Both of my headlights went out at the same time. I replaced both bulbs today, and that didn't help anything. I checked the fuses too, and they're both in good shape. Is there anything else I can check before bringing it to a shop? I bought a multimeter just for this.

I've got the stock lights, not the HIDs.

 

Check the relay, I assume there is one. Do you here any clicking when you turn the light on?

 

I feel like kind of a dunce for saying this, but.... what is a headlight relay? And where can I find it under the hood?

The only clicking I hear when I turn on the lights is the switch itself.

 

No offense but if you don't know what a relay is then you should strongly consider having a shop look into your issue. The reason I say this is the last thing you want to do when trying to troubleshoot your headlight circuit is damage more components.

Please don't take my post the wrong way.

Unless someone chimes in here with a known common problem / fix for the headlights the only way to find the problem is with a schematic, and a VOM.

 

Yeah, that's about the same conclusion I came to when I was writing that message out. No offense taken here! I've got an appointment with a local shop now, but the soonest they could take me in is Monday.

On the other hand, if I can spend two hours or so very carefully testing things with my new multimeter and save the shop tech an hour of time trying to diagnose the issue, that's $90 that I get to keep in my pocket. (And it'll help me justify the purchase of this thing. ) Plus, I don't want to turn down any opportunity to learn more about how my mini is put together. So I'd like to keep troubleshooting, provided there is anything else I can safely test with the multimeter.

 

Firehawk is right, But its just headlights, i mean if you are careful, youll do ok! And like you said its a great opportunity to learn, i mean you might have to do fix some kind of headlight, electrical relate, in the future cars

 

Checking the wiring diagrams in the Haynes, I don't find a relay in the headlight circuit (there is one for the horn so it isn't like they missed it). There isn't even a fuse unique to the HL's, there is simply a fuse for the GCU. "you checked the fuses" hmmmm, which fuses? All the headlight details are in the General Control Unit and if the problem is there, then you DO have a problem. Only other possibility I see is the switch. When the low beams should be on, are the side markers front and rear on? This control is in the same part of the switch. Does the 'flash' function work? Can you 'blink' the hl's?

Are you 110% sure you bought the right bulbs and put them in correctly?

The high and low on each side use the same size bulb. Try swapping the two bulbs in one side to eliminate the possibility you changed the wrong bulb . . .


If you want to try a meter, there are 3 wires in each connector. main (high) beam is white and blue, dip (low) is yellow and green, and the ground is brown. This is per the Haynes and for regular (non-xenon) hl's

 

I was telling the OP to be very careful because I have never examined the headlight circuit in these cars. If it's a simple switch/relay system then i'd say yeah do what you can with your meter, but do NOT start jumpering wires unless you are absolutely certain what you're doing.

Now if this system goes through any modules like a BCM or headlight module then probing around with your vom CAN do damage in rare instances, and jumpering wires will almost certainly cause damage, again, unless you absolutely know what you're doing.

If you're still stumped i'll go see if I can dig up the schematic and give some pointers....

 

In the fuse box under the hood, two of the fuses are labeled with light bulb icons on the key. Those were the ones I checked, using a multimeter set to ohms. I assumed they were for the headlights, what else would they be for?

The side fender markers come on, yeah. I can flash the high beams like you would expect, too. And while my tail lights also come on, I noticed something else strange - the parking light on the passenger side doesn't come on with the lights. Neither does the license plate light on that same side. But oddly enough, the parking light flashes just fine when I lock or unlock the doors.

I got H7s and installed them following the directions in the owner's manual.

 

12 and 8 (top one and 5th down on left) are "GCU, lights" according to the Haynes and by the wiring diagrams b4 the GCU ... that is, they feed the GCU. That's how I'm reading it anyway. F10 the top of the
right stack is fog lights. I don't have a GEN1 anymore to see the labels on the box; this is what the diagram in the electrical schematics provides....


You might want to pull back the kick panel on the pass' side in the footwell. That's where you'll find the GCU. I'd take a look at the connector - a big multi-wire plug on the bottom.....I'd probably reseat it. It is OK to disconnect .... I've done so many times installing factory driving lights (this is where the factory kit splices into the high beam trigger wire to lock the system into 'only when brights are on' mode)

MAYBE it is loose or not making good connection. This is a reach but maybe . . .

but all in all, this is sounding more like GCU . . . .

You might also try the old disconnect the battery for a couple of hours reset . . .

 

I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed coming out of a shop as I was last night.

When I replaced the bulbs, I unknowingly only replaced the high beams. Not the low. And it turns out... it was just the bulbs that were bad. But because I told the shop tech I replaced the bulbs, he looked at everything else first.

tl;dr I wasted everybody's time and my own money because I didn't read the manual closely enough. Thank you to everyone for trying to help.

 

sorry

guess I wasn't clear when I said

The high and low on each side use the same size bulb. Try swapping the two bulbs in one side to eliminate the possibility you changed the wrong bulb . . .

I'll try to find a better way to phrase it next time to eliminate cornfusion . .

I did the same thing when I decided to put in SilverStars

I put 'em in and fired things up and said - hey that looks no brighter . . . then I blinked the brights and said WOW

glad you got out cheap and a good note:

when you are sure everything is right

and the program still doesn't work

something you are sure of

is wrong

 

ROTFL! Sorry, glad you had the courage to post the truth! It happens.

Recently I had a guy bring me a mazda protege, no low beams. He swapped turn signal switch, relay, fuses etc.

Both bulbs were burnt out.