EGmikeH22

87 accord lxi 4 door 120k miles

everything was fine for years
alternator went out
replaced
everything was fine for weeks
battery died
replaced
everything was fine for days
lights went out at the same time (bulbs are blown)
brights worked for a few seconds after low-beams went out, but then the highs went out too.

no fuses are blown and the bulbs are definitely bad.

if I take out the fuses, and leave the lights off, then test the fuse ports with a test light, it lights up on the passenger low beam one, but no others.

if I put the test light from the port on the bulb plug to a ground, it lights, even if the lights are switched off (lights dim)

so somewhere the pass low-beam is grounded. I've peeled back the wire loom all the way into the engine bay, past the battery to where the harness connects to a large main harness, even if I watch it, and hold the wire away from any metal it still is shorted, jiggling it does not change the brightness of the dim test light when testing for conductance with the frame.

any ideas? could it be a relay? where would the relay be?

matt_in_sd

If you lost both hihg beams and low beams first thing is check the system voltage. To blow all 4 lights implies the alternator is putting out high voltage. With the car revving at 2k RPM's you should read about 14.5V on the battery. As for the low beam always on ... check the relay. If the car has never been in an accident I doubt the problem is in the wiring.

RiceRocketDave

Sounds like it may be the relay. Best thing to do is go to a salvage yard and pick one up for cheap. Or you could take yours apart and with some 1500 grit sandpaper lightly sand the contacts to be sure that they are clean then re install it and see if that works.

Another thing that you could try is actually cut the ground wires close to the bulb and ground each one individually to the battery....if it works after you do that then its a grounding problem. Just get some extra wire and extend it to the battery ground post.

Also make sure that the plugs for the bulbs are not burned as well.
One more thing to try is test the continuity of the wires as well. You will need a multimeter to do so. What this does is makes sure that the wires are still good, all you do is put one lead from the meter on one end of the wire and the other lead on the other side of the wire that you are testing and if the meter beeps then they are good and if it does not then you have a bad wire.

Hope this helps you out.

EGmikeH22

where is the headlight relay located so I can check it out?

RiceRocketDave

Most likely in the main fuse box under the hood. You need to get a manual for your car.....You have P.M.

ericw

Shop Manual >> http://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?t=7283