owner was up all night on friday painting the car... and was trying to get it back to me friday night... he has felt bad that it is taking so long because of the insurance and was just trying to get it back together for me on saturday... I felt bad cause he had promised his wife he would be home for dinner and was tied up with my car and no sleep... so being the person i am with some what of a heart... (don't laugh im not always an ass hole) i told him he could come finish it up on monday and I would just come pick it up...

I guess this is a confusing situation and is kinda hard for me to explain... so on monday i will take a video of what is happening and maybe you guys can get a better understanding of whats going on... Im seriously stumped... i hate electrical and all but it usually isn't a problem... and with this i've never seen this problem before...

[Bubba02sti]

ok I went and got the car back today... yippie... and i fixed the light issue... the drivers side power wires to both the high beam and the low beam some how got crimpped together... so all it took was seperating them and fixing it...

[snaggleto0th]

ok I went and got the car back today... yippie... and i fixed the light issue... the drivers side power wires to both the high beam and the low beam some how got crimpped together... so all it took was seperating them and fixing it...

yee haw! gotta love wiring! It was probably from that tech being in that area and they got smooshed or something. Glad you figured it out.