[Seifer]

I'm new here, but I DID do a search before posting (and didnt find anything helpful). Sooo....


I have a 96 Catera. Last night I leave work (in the dark) and I notice my foglights, yellow sidelights, etc came on....but my low beam headlights DIDNT. High Beams worked, low didnt.


" Both went out at once!? " I thought. Seems its more likely a FUSE is blown. I know where my fuse box is, but dunno which fuse it might be. So I looked in the box and most of the fuses are the square/fat type, and I cant tell if they're blown or not (they arent 'see thru').


Granted, I'm definately not a mechanic by any means, I wanted to see if I could fix it myself (with some help from you guys, of course ) - before sending her off to the mechanic.



thanks, i'll owe you my firstborn!

 

[JJhomer83]

Im no mechanic either but some things that i would check would be all the fuses, the switch. see if you can see any condinsation built up in the lights that could have caused a short. finally replace both lights it will give you an excuse to upgrade to better brighter lights. other than that you need someone with more knowledge sorry.

 

[Seifer]

Yeah, thats just the thing. These odd size/shaped fuses - I cant tell if one went bad or not. It also appears replacing the bulb will be a pain in the butt!

 

[JJhomer83]

Yeah, thats just the thing. These odd size/shaped fuses - I cant tell if one went bad or not. It also appears replacing the bulb will be a pain in the butt!

To change the bulbs it really isn't that much of a pain. It is time consuming though. If you do deciede to do it make sure you don't touch the adjustmen screws for the angle of the light b/c you don't want to be driving around with lights that point in the wrong direction. If i can remember correctly all you have to do is go from the back and twist off the hosuing for the bulb.

 

[jss27560]

I don;t think that the fuses cost too much, just buy one and replace it. If you have a votage meter, few $ at WALMark, and place the leads on either side of the fuse.

Yeah, thats just the thing. These odd size/shaped fuses - I cant tell if one went bad or not. It also appears replacing the bulb will be a pain in the butt!

 

[Seifer]

Yeah, but I have no idea which fuse it is! (no owners manual).

 

[jss27560]

I'm not positive but they are usualy on the driver side under the dash. The best bet is to go to autozone, advance america, or the local library and look in one of the auto repair manuals.

Jeff

Yeah, but I have no idea which fuse it is! (no owners manual).

 

[catalog555]

If some one finds the problem, please post it! The fuse# for the head lamps are, #22 for the left low beam & #33 for the right. I have a 97 Catera that done the same thing! Its not the fuse's.

 

[electron chaser]

I'm late for dinner already, but I'll check into this one when I get back to the shop tmrw. Doubtful you blew both bulbs at once, but could have had one blown and not noticed it for a while, then the other blew and PRESTO, no dims. OK, I took a sec to check the wiring diagram, there is a Low Beam Relay, needs to have power to the #30 pin of the relay for the low beams to ever get power. Check it with a test light, the relay will have the pin numbers stamped on it next to the pins/terminals. If you have power, swap out that relay with another one of the same number, common relay, sure there are a couple just like it in the relay box. Just did another check, you almost HAVE to have power at pin 30, that power is also the power for sunroof, some radio, seats, lots of stuff wouldn't be working if that circuit was dead. Swap out the relay with another one and let me know what happens. Good Luck.

 

[catalog555]

I'm late for dinner already, but I'll check into this one when I get back to the shop tmrw. Doubtful you blew both bulbs at once, but could have had one blown and not noticed it for a while, then the other blew and PRESTO, no dims. OK, I took a sec to check the wiring diagram, there is a Low Beam Relay, needs to have power to the #30 pin of the relay for the low beams to ever get power. Check it with a test light, the relay will have the pin numbers stamped on it next to the pins/terminals. If you have power, swap out that relay with another one of the same number, common relay, sure there are a couple just like it in the relay box. Just did another check, you almost HAVE to have power at pin 30, that power is also the power for sunroof, some radio, seats, lots of stuff wouldn't be working if that circuit was dead. Swap out the relay with another one and let me know what happens. Good Luck.

I've tried switching the relays; there are three that are the same. No help! The GM service manual gives a (no dim ) trouble checklist to follow, but my car passes what is stated in the list. I've tried checking the rest of the lights and found that the fog lamps do not work either; only circuit or used wire that is related is the common ground at (G103) This was in the (no Dim) check list, Terminal 13 of the head lamp switch. I have not removed the battery to varify the ground at (G103)