Headlight issues

[Shawnee123]

So, first my driver's side daytime running light went out. That, I could deal with temporarily. I did try to check the fuses, but as I don't have an owner's manual I had to get a grid off the interwebz and try to figure out the little card in the fuse door. I didn't see any that were open, but I didn't pull every single one, because I didn't want to reset anything important. I think I can figure out which ones go to the headlights, but I'm pretty sure it's not fuse related anyway.

NOW, I have low beams on both sides that are almost non-existent. Brights work. Can't see anything with DRLs. Can't see anything at night with low-beams, they're on but might as well not be. They're like candles.

I don't have the cash flow to go through a bunch of crap...does anyone have any ideas? I have instructions for removing the headlight assembly but haven't tried it yet. I just want to fix this as cheaply as possible, because of the whole 'getting blood from a turnip' thing.

Oh, it's a VW: 2006 Beetle Convert...if that makes a difference.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me.

[squirell nutkin]

I didn't have time to read your whole post so my advice is based solely on the thread title.
First, I'd turn up the thermostat. If that doesn't work, try a padded bra, or you could just wear a baggy sweater.

Hope that helps.

[skysidhe]

When my tail light went out I took it to the dealer I bought the car from and the shop there replaced it for $5 or some other insanely cheap price.

That was after trying to fix it myself but my lights were under layers of housings and screws.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by squirell nutkin

I didn't have time to read your whole post so my advice is based solely on the thread title.
First, I'd turn up the thermostat. If that doesn't work, try a padded bra, or you could just wear a baggy sweater.

Hope that helps.

Oh man...come on, you have a more developed sense of humor than that don't you? (get it? developed?) That sounded like something a poster who shall remain nameless would say when they think they're really funny. But they're not.

Originally Posted by skysidhe

When my tail light went out I took it to the dealer I bought the car from and the shop there replaced it for $5 or some other insanely cheap price.

That was after trying to fix it myself but my lights were under layers of housings and screws.

I thought about stopping at the dealer...I don't know if anything is covered or not. I don't understand all the warranty crap. I just don't want to get screwed if I can do it myself.

What I don't understand is how it changed. A simple bulb out (pricey little fuckers that they are) made sense...I don't know what happened after that.

Thanks!

[squirell nutkin]

I lol'd. OK seriously though. Are other lights and electrical things at full power? sometimes if everything is dimming it can be a bad alternator not recharging the battery or hopefully just a loose alternator belt.
that's all I got, except maybe corrosion on some wires not letting all the juice get to the fixture. different from a loose wire where you get intermittent connections.

Electrical stuff suxxors

[Shawnee123]

Clodfobble's brain ate your brain, apparently. You were left with a merc-like sense of humor.

I'll just wait patiently for help from tw...someone will use it as an excuse to get a jab in, but small minds and all...

[Shawnee123]

Well NOW you edit. You sneak.

Hmmm, it seems that all other electrical stuff is working OK. The corroded contacts is a good thing to look for.

Thank you.

p.s. I didn't mean you with the small minds comment. You, I reserve my best shit-giving for, and it's never for real.

[glatt]

Weird that they are just getting dim and haven't burned out completely.

A fuse would either be working or blown out and not working at all. Same with a bulb. You have both bulbs being dim. Something fishy going on.

Does the other electrical stuff on the car work fine? Like does it turn over with a lot of gusto when you start it?

[Shawnee123]

Yeah, it turns over normally. Brights work fine. The lid goes up and down fine.

It must have Shawitis. Everything I touch or get near turns to shit.

[Griff]

Is there another light or another component out somewhere else? My old Jetta used to have some pretty wacky wiring where you'd lose the ground when a different component went.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Yeah, it turns over normally. Brights work fine. The lid goes up and down fine.

Headlight for post 2006 Beetles is an H7 bulb. Two separate bulbs in one glass envelope. That means high beams and low beams are powered by separate wires - separate circuits.

If a fuse caused a failure, then the headlight would be out. Dimming is another (different) problem. And complicated by Daylight Running Lights (DRL). DRL means something lowers voltage - some kind of black box that could be a resistor or more likely some electronics. When headlights are powered on, then something bypasses that black box. Puts all 12 volts to the low beam filament – one of two lights inside that glass envelope.

When you switch to high beams, then that low bean filament is powered off. 12 volt then connects to the other filament - the high beam.

Unusual for the typical halogen bulb to just dim. Either it works or it blows out. And therefore that is about as far as I can go since I do not have schematics for the headlight circuit.

Traditionally, the Chilton, et al manuals do not provide those facts. Chilton does not write their own manuals. Manual is written by VW. The VW manual would have information necessary to further diagnosis. Chilton simply copies selected passages from the VW manual and puts a Chilton cover on it.

Meanwhile, the owners manual would list any useful information such as fuses or unique behavior.

Well, you could try replacing the bulb. But from what I read (and what would be in that owner’s manual), the VW bulb requires a 5 mm wrench. Most all light bulbs (including the tail light) are easily replaced by hand - no tools. But this VW bulb apparently requires a 5 mm wrench. An exciting challenge to me. You don't want to try it.

Furthermore, never touch a finger to glass of a headlight bulb. Oils from a finger can cause the glass to crack or explode. Just another reason why you are encouraged to replace your own tail light bulbs. But should consider assistance (training) before replacing a headlight bulb. I do not see any recourse other than a mechanic for this problem. Hopefully it is only the light bulb - sold even in K-mart. But that usually means the bulb completely fails – does not just dim.

A light dimming implies a failure in the DRL circuitry - probably a 'bypass the DRL circuit' failure. I could be wrong. But your failure does not have the typical symptoms of something easy to fix - headlight bulb failure.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by tw

Well, you could try replacing the bulb. But from what I read (and what would be in that owner’s manual), the VW bulb requires a 5 mm wrench. Most all light bulbs (including the tail light) are easily replaced by hand - no tools. But this VW bulb apparently requires a 5 mm wrench. An exciting challenge to me. You don't want to try it.

I don' think this will fix the problem because it's BOTH headlights. Both bulbs wouldn't fail at the same time.

[Shawnee123]

Hmmm...my brother said one of the little back-up lights was out. It's like a little rectangle. I wasn't too concerned about it, thinking I won't get pulled over unless I'm backing down the highway, and thinking it probably wasn't related.

Hmmm hmmm hmmm...thanks...that might be a good clue!

[classicman]

When did it start?
Have they been getting progressively dimmer over time or did it just happen all at once?
Does revving the engine make them brighter?
Is it sporadic or consistent?
Did the low-beams get dim AFTER you played with the fuses?

Off the cuff, it sounds like you have a bad ground or some type of short in the system or a bad switch. All are guesses of course.

[Shawnee123]

Well, with the time change I haven't really been out much in the dark...so I just noticed it the other night. I do know it started being dim after I messed with the fuses, but I don't know if it was immediately after.

They don't seem to dim and brighten with engine use.

It's consistent.

Crud...this is starting to worry me.

All good questions. Thank you!