[rabudman]

The "running lights" come on when the car is started. This includes the low beam lights and all of the tail lights.

When the headlight switch is turned "On" nothing changes, all the lights remain exactly the same. However, you can not turn on the high beams or fog lights until the light switch is turned to the "On" position so this tells me that something is taking place when the switch is turned "On".

Problem - The low beam lights are sooooo dim, you can't see the road 5 feet in front of the car. Turning on the fog lights helps...a little but not enough to drive safely. The only way to see adequately is by turning on the high beams and of course this isn't practical.

So far, I've replaced the existing H-7 low beam bulbs with the brighter version of the same bulb (H-7). I replaced the White relay in the fuse box under the hood and I even replaced the blown marker bulbs next to the high beam bulbs just for good measure.

All of the other lights on the vehicle work...interior, side, blinkers, reverse, license plate bulbs, vanity mirror bulbs, etc...and I haven't detected any other problems with the overall electrical system.

Is this model suppose to have "running lights" that come on and stay on while the vehicle is running?

Also, I'm suspicious about there being no visible change in the lighting when the headlight switch is turned on. ( I removed the switch from the dash and visually inspected it for problems but didn't see any).

*These are not the Xenon head lights*

Any ideas, tips, suggestions are appreciated. I'm at my wits end with this issue.

 

[Diggs]

Do they aim down? Are the headlight lenses hazy?

 

[rabudman]

Do they aim down? Are the headlight lenses hazy?

Sorry I forgot to mention I have done the "Headlight Restore" on the outer lenses and they look new. They weren't bad to begin with but they look new now.

Yea, I've made adjustments to the lights and even adjusted them all the way skyward but it didn't make a difference - still no brighter on the road so I adjusted them back to where they should be.

With the headlights on - I turn on the front fog lights and the fog lights actually project further out on the road than the low beam lights.

I just came across this on another site (trying to sell new headlights)

"It appeared the cause was a crinkling of the coating on the bulb reflector. We’re not sure what’s causing the coating to crinkle but we think it may have to do with the prolonged heat from the daytime running lights. Replacing the SAAB headlights is an easy enough solution. But there is always the possibility that after another 5 or 6 years, the problem will re-arise"

Thanks for the response, I'm currently trying to disassemble the headlight to get to the "bulb reflector" they speak of in this article.

 

[Diggs]

Sorry I forgot to mention I have done the "Headlight Restore" on the outer lenses and they look new. They weren't bad to begin with but they look new now.

Yea, I've made adjustments to the lights and even adjusted them all the way skyward but it didn't make a difference - still no brighter on the road so I adjusted them back to where they should be.

With the headlights on - I turn on the front fog lights and the fog lights actually project further out on the road than the low beam lights.

I just came across this on another site (trying to sell new headlights)

"It appeared the cause was a crinkling of the coating on the bulb reflector. We’re not sure what’s causing the coating to crinkle but we think it may have to do with the prolonged heat from the daytime running lights. Replacing the SAAB headlights is an easy enough solution. But there is always the possibility that after another 5 or 6 years, the problem will re-arise"

Thanks for the response, I'm currently trying to disassemble the headlight to get to the "bulb reflector" they speak of in this article.

Not only crinkling but I've heard of the silver backing coming off. That would stop all light except that which projects forward. Let us know what you find. These headlights aren't easy to disassemble. There are cheap knockoffs on amazon by TYC I think.

 

[rabudman]

Not only crinkling but I've heard of the silver backing coming off. That would stop all light except that which projects forward. Let us know what you find. These headlights aren't easy to disassemble. There are cheap knockoffs on amazon by TYC I think.

You sir, are correct!

In fact "hard to disassemble" is an understatement. I'd say it's impossible without some specialized tools and or equipment.

I got it part of the way and could see ordering replacements was the more practical choice for me.

I looked on ebay, carparts dot com and another site before settling on Amazon. They had the best price. I went with AutoHalo instead of TYC because of a faster delivery option. They were nearly the same price (AutoHalo 2 bucks cheaper) but for some reason TYC only had the 2 day delivery option on the passenger side light. You had to wait a week for the drivers side. I don't get it. So, I ordered a set from the other guys. ($263.05)

Thanks again and if anybody else has any other input - it's certainly welcome.

*Side note* - On a different Saab forum someone posted they finally figured out how to fix all the problems they were having with their Saab. He stated "I bought a Camry".

 

[bofusric]

after u replace the headlamps assemblies have the daytime running lights disabled. this will help them last longer and not burn the reflector bowls again.

 

[rabudman]

after u replace the headlamps assemblies have the daytime running lights disabled. this will help them last longer and not burn the reflector bowls again.

Yea, I disabled the running lights on a '99 I had a few years ago. If I remember correctly I just looked in the owners manual and found the correct fuse and simply unplugged it.

I wanted to do the same thing on this '03 but the manual wasn't any help in finding how to disable the running lights.

According to the manual, it seems as if one fuse is for all the lights on one side of the vehicle (Blinker, parking, low beam, high beam, etc...) And another fuse is for all the lights on the other side of the vehicle.

Did I read the manual wrong? Is there some info I missed?

Let me know if you're aware of how to disable the running lights on this '03 because I just prefer my daily driver not have running lights on all the time. I don't like how they look on any car but I'm sure they're other reasons - like you mention - not to have them on all the time.

Thanks,

 

[AVguy]

A Tech2 is needed to disable the DRL's.

 

[rabudman]

A Tech2 is needed to disable the DRL's.

Thanks. It looked that way to me. Thanks to everyone for responding.