[Eastcoast]

Turned the car on one morning and the low beams are both very dim. No headlight failure notices, I've gotten those and replaced the bulbs before. The high beams are fine though. Any ideas?

 

[Eastcoast]

From looking at the headlights it appears the only the small bulb next to the main one is lit when the lowbeams are on. The main bulb is not on at all.

 

[saabchilten]

so your city lights are turned on, but not your main beams. this is with the car on and the switch in the right position? i guess either both bulbs somehow failed at once (replace with + efficiency ones), a fuse blew (not likely), or something is up with your wiring.

 

[Eastcoast]

The main bulb works fine when the high beams are on though and there are no head light failure notifications on the screen.

 

[saabchilten]

since the h4 bulbs use separate filaments, what i mean more specifically is that the low beam filaments in both bulbs may have failed, basically making the bulbs useless. i just don't understand how something like that could happen to both bulbs at once.

 

[Ero]

since the h4 bulbs use separate filaments, what i mean more specifically is that the low beam filaments in both bulbs may have failed, basically making the bulbs useless. i just don't understand how something like that could happen to both bulbs at once.

Happened to me when I had osrams in there, both low beams failed within minutes of each other.

At that point I said screw it, stuck an HID kit in there, and never looked back since!

 

['97 Saab SE Turbo]

If the system compares resistance between both sides of the headlights, I wonder if both sides failed would it be detected?... Ron

 

[AZR Racing]

my SID took a few days before it let me know the headlights bulb was out

 

[earthworm]

The main bulb works fine when the high beams are on though and there are no head light failure notifications on the screen.

Use a multi-meter or a test light to determine if there is any current available at the connection. I'd not rely on SID screen notifications. These bulbs do not last; maybe they are good for a year.

 

[Eastcoast]

Took one of the bulbs out this morning and both filaments looked intact.

 

[saabchilten]

i've had taillight bulbs fail, and their filaments have still looked intact. you might as well buy another pair of bulbs to test and make sure it's not the low beam filaments that failed. if that's not the case, then at least you have a spare pair of bulbs.

 

[Eastcoast]

Took it in and it turned out to be the relay.

 

['97 Saab SE Turbo]

The orange relay that lots of people post about failing and being able to repair with a soldering iron? ... Ron