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1995 Saturn Headlight problems

Tiny
CJC2CP
  • MEMBER
  • 1995 SATURN SL2
On my 1995 Saturn SL2, the passenger side high and low beams are very dim (barely on). I tried replacing the bulbs, but it didn't work. Then I noticed in your other answers that I need to check the ground. However, my connectors have only 2 wires. Your diagnosing steps gave information for only a 3 terminal connection. Could you help? Is this a grounding issue? Which is the ground wire?
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Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 AT 12:27 AM

25 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Here's the first thing you need to do go into the under hood fuse box you will find a left and right head light fuse if one of the fuse's blow it will do what your head light's are doing. See if one of the fuse's are blown.
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Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 AT 12:36 AM
Tiny
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I have already checked the fuses with a light tester
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Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 AT 12:39 AM
Tiny
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They are good
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Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 AT 12:40 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Ok but that sound's just like a blown head light fuse but if you say there good then there good. Test both right head light bulb's orange wire's they should have battery voltage to both of them. Now test the right low beam bulb with the head light's switch on and switched to low beam's. The dark blue wire should have 2 ohms or less to ground. Now check the right high beam bulb with the head light switch on high the pink wire should have 2 ohm's or less to ground. Let me know what you find.
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+1
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 AT 1:17 AM
Tiny
CJC2CP
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Okay. I went ahead and double checked the fuses. There are 4 of them (10 amp) in the underhood fuse box. They are light testing good.

Both orange wires are getting 12v.

With the OHMs testing, I'm a bit more unfamiliar. I should have the negative battery cable disconnected, right? And then as I test the dk blue and pink wire, should all the other headlight bulbs be connected or does it matter?

I'll do it as soon as I hear from ya :)
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 6:06 PM
Tiny
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Okay. I just double checked the fuses in the underhood fuse box. There are 4 of them and they all light test okay.

Both oranges wires are getting 12v.

With the OHMs I am a bit more unfamiliar. I should have the neg. Battery cable disconnected, right? Also, do the other headlight bulbs need to be plugged in while I test the blue and pink wires, or does it matter?

I will test it as soon as I hear from you :)
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 6:10 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Both battery cable's should be connected it doesn't matter if the head light's you aren't testing are plugged in. The one's you are testing I would unplug. If you are getting battery voltage to the orange wire's then the fuse is good. Connect the black wire of the meter to a good ground you can even use the battery ground post. Then put the meter on low ohm scale and test's the other two wire's like I told you.
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 6:20 PM
Tiny
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Okay. Thanks so far. I tested as you said. They both had a reading of about.665 on the 2k OHMs setting.
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 8:54 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Alright now put the headlight's on low and test across the two low beam connector terminal's and measure the voltage to it using the ground and power on that circuit. Then do the same to the high beam with the high beam's on. Let me know what the voltage reading's are.
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 10:04 PM
Tiny
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The low beam gets 10.06 v and the high beam gets 11.86v.
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 10:23 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Unplug all the head light bulb's and measure the left voltage's and the right voltage's and give me the reading's. Recheck all the voltages with all the head light bulb's unplugged. And give me the new reading's.
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 10:30 PM
Tiny
CJC2CP
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Check across each terminal? Or orange wire only? Also headlights on or off or does it matter?
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 10:34 PM
Tiny
CJC2CP
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Okay. Unplugged all the bulbs. The passenger side is getting about 11.5 - 11.7 on both the low beam and high beam. The driver's side is getting around 12.5 to the low and high beams. That is with the headlights turned "off."
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 10:48 PM
Tiny
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Okay. Unplugged all the bulbs. Headlights turned "off." The passenger side is getting about 11.5 - 11.7 on both the low beam and high beam. The driver's side is getting around 12.5 to the low and high beams.
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 10:51 PM
Tiny
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Sorry about the double responses. The internet connection is freezing and making me reload it. :)
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 10:57 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough for you I need reading's with all the head light's unplugged the head light switch in the low setting check all the low connector's and the head light switch in the high setting check all the high beam connector's. Also your going to be checking between the power and ground side of the connector's. Meaning your going to be using the power and ground terminal's at the same time to measure the voltage at each connector. Not like you just did by grounding the black meter lead to chassis ground and only checking the hot terminal of each connector. This way we can test the voltage with the power and the ground side of the circuit working together at the same time.
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 AT 11:34 PM
Tiny
CJC2CP
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Okay. I removed all the bulbs and both the low and high terminals are getting about 12.6 to 12.8 when I switch to them.
As a side note, a friend walked up while I was doing it. I was showing him the problem with the bulbs. I re-installed both the passenger bulbs and they didn't light up at all (but the driver's side bulbs weren't in). But then I installed both of the driver's side bulbs and the passenger's started glowing (just barely lit not bright like the driver's side).
My friend, said: That's strange.
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Thursday, January 13th, 2011 AT 1:00 AM
Tiny
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Also, I'm leaving town tomorrow for 10 days. If I can't finish it tonight, can I continue this conversation then?
Also, I sent in a donation, do you get that?
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Thursday, January 13th, 2011 AT 1:11 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Yes we could continue it in ten day's yes I get credit for donated question's. Let's try this remember when I had you just check the ground terminal on the dim side?Let's do the same on the bright side to compare the high and low beam's ground from the bright to the dim side. Let me know the ohm's reading's.
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Thursday, January 13th, 2011 AT 1:51 AM
Tiny
CJC2CP
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You won't believe it! I just got back yesterday, and went back to double checking your instructions, and things were testing okay. Things just weren't adding up to me. So, I did another quick search on Google and found out on answers. Com that this headlight is a sneak circuit. It said that even if the fuses test light good at both posts, they could still be bad (corroded).
Sooo, sure enough I pulled the passenger headlight fuse and visually inspected it, and it was corroded. I brushed it and now it works!

Thanks for all your help. I learned from it. Now I know always check the fuses visually as well as with a tester.
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Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 AT 3:21 AM

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