Hello there! I'm a new member but yet not new to the site.. I could use some help if anyone out there actually knows what they are talking about.. Not to be rude but seriously, no response is better than a half in the bag guesstimate, and I've seen so many of those thrown out there as though spoken fact.. I promise you I will always show you respect for your knowledge and appreciation for your help.. but most of all, I will never waste your time.. all I ask is the same in return!
Hopefully someone can help with this..
And so the other night I was driving and I noticed that my right headlight was out, my dim bulb.. I use a standard halogen higher end bulb and was quite surprised that it was out seeing that they're supposed to last so much longer.. nonetheless I had the bulb changed or was going to but discovered that when the bulb was switched from one side to the other it worked perfectly fine so the gentleman got the passenger side working again, by doing what I'm not exactly sure, just messing around with the connection area I guess? Anyhow it held up for a couple of days and then tonight I was leaving a store and I didn't think that my headlights looked right even though my lights were on in my car, a couple minutes later a lady tells me my headlights are not on so I flipped them back and forth they come on.. Great right?!! well nope not really because I don't get but across the parking lot and there are these men yelling something so I rolled down my window and they tell me that I don't have my lights on.. but yes I do, once again yes yes I do.. so of course they approached my car tell me to flip on my brights, turn off my brights, turn my lights on turn my lights off, on, off, on off, do the jig all sorts of stuff Anyhow, moral of the story is I turn on my dims and they do not come on but I turn on my brights and bingo, I again have lights.. So... clearly a girl cannot drive around with her brights on as people seem to get quite annoyed by that and tend to respond by being an A-hole while blaring their brights in my face.. I would have to say that's a bit damn rude seeing that if I turn those bright off , there's a good chance you're going to meet me real up close and personal so yeah just a slight flick of those brights would do well enough to remind me IF I had a choice but... anyhow... none of that is going to be any good if continuing on this way and I truly have to put all 4 wheels on the hwy daily so if anyone can help a girl out, she'd be most appreciative..!!! Thanks for reading, ☺️

Tay

 

A few questions. Are your parking lights working consistently? That's the second twist on the headlight switch. If they are. Are both low beams not working consistently or still just the passenger side? If it's just the low beams. Have you checked the fuses for them? They are located in the engine area to the right of the battery under a pop off cover. The low beams use two 10A mini low profile ATM type fuses. One for each side. The fuse box cover may have one or two spare 10A fuses nestled inside. If no spares they are usually around 5 bucks for 5 fuses at an auto parts store. Either the fuses are going bad for whatever reason or may have popped already and are making false electrical contact with the cars movements and hitting bumps. What may have caused the fuses to pop, if that's the actual issue, are the aftermarket bulbs you are using.

 

As mentioned, I'd check fuses first but, based upon what you wrote, I'm going to guess there's a short in the passenger side wiring, likely close to the connector, that caused the passenger not to work originally and then possibly causing the fuse to blow, which would lead to both low beams being out.

Electrical is never fun but I see a multimeter in someone's future.

 

Thank you both for your brainstorming with me.. here is some additional info..
1st - passenger side low beam went out, high beam remained good as did both driver side lamps
2nd.- when having the "burnt out" bulb replaced it was the bulb was tested in the driver side and it worked so the contact area of the bulb and the assembly were cleaned and when the bulb was reinstalled it worked... until it didn't which was a few days later when driving
3rd - the fuses were checked [now of course that doesn't mean that they're all fine it just means that the ones that they knew to check supposedly are fine] the headlight assembly wiring itself was kind of messed with and Bam the lights all worked again high beam and low beam.. until they didn't
4th - turn on the car lights automatically come on everything's fine go to a store turn off the car get back into my car and drive half across the parking lot put the thing in park let it idle came back outside and upon starting to drive it a lady told me that I didn't have my lights on so I flipped them on and off on and off and then they were on and she was like oh you're good.. until I wasn't
5th - that's when I drove across the parking lot and a couple guys said hey hey your lights aren't on and that's when I lost the low beams again while the brights remain fine
6th - again the headlight assembly is messed around with and magically ta-da the lights work again, both sides low and high.. guess what...???? Yup, until they didn't!!!
7th - okay so let me try to explain this the best that I can.. IF I had the jargon this would be a whole lot easier but i'm more of one of those "that thingy, doohickey" type, get my drift!! Ok, so when you access the bulb, there's a clip piece w/ wires that the bulb attaches to and that holds the bulb in the actual lens area of the assembly. To secure and lock it in you turn it ... that is where it goes wrong, or right actually...?? so when you turn it and unlock the bulb, it works and then you go to the other side and do the exact same thing and then that works too,... and yep, you guessed it... until it doesn't... AGAIN
So it would appear that it's something in the wiring right?.. BUT the probability of that, based on the theory of relativity is highly unlikely as it fails duplicity.. clearly there's commonality but I don't have a clue as to what exactly would be the source of that casual relationship ?! Maybe the main trunk of the wire harness as they mimic in behavior..? as they act and react independent of the other...??? or do they only appear independent ? With the knowledge that when operated from inside the car you flip a switch and they both respond accordingly even though they're wiring is independent it is not.. it has a Y where forming a trunk? Perhaps there's an issue where those 2 independent wire bundles come together to make the Y because when rotated at the bulb, the disruption occurs at that intersection..? Oh my, I possibly may be onto something here gentlemen.. that's quite exciting..!!!
So now what ???!
This still continues to require my need for your help... 1st. tell me if I am half cracked in my marble or if I'm possibly on the right path... THEN
2nd. if I am, what to do next as I have no idea how to apply any of that to the actual fixing of my car...!!!!

Thanks for hanging in there with me so far.. I actually think that we might problem solve this and that is amazingly satisfying and we haven't actually done that.. yet!!!

Tayra
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Missed your question..
- Yes the marker lights both are working
- There are no fuses blown out nor missing
- Is it a possibility the wiring that attaches to the clips which hold the bulbs ,
went wankey, on both sides, within days of one another?

 

It sounds to me like you probably have the combination switch. It’s going bad or is bad. I think it was coincidental that your passenger side low beam headlight went out. Everything looks and sounds like it’s working the way it supposed to. I would take it to a qualified mechanic and explain everything to him as you’ve done here and I’ll bet you he says the same thing as I have. Good luck.