My Loyale has one dim headlight and I'm at a loss to the reason. I can swap them back and forth and the problem stays on the pass. side. The voltage is good, so I'm thinking a ground problem, but I'm not sure where to look and the wiring diagram that I have doesn't really show where the ground is.

try cleaning the grounds where they bolt to the body. i think that was what was wrong with mine.

Check your fuses? I blew a headlight fuse once and it made one side dim.

+1 check the fuse box right and left are on different fuses, of one blows that side will be very dim

I was about to start a new thread asking where exactly the ground for the passenger side headlight is. There are a plethora of threads saying the problem is the ground, just not where to find it :-/

 

Any help would be appreciated

 

-Dave

Ground issues will almost always dim both headlights. It's most likely a bad relay (if it's not a fuse) - swap the two headlight relays under the dash. If the other side goes dim then you need to replace one of them.

 

GD

It is the Fuse. When one fuse blows, it's set up so that lamp get's a small amount of current from the other sides circuit. Check the fuse box. Most Jap cars from the 80's are setup this way.

My Loyale has one dim headlight and I'm at a loss to the reason. I can swap them back and forth and the problem stays on the pass. side. The voltage is good, so I'm thinking a ground problem, but I'm not sure where to look and the wiring diagram that I have doesn't really show where the ground is.

 

When you say the voltage is good to the light then I assume you measured it using a meter. Assuming the socket is ok and it isn't making a bad connection to the bulb contacts then the problem must be with the ground lead. The ground is switched through the light switch I believe. I'm not sure how the two lights tie the common ground together.

It's the Friggin Fuse!!!!!!

It's the Friggin Fuse!!!!!!

haha, yes we need an update before we nick pick this to death!

I agree. Checking the fuses would be best. If I remember correctly the fuse numbers are 8 and 9 but I can't say that for sure without looking at my manual.

It's the Friggin Fuse!!!!!!

 

+2

I checked both fuses yesterday. They were both fine. I swapped them anyways, then forgot to look at the lights in the dark to see if it made a difference

 

I'll see if I can remember tonight.

I checked both fuses yesterday. They were both fine. I swapped them anyways, then forgot to look at the lights in the dark to see if it made a difference

 

I'll see if I can remember tonight.

 

Swap the relays.

 

GD

Wow!! I feel like I stuck my fingers in a hornets nest here. The fuses are good. I am trying to find the ground, and I will swap out the relays tonight. Geeze guys,calm down:grin: it's one of the three and I'll be letting you know within a day or so.

 

Jerry

... I am trying to find the ground...

 

Well... Seems that everybody Forgot to Say the the Loyales has a Different Setup than Average Cars, Let me Explain.

 

When Majority cars came with a Single Ground and two "Live" Wires (Positives) for Low & High Beams, to each Bulb; the 9004 Bulb Setup of Loyales are backwards, so You have a Permanent "ON" Possitive wire in the Middle, and Two Different Grounds for the Low & High Beams, that came from the internal Relays.

 

So, I Think that you don´t have a Bad Grounding on that Headlamp, Maybe a Bad Possitive Wire.

 

So, I Suggest to check the Well Workin´ Side with a Tester, Just Don´t Forget to Move the Key to "ON" ... The "Bad" Side shall give same Measurements... if you find a Bad "Live" Wire (Possitive) That´s it.

 

Good Luck!

I have just gone over the voltage situation again. The dim side does have lower voltage, and when the bright lights are turned on the load increases and the light (Right side) gets even dimmer. I cannot find the relays on this one. I took a bunch off a wrecking yard rig last year and they were dangling down behind the fuse box. On this one there is a little yellow relay back there, but I don't see the silver ones.

 

Jerry

I have just gone over the voltage situation again. The dim side does have lower voltage, and when the bright lights are turned on the load increases and the light (Right side) gets even dimmer. I cannot find the relays on this one. I took a bunch off a wrecking yard rig last year and they were dangling down behind the fuse box. On this one there is a little yellow relay back there, but I don't see the silver ones.

 

Jerry

 

 

Relays are way up under dash, mounted in a bank of 4, hard to see but they are up there, to the left of steering column, mounted to back of dash face. Kinduv up above the fuse box.

I just tried to get a paw up in above the fuse box, and I can't. How exactly do you get to the relays. The one I got spares from had the dash torn apart, and I'm thinking that I don't want to go there if I don't have to.

 

Jerry

It's kinda hard to get them down, but there up there. If you remove the lower dash panels, and then remove the 4 little screws that hold the fuse box and let it dangle down, it's pretty easy. All that's needed is a phillips and alot of Yoga.

I got to the relays and what I found were three good relays. There is one with a green plug and If pulled both lights go out. The other ones are white and blue and both good, but don't do anything for the headlight problem. I rechecked the fuses, and if I pull the right one out nothing changes. If I pull the left one both lights go out. This seems to varify that the right side has limited or no power getting to it and what is there is coming from the left side.

 

This just gets better all the time!!

check for voltage at the fuse panel for the right headlight. My guess is that the right side circuit is totally dead for some reason, USUALLY because of a relay...

 

If the right side gets blown, it still picks up some power from the left side circuit.. this is commonly the case in headlight problems. I went around for a month or so with one dime headlight in my datsun once, because I thoughtit was some serious wiring problem.. in the end, it was just a bad wire coming out of the fuse panel to supply the one dim headlight, and it was making NO connection.. all the light in my dim headlight was bleeding off of the other circuit.

Jerry,

 

Check the voltage on both sides of the relay to see if there is any voltage drop across it or measure across the main leads.

 

I think you may be on the wrong relay. Like Gloyale mentioned, I think there are 4 relays in line with each other and the ones on each end are for each of the lights. I thought they were located near the center of the dash area. I don't access to my data right now but will be back Wednesday if you still need help locating them.

 

Glen

I also seem to recall 4 relays. Perhaps one has already been replaced and was not put back in it's rubber "holster"? Might be dangling, or more likely someone shoved it up into the mess to keep it from dangling. My subarusense tells me a PO has used an aftermarket relay which may have subsequently failed

 

GD

I also seem to recall 4 relays. Perhaps one has already been replaced and was not put back in it's rubber "holster"? Might be dangling, or more likely someone shoved it up into the mess to keep it from dangling. My subarusense tells me a PO has used an aftermarket relay which may have subsequently failed

 

GD

 

 

+1.. thats what I did with my turn signal flasher once I found it.... and THAT was the most difficult job on this car I have done yet. Thus far I have changed rear brakes, rear bearings, headgaskets, timing belts, water pump, alternator replacement, alternator upgrade, filters etc, tie rod ends, home-brew alignment job, the flasher was harder than ALL that!! Fuji decided "lets make EVERYTHING easy except the RELAYS!!!"

 

My dollar is that there is another relay you havent seen. I wanted to say that earlier but I haven't been up there for the headlight relay, and I have suppressed all memory of searching for the turn signal relay. The only way I found it was to turn on the flashers, and "feel" around for something ticking THEN.. and I changed its twin brother right next to it.