Low beams only come on when high beams turned on.

[pasha2891]

So my problem is that the low beams don't come on when I turn on the lights but do come on when I put on the high beams when all two pairs of lights come on. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking it's the headlight switch in the dash.

[ramjet]

Does the V8 run a separate relay for the main beam selection as the earlier esprits do? If it does, is the relay for turning on the low beam lights simply not operating?

Do you have access to a wiring diagram for the car?

Just dug out my wiring diagrams. The V8 does run a separate relay for low beam. I would check that first to see if it is operating. You should be able to swap it for the relay that runs your high beam which will let you know if the low beam relay is cactused.

[pasha2891]

Thanks, that's probably what it is since my switches in the dash are all brand new. Do you know where I can find a relay diagram for the v8 so i know which relays to swap. I'll try looking online to see if I can find one. Thanks again.

[MarkLarge]

Paul

You may have found one on line anyway, but the handbook, if you have one, has a good illustration of the relays on page a81.

If not then this may help.

The light relays are at the front 'bonnet' if you stand by the offside wing and look at them the row nearest to you is where you need to look. Working from the FRONT the relays are :- Radiator fans

Ignition power relay

Dip beam relay

Main beam relay

Good luck

Mark

[Günter]

pasha, see your PM ..and follow the guide if you plan to own your car for a little longer

..good luck!

[pasha2891]

Thanks for the replies mark and gunter. Haven't had a chance all week to mess with the car, hopefully I'll have some time this weekend.

So you guys were right as always.

Before swapping the relays:

high beam: all lights on(high and low, I have the US spec car)

low beam: nothing on

As soon I swapped the main beam and dip beam relays.

high beam: only high beams are on.

low beam: only low beams are on but they are always on, even if the headlight switch on the dash is not pressed and the lights are lowered.

So i'm guessing I just need to order a new main beam relay.

[pasha2891]

Update

*********

I still have an issue with the low beam (dip beam). I replaced the low beam (dip beam) relay, main beam (high beam) relay and the headlight switch in the dash but when I push the headlight button (with the high beams off) what happens is

1)interior dash lights turn on

2)headlight pods come up but none of the lights are on.

Any ideas why the dip beam lights don't turn on? I'm starting to think that the dip beam relay wasn't the problem but maybe the contacts to it are broken. When I turn on the high beams, all four lights come on.

Forgot to add, before the low beam lights stopped working for a couple weeks only one low beam light would turn on.

[ramjet]

Paul,

Check you have 12V supply to pin 87 on the dip beam relay. Going through the symptoms you have described, this is the only reason I can see why your dip beams don't work.

ID # is on the bottom of the relay. Relate that to the relay socket and test to ground.

[mc21.8]

maybe the wrong relay !!check earths also<

[Rob C]

NOTING THE OUTER HEAD LIGHTS ARE A TWO FILAMENT BULB AND THE CENTRE MAINS ARE A SINGLE FILAMENT.

YOU MAY HAVE ONE BLOWN..?

BEWARE THERE ARE NO FUSES ON THE ESPRIT LIGHTS....

IF ANY HEAD LIGHT HAS AT LEAST ONE BEAM WORKING, THEN THE EARTH'S ARE OK.

[Günter]

Paul (pasha..) -as in the PN conversation : first thing is get on with a good multimeter and verify where is contact and where is non current available. Relays, contact pins on the switches (you have three of them -as said *steering* *main* and *position/interiour* ..last two in the center console, first one on your steering collumn) ..and I expect you have inspected the condition of your bulbs in the front lights first ..have you?