really dim headlights

[greengiant]

my headlights frankly dont do anything, i can hardly see at night, the lenses are clear and arent clouded at all but they are kinda low but even if they are low theyre still dim. anybody have any ideas whats going on?

 

[97SHOgt]

I would test the alternator and the battery. That's what happend in my '97 when the alternator puked.

 

[firebat45]

my headlights frankly dont do anything

Quite a common problem. It's called "owning a SHO".

Joking aside, how did this happen? Has it been like that since you bought the car, did it slowly come on, did it happen all of a sudden? If it's not the alt/battery I suppose it could be the bulbs themselves, but I'd lean more towards wiring issues.

 

[the4biddendonut]

I upgraded the wires to 2 awg on the 93 and it brightened my headlights a bit. It wasn't huge, but it was enough for me to be able to tell the difference.

 

[SHOZ123]

Get a 100 watt relay harness for the lights. Won't work with DRLs if you have them.

 

[edwerd]

Have your charging system tested at Autozone or w/e. If everything checks out okay, consider aligning your headlamps and purchasing new bulbs. If it's still not bright enough for you, a new headlight wiring harness should do the trick:

http://www.suvlights.com/product_info.php?products_id=112

I have one coming in the mail. I hear good things.

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=55465

 

[frosho]

Feel the headlight switch after the headlights have been on for a while. If it's hot, replace the switch.

 

[SHOZ123]

That's the good thing about the relay system. It takes the load off the original wiring 100%.

 

[greengiant]

i just tested it, battery running 12.5 off 13.6 on no luck there

 

[greengiant]

and the bulbs are brand spankin new, less than a month

 

[greengiant]

and its been that way since i owned the car

 

[SHOZ123]

13.6 is too low. Should be 14v at the headlight plug with the lights on engine runnimg at 1500 rpm.

 

[jmpSHO]

13.6 isn't that bad. I'm sure he didn't have the idle at 1500 when he tested it.

 

[SHOZ123]

13.6 is on the edge of failure at 1500 rpm and a full electrical load.

 

[jmpSHO]

13.6 is on the edge of failure at 1500 rpm and a full electrical load.

Like I said I doubt he had the idle at 1500.

 

[SHOZ123]

If they are *******' about the brightness of headlights at idle they don't have a clue.

 

[greengiant]

i measured it at the battery, idle around 1100 or so

 

[jmpSHO]

i measured it at the battery, idle around 1100 or so

Then you might have a problem but I still think 13.6 is ok. What brand of lights did you get?

 

[SHOZ123]

13.6 is the bottom of the barrel for a working alternator. 14.4 is what is should read new. a loss of almost a volt is a sure sign of a bad set of brushes or weak regulator.

It is doomed I tell ya. You could wait until it reads 12V then start a thread about how the car won't start.

 

[jmpSHO]

Even with a new alternator on my SHO I never got a reading of 14.4 volts. It was always between 13.4 or 5 to 14.