Here are the symptoms:
1. Both lowbeams do not work.
2. Both highbeams work.
3. I did a continuity test on the bulbs, and they seem fine (came up near 0 on my multitester)
4. Fuses both are fine and power makes it to them.
5. I checked the voltage at the bulb. There are three prongs:
When lowbeams are on, all three prongs have 12v.
When highbeams are on, the right prong has no voltage while the other two have 12v.
I am assuming that having all three prongs lit is the problem since electricty needs a ground to flow to. I am also assuming that there is some kind of relay that switches which wire has a ground and which it hot. This isn't really an obvious thing to me, I'm sure there are good reasons for doing it this way, I'm not an electrician.
So I looked for relays, I found two in the fuse box under the hood. One for R and one for L. I am assuming they are fine since both highbeams work. But just in case, I switched them around with like ones, no change.
I *think* there is a relay I felt clicking under the dash in the fuse box. It's gray and big and says, "MITSUBA FR-3318" on it. I don't know how to test it or if it is even the right relay to look at. Could this be the right relay? Am I barking up the wrong tree?
Any thoughts? I don't have a service manual for this car (yet). I've had the car since 2000 and it has been very good to me with very little problems. I have only needed to do the regular maintenance so far.
Thanks!
1. Both lowbeams do not work.
2. Both highbeams work.
3. I did a continuity test on the bulbs, and they seem fine (came up near 0 on my multitester)
4. Fuses both are fine and power makes it to them.
5. I checked the voltage at the bulb. There are three prongs:
When lowbeams are on, all three prongs have 12v.
When highbeams are on, the right prong has no voltage while the other two have 12v.
I am assuming that having all three prongs lit is the problem since electricty needs a ground to flow to. I am also assuming that there is some kind of relay that switches which wire has a ground and which it hot. This isn't really an obvious thing to me, I'm sure there are good reasons for doing it this way, I'm not an electrician.
So I looked for relays, I found two in the fuse box under the hood. One for R and one for L. I am assuming they are fine since both highbeams work. But just in case, I switched them around with like ones, no change.
I *think* there is a relay I felt clicking under the dash in the fuse box. It's gray and big and says, "MITSUBA FR-3318" on it. I don't know how to test it or if it is even the right relay to look at. Could this be the right relay? Am I barking up the wrong tree?
Any thoughts? I don't have a service manual for this car (yet). I've had the car since 2000 and it has been very good to me with very little problems. I have only needed to do the regular maintenance so far.
Thanks!