Headlight Troubles - 1998 Corolla - Please Help!

[NilsonCain]

Hi there,

Recently I hit a deer in my car and it smashed my DS turn signal housing and bulb, as well as the DS headlight housing and bulb. I replaced the missing headlight bulb but have not yet replaced the turn signal.

For about a day, the headlights functioned normally - DRLs, hi/lo beam all worked. Then out of the blue the headlights stopped working. DRLs will run fine during daylight hours, but as soon as I try to switch on the headlights (hi or lo) they turn off completely. Also when it gets dark out the Twilight Sentinel turns off the DRLs and turns on the headlamps, which causes there to be no headlights again.

I have checked every fuse I could find as well as swapped the DRL and Headlight relays around to no avail. Note that I DO hear the headlight relay switching when I actuate the headlight switch in the car.

Can someone please point me in the right direction? I'm in bad shape not being able to drive after dark.

Thanks, Nilson

 

[JC1]

Did you try to check the fuses again or just once after they stopped working? Are any wires lose? Did you buy the right bulbs? Is there one bulb for both high/low beams or two separate bulbs on the car?

Regards, JC.

 

[NilsonCain]

Hi/lo beam use same bulb, DRLs also. I've checked the fuses several times - inside the car, and in two seperate panels under the hood.

Bulbs are correct and DRLs run fine with both headlights.

 

[vssjim]

You need to get a test light and see if you have no power or have no ground before you go any longer. First is to back probe socket with bulb in place power on both side you have no ground, no power you need a wire diagram to see where it fails to power up.

 

[NilsonCain]

I've got my multimeter on the way to me in the mail (not at home now). Maybe I can find something out with the schematic.

 

[NilsonCain]

For what it's worth, I discovered the problem to be a bad ground on the DRL relay.

Now I ran a new ground for this relay, but now the switch turns the headlights on in both the "marker lights only" position and the headlights position, but otherwise all seems to work fine.

Good enough for me