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One headlight dimmer than the other

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Greyhound
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30 Sep 2008, 11:19 am

I noticed when driving today that one of my headlights is dimmer than the other. As far as I know, they were fine when I drove in the dark the other night. The bulbs have not been changed recently.

What could be the problem?


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Prof_Pretorius
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30 Sep 2008, 11:55 am

I don't know what kind of car you drive, but this used to be fairly common when the ground to the headlight came loose. Or the power wire came loose. Open the bonnet and check around the lights for corrosion and rust.


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Greyhound
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30 Sep 2008, 12:01 pm

1991 Ford Fiesta. It's got plenty of rust everywhere :lol:


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Prof_Pretorius
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30 Sep 2008, 12:35 pm

Greyhound wrote:
1991 Ford Fiesta. It's got plenty of rust everywhere :lol:


The housing that holds the bulb has probably gotten rusted to the pint of losing electrical contact. To check this, you can get a cheap voltmeter and test how much voltage is flowing to the bulb, then measure the one that's working correctly. The solution will probably involve having an automotive electrician re-wire the bulb holder, and/or replacing the housing with one from a breaker.


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anna-banana
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30 Sep 2008, 3:03 pm

Greyhound wrote:
1991 Ford Fiesta. It's got plenty of rust everywhere :lol:


lol, I have exactly the same one, in "cherry". only I can't drive and it's been standing in the garage for 8 months so I'm not gonna help you here :oops:


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