No low beam???? **HELP!!**

[OneBADLsE]

After doing a HID installation today (thank you Paul *Blackened300a*), i noticed when i tried to use the HID lights with the low beam on, they wouldnt work. Scratching our heads in a WTF fashion, Paul began to test the lines going to the halogen connector to find that there IS NO POWER TO THE CONNECTOR! Yes, before you ask, the low beams did work.

Here is the strange part.


The low beam on the left hand side which had not yet tained by HID installation was working perfectly. He asked me if the lowbeam had worked prior to said installation, i of course nodded yes. The HID would only work on HIGHBEAM. :confused::confused::confused: With that being said, he then plugged in the original halogen bulb just to make sure we werent crazy. Lo and behold, didnt work.

Trying for over 40 mins to figure out what the F had just happened, we called it a day on figuring out the problem. The installation continues...



NOW, we do the same to the LEFT SIDE which originally worked!!! Low beam goes out on the left hand side, the same way it did on the right.

Long story short, HIDS AND HALOGENS work soley on the highbeam mode. No fueses, relays (that we know of), wires, or anything of the sort were broken, frayed, or fried for that matter. Bear in mind again, NO POWER GOING TO THE LOWBEAM AT ALL. This was checked from the wire itself.



Im sure Paul will chime in on other things he tried that im not explaining correctly.


HELP!!!!!!:help::help::help:

[Raudermaster]

Hmm, that is odd. My Dad's truck had a similar problem. '04 F150 5.4l, I bought him HID's for father's day, went to install them, the driver side wouldn't turn on low or high beam, the passenger side did though. Then the passenger side wouldn't turn on at all, but regular halogen's worked on low's and high's. Needless to say we gave up after a month and couldn't figure it out. I will watch this though to see if it's something I can look into his truck.

[Drock96Marquis]

So, no low beams at all....



Do the highbeams work in locked high position AND flash to pass, or only on flash to pass?


If they only work on flash to pass, you may have toasted the LCM headlamp output relay. If they work on flash to pass or locked highbeam position, the MFS low beam may have been overloaded (and is now bad) or the low beam wiring between MFS and bulbs has a break.


http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/456964/thumbnail/98+hdrl.jpg (http://www.supermotors.net/vehicles/registry/media/456964_1)

(click - ignore DRL portion if un-equipped)


I'd first start with any connectors you have touched.
Since it happened one side at a time, I'd guess it's a wiring issue as they feed is spliced off to both sides, not individual from the source.

If you go forward with this later, I'd suggest doing a headlamp wiring relay upgrade so the ballasts are powered by a seperate fused feed from the power distribution box. This will isolate the ballasts from the factory wiring and prevent damage to the LCM should the ballasts fail. It will also allow full voltage to the ballasts with little to no voltage drop.

If you're a member of CVN, sign in and go to the BOK forum. Click on the headlamp relay upgrade article for a how-to.

[OneBADLsE]

So, no low beams at all....



Do the highbeams work in locked high position AND flash to pass, or only on flash to pass?


If they only work on flash to pass, you may have toasted the LCM headlamp output relay. If they work on flash to pass or locked highbeam position, the MFS low beam may have been overloaded (and is now bad) or the low beam wiring between MFS and bulbs has a break.


http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/456964/thumbnail/98+hdrl.jpg (http://www.supermotors.net/vehicles/registry/media/456964_1)

(click - ignore DRL portion if un-equipped)


I'd first start with any connectors you have touched.
Since it happened one side at a time, I'd guess it's a wiring issue as they feed is spliced off to both sides, not individual from the source.

If you go forward with this later, I'd suggest doing a headlamp wiring relay upgrade so the ballasts are powered by a seperate fused feed from the power distribution box. This will isolate the ballasts from the factory wiring and prevent damage to the LCM should the ballasts fail. It will also allow full voltage to the ballasts with little to no voltage drop.

If you're a member of CVN, sign in and go to the BOK forum. Click on the headlamp relay upgrade article for a how-to.


I just spent over an hr with LarryO340 trying to figure out just what went wrong. Seems that the lowbeams have separate fuses for each side. The #26, and 24 fuses were blown. Replaced said fuses one at a time with a borrowed 15amp fuse. HIds engaged, but started to flicker as if there was a low voltage issue.

Back to the basics...My homework assignment is to hook up the halogens replacing blown fuses to see if there are any issues with the cars wiring before continuing further with the HID kit.


Thanks again Larry!!! And thank you Drock for your well informed answer:beer:

[Blackened300a]

Like I said before, A OWNERS MANUAL would have helped!!!!!!!!

This kit had a jumper wire that went from the hot side of the high beam to the hot side of the low beam. I imagine the idea behind this was to keep the lights lit in either high/low position. In this case it went ahead and popped the fuses on the low beam side.
When I get a chance I will cut the jumper wire, replace the fuses and connect the hot lead to the low beams so this way your high beam will act as a "flash to pass" and your low beams will remain HID.

Easy fix, No harm, no foul.

[larryo340]

Like I said before, A OWNERS MANUAL would have helped!!!!!!!
Easy fix, No harm, no foul.

Hey Paul, it would have also helped if he remembered about the FORD cd workshop manual I gave him ;)

:bop: sorry Lenny

[OneBADLsE]

Hey Paul, it would have also helped if he remembered about the FORD cd workshop manual I gave him ;)

:bop: sorry Lenny


:lol: I had it in my car...I forgot :help:

[OneBADLsE]

Like I said before, A OWNERS MANUAL would have helped!!!!!!!!

This kit had a jumper wire that went from the hot side of the high beam to the hot side of the low beam. I imagine the idea behind this was to keep the lights lit in either high/low position. In this case it went ahead and popped the fuses on the low beam side.
When I get a chance I will cut the jumper wire, replace the fuses and connect the hot lead to the low beams so this way your high beam will act as a "flash to pass" and your low beams will remain HID.

Easy fix, No harm, no foul.

:cool4: Thanks again Paul. I appreciate it. Will call you tomorrow during the day!

[MM_BKK]

Like I said before, A OWNERS MANUAL would have helped!!!!!!!!

This kit had a jumper wire that went from the hot side of the high beam to the hot side of the low beam. I imagine the idea behind this was to keep the lights lit in either high/low position. In this case it went ahead and popped the fuses on the low beam side.
When I get a chance I will cut the jumper wire, replace the fuses and connect the hot lead to the low beams so this way your high beam will act as a "flash to pass" and your low beams will remain HID.

Easy fix, No harm, no foul.

This is the reason why you don't have low beams. When you turn on low beams, the highs are getting activated by the jumper wire.
If you want the low beams to stay on with high beams but NOT turn on when in low beams, you need to use a diode instead. This way it will block highs from turning on with just lows turn on.