One headlight is Dim...Help please.

[ChevyDude]

I have noticed my headlights were not working very well and the drivers side was only dim at best when it was on. I ordered a set of the H4 lights from Ricks and the Passenger side is blazing bright, but the drivers side is still dim . Any ideas whats up with the drivers side ??? I did a search but could not find any info. Thanks guys....and gals.

[Longhorn Man]

bad ground.

look for where the light grounds to the core support, remove it, sand down to clean bare metal, and reattach.

[72CSTC5]

Yup what he said.

[gmc67swb]

I 3rd that!

[ChevyDude]

Ok, took the ground wire oof the Pasenger side headlight and sanded the connections. Re-attached it and the drivers side is blazing bright, but the passenger side is completely out. So, I stepped on the dimmer switch (which is new) and the passenger light goes on but then the driver is out. So the dimmer switch just shuts down one light from side to side....What now??? Any ideas???

[ChevyDude]

Just went out and sanded the other ground on the passenger side...still no good. One on bright as can be...and you step on the dimmer and it shuts that side down and turns the other side on. They are both bright as can be now but I can only get one side to go on????

[Brainchild]

have you inspected the connectors to see if they are making good contact? Maybe you have two bad bulbs,new doesn't mean good.If it were th dimmer either high or low would work,not side to side,it's somewhere in the connectors or bulbs.Or you still have a ground problem,but if they work I would say the ground is OK.

Test the bulbs,that's where I would start anyway

[mrein3]

Start with the basics.
Take a test light or a volt meter, turn your headlights on low and check the three contacts behind the light. One is ground, one is 12V low beam, and the other is 12V for the high beam. Make sure you have 12V on each side on the same connector wire. Then click the dimmer to high and make sure you have 12V on each of the two high beam connections.
If you have 12 volts where you are supposed to at the headlights you have bad bulbs. If not you have to look "upstream" from there.

BTW if you are using a volt meter, and factory headlight wiring, you won't have 12 volts at the lights. More like 10-11 volts but that is another story all together.

[ChevyDude]

I'll check it out, Thanks.

[raggedjim]

When I had that problem it ended up being a corroded connector (it looked good, but I replaced it, fixed the problem)

[ChevyDude]

Can you buy new connectors that I could solder into place?

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by ChevyDude

Can you buy new connectors that I could solder into place?

Better than new connectors just buy the metal pieces that go inside the connector.

A while back somebody on this message board posted that the inside of the connector is a "type 56" connector. NAPA sells them as their part number 725145 and 725147. One of the part numbers is a male connector, the other female. I went to my local NAPA and asked about type 56 connectors. He gave me the I'm on glue look so I gave him the part numbers. That worked for him.

Of course your plastic outer part of the connector has to still be servicable. Once you have the type 56 connector in hand you'll see how to pop the wire and connector out of the plastic housing. Then just solder the new connector on the existing wire and push it back in. The connectors are designed to work without solder but overkill never hurts.

Many of my wires are brittle. No problem. Just follow it back to the next connection, buy the same color and gauge of wire, and run a new wire.

I've been doing this since these part numbers were originally posted. I'm running out of dry and brittle wire and crummy connectors on my truck.

[Hooter]

they are the most common connectorfor your electrical system, any parts store should have one, i bet yours is all broken and corroded from the battery right?

[ChevyDude]

Have to say...You guys Rock!!! Just went out and started scaping on the insides of the connectors...and got the test light to light on both sides high and low beams!!! So now I will just take the wires and type 56 connectors out and either replace them or just clean the crap out of the old ones. But...I now have two H4 blue headlight burning bright on BOTH sides...and yes High or Low beams!!!!

Thank you guys so much...and Thanks to Rick's for the DOT approved H4 headlights...looks like they are going to be a big improvement over the regular set.