Re: Headlight Issue--Bad Wiring...?

Daniel Stern Lighting <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> On 22 Nov 2003, magellan wrote:
> 
> > I have a 2000 Nissan Quest Van.  The right Headlight seems to be on the
> > blink. The blub is 100% ok, since it works on the left side . When I
> > take a Voltmeter this is what I see:  (left middle right pins)
> >
> >
> > left <---> right pin   NO Volts  (on the working side, I get 12 volts)
> > middle<---> right pin   12 volt
> >
> >
> > so, what is the normal way is fixing this wiring issue.  The wires are
> > all bundled together...
> 
> Your 2000 Quest, if it is a North American model, uses 9007 headlamp
> bulbs. As you can see from the "9004 vs. 9007" document located here:
> http://www.candlepowerinc.com/?url=17 , the pinout on your headlamp bulbs,
> when held "right side up", is thus:
> 
> Left pin: High beam
> Center pin: Common (labelled "ground" in that document)
> Right pin: Low beam
> 
> Your Mazda, like most Japanese-design vehicles, uses a ground-switched
> headlamp circuit. That is, the center wire is hot whenever the headlamp
> switch is on, and a path to ground is completed for either the "low beam"
> or the "high beam" terminal depending on the position of the beam selector
> switch. The only operational mode in which this is NOT the case is on some
> vehicles with Daytime Running Lamps. Is your van a Canadian-market model?
> If so, be aware that there are many different ways of reducing the
> intensity of the headlamps for use as Daytime Running Lamps. Some vehicles
> use an external resistive or pulswidth-modulated DRL module, but some put
> the high beam filaments in series with one another, and some put the highs
> AND lows in series with one another. Just something to be aware of.
> 
> You say you found:
> 
> > left <---> right pin   NO Volts  (on the working side, I get 12 volts)
> 
> Sounds like a fault exists on the "working" side. You should not have 12V
> between the left and right pin, this would put the low and high beam
> filaments in series on that side. See comments above.
> 
> > middle<---> right pin   12 volt
> 
> This is correct for low beam operation.
> 
> DS


thx for the quick feedback DS...

What I guess I need to know, is this something that is repairable by
the avg owner, or something I need to take it to the shop.  Other than
the delearship, can most service places do this repair, or do I need
to take it to a shop dealing with auto-eletrical issues.

thx

magellan