Headlight troubleshooting
#1
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Hi. I could use some help troubleshooting my headlight issue. I have a 1998 XK8 US model. It is also entirely possible that I'm just confused on how all this is supposed to work...
First, you'll have to educate me on British nomenclature. What the heck are dipped beam and main beam and which one is which? I'm used to high beams and low beams.
My headlight assembly has what appears to be three bulbs. Innermost to the center of the car is a small bulb that I would typically call a front marker light. This works bulb works fine.
The middle bulb is which, main or dipped beam? It is has a much larger reflector. This bulb does not seem to work.
The outermost bulb is whatever the middle bulb isn't. It is much smaller. This bulb is working.
(Although I'm referring to the singular "bulb", each side is working.)
So, with the stalk set to headlights, the outermost bulb is on along with the front marker light. If I press the fog lamp button, the fog lamps turn on. The green "lights on" is on the dash.
When I push forward on the stalk, the fog lights go out and the outermost bulb remains lit along with the front marker. The middle bulb does not come on. The blue "high beams" is on the dash.
I have tested all the fuses and the relays and they seem to be working fine.
My hope is that the middle bulbs are just burned out, but it seems odd that both would be burned out. I'm hoping that under normal conditions when the headlights are on, the outermost bulb is supposed to be on and not the middle one.
My concern is that the wrong bulbs are on at the wrong time since I don't know dipped beam from main beam or which is which.
Thanks,
Ethan
First, you'll have to educate me on British nomenclature. What the heck are dipped beam and main beam and which one is which? I'm used to high beams and low beams.
My headlight assembly has what appears to be three bulbs. Innermost to the center of the car is a small bulb that I would typically call a front marker light. This works bulb works fine.
The middle bulb is which, main or dipped beam? It is has a much larger reflector. This bulb does not seem to work.
The outermost bulb is whatever the middle bulb isn't. It is much smaller. This bulb is working.
(Although I'm referring to the singular "bulb", each side is working.)
So, with the stalk set to headlights, the outermost bulb is on along with the front marker light. If I press the fog lamp button, the fog lamps turn on. The green "lights on" is on the dash.
When I push forward on the stalk, the fog lights go out and the outermost bulb remains lit along with the front marker. The middle bulb does not come on. The blue "high beams" is on the dash.
I have tested all the fuses and the relays and they seem to be working fine.
My hope is that the middle bulbs are just burned out, but it seems odd that both would be burned out. I'm hoping that under normal conditions when the headlights are on, the outermost bulb is supposed to be on and not the middle one.
My concern is that the wrong bulbs are on at the wrong time since I don't know dipped beam from main beam or which is which.
Thanks,
Ethan
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Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: on the road in NE Oklahoma
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