Headlight Swap Problems... - Exterior Forum

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Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 3:18 PM

Ok, so I did the 2000-02 headlight swap the other day. However I have been having a hard time with wiring. Using the "cap one off on each side" method I got nothing but High's. No lows, no DRL's Just the highs... Even after flipping the ground sides I had nothing but Highs... To temporaly fix the problem I ran the low beam wire on the High Beam current. So basicly, I had to have the swtich on HIGH to illuminate the lows.

Today I attempted it again, using the two orange on middle wire, and Orange/Blue on middle wire method.

For a while I did have DRLs, and highs. So I got all happy. But now its back to high only's. And to top it off, the driver side bulb is stupid dim. So, I attempted to re-wire with the cap method. So they still only work on High, and the driver side is still stupid dim.

Its a 97 Cavalier LS 2.4
I also have to use the "upgrade" harness because AutoZone and Pep Boys were BOTH out of OEM. Basicly it looks to just be a bigger gauge wire instead of the stock 12guage wire.


WTF is going on with my car?

I've also wired the harness the same way the picture's show. Flat side up. Even with flat side down, nothing...



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Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 3:30 PM
the passenger is different from the driver different colored wires. i recently did the conversion and i switched them not knowing they were different from each other try to switch the harnessess
Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 3:53 PM
That don't make much since. Being as they are Universal Harness's


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Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:05 PM
why are you capping off one wire?



There do that for wiring.. except since u got universal harness just match uphighs and lows like in the pics.. check your fuses to see if that fixes ur dim problem.. if not disable your drls.. CRJ just had a post on his last week which the suggestions on what to do also applies to you.. I dont know who is saying to cap off wires but i did mine just like above and have had no problems with mine.. works wonderfully.. althought my DRLs were already disabled before i did it..




Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:05 PM
oh im sorry misunderstood i guess. i got mine from a junk yar for like $10. do you have a pic of the universal wire
Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:08 PM
btw i must add.. i do always recommend just goin to junkyard and clipping off the pigtails there.. usally cheaper/free and u know they work.. odds are they might be a better quality then the 8dollar ones from part stores..




Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:08 PM
i capped mine off now to mention it i didnt say to do that though. i do know this is funny before i did the conversion my drl stopped working and now with the new heads i have drls explain that lol
Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:29 PM
i think the fuse's were fine. I checked them and still good.

So I'll attempt a DRL disable tomorrow.

I read the How To and it says BCM... Is that right on the driver side fender wall? I think it has a sticker that says TCS or something to that nature... It didn't say BCM.


And that was the diargram I originially used... There were a few cap off methods when I searched for the how-to


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Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 4:40 PM
do u have a BCM? i beleive 99- cavs all u have to do is cut one wire.. i know on my 96 thats all i did.. search for a post lenko did on a easier drl disable for 95-99.. just take off ur dash cover and there is a wire u just cut and tape both ends so they dont touch anything and spark




Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 8:43 PM
OK, so I did disable the DRLS (thank god i read all the responces) and still have the same problem.

Did you know the car will not stay running with the main guage cluster harness disconnected? LOL. Went to start it, it cranked, turned over, then died. lol.

Anyways, talking to Troll, we've discovered what may be my problem.... I think I may have the passenger side wired wrong. But would that effect both sides? I think my grounds need to be swaped on the passenger side.

Also, I have the one stupid dim headlight, I keep hearing it may be a fuse... What fuse would that be? I glanced over them all and it looked good, but I should probably check them again.




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Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Saturday, June 10, 2006 10:32 PM
Stenger-

Both me and MantaZ have ours wired the exact same way according to the diagram above. The only problem i had was with my DRL's when turning on they were blowing my driver side fuse, i cut the 1 wire and problem was taken care of. No more DRL's and no flashing light side effect, you must have something wired wrong.




Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Sunday, June 11, 2006 12:49 AM
I disabled the DRL's, and replaced the fuse... So the dim light problem's solved.

HOWEVER I still have no lows. Im going to attempt to play with the passenger side light tomorrow, and see if my negs are backwards.


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Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Sunday, June 11, 2006 8:18 AM
glad u got most of the probs fixed def check ur wiring for the lows.. Now it could also just be the pigtails also.. but def go over ur wiring..

also have ryan help you.. hes done it so he should be able to help you out. basically u just gotta make sure the harness isnt upside down or sumthing when u wire it..since u got the universals

Btw hope to meet you and ryan saturday at HIN




Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Sunday, June 11, 2006 12:00 PM
Uggg... lets not talk about shows i've planned to go to in the last 2 weeks. lol

Summer Showoff - Had to bail on that one because of my girlfriends medical problems
HIN Indy- Yeap. Can't go to that one 'cause were promissed her cousin we'd go to her birthday part in Cynthania Ky that weekend, before I knew about HIN.
GMSCB- Who knows. lol.


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Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Monday, June 12, 2006 8:49 PM
k i've had the same problem, the drivers fuse keeps blowing after i replace it. all the wiring is right me and my dad checked it over tonz. The real problem is my car needs to be safetied before i can register it. and if i cut the drl wire. it wont pass, so am i screwed or what?
Re: Headlight Swap Problems...
Tuesday, June 13, 2006 6:17 AM
Disabling your DRLs makes it unsafe and wont let u pass inspection..i dont understand it..





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