I searched but didn't see anything specific regarding headlights...

So, I rarely drive at night but am in grad school and had a late night class last night. Once I got on the country roads away from streetlights, I noticed that my headlights seem remarkably dim. In fact, it looks like the day time running lights are on, and that's it. Regardless of the position of the headlight switch, the headlight intensity is the same. High beams work just fine.

I don't have the RAVE on my work computer so I can't check it for troubleshooting just yet. Any ideas?

 

D1 and D2s have "city lights" in position 1, then main head lights in position 2. The "city lights" are two very small 192 bulbs, mounted on separate holders inside the same lamp housing. You'll feel them when you reach behind the lamp housing to change the main bulb.

You will probably notice that when in position 2, the dim lights are on, and when you hit the high beams, the light source moves an inch or so. You probably need to change both main head light bulbs, the low beam part is burned out.

Beyond that it become electrical troubleshooting and the RAVE is a great tool.

I have been told that the city lights are popular in Europe, where narrow streets and no lawns put home windows at street level. I would not want my viewing of Godzilla Stomps Land Cruisers to be disturbed by the blue high intensity head light beam flashing across my flat screen.

What's your major? In the doctoral program yet?

 

One of two things: either both low beam filaments of your headlights have gone out, or possibly your headlight switch has failed. If one low beam went out days or weeks ago, you might not have noticed as the other side was still working. When the other side went out, then you notice because of no headlights.

Testing would be easy enough: unplug the connector to one or both headlights, turn switch to position 2, and check for voltage at the connector. When high beams are triggered, voltage should move to a different position on the connector. If you don't have a voltage tester, headlight bulbs are cheap enough; buy one, and see if it illuminates in low beam position on the switch.

 

Thanks guys, I'll go pick up some new headlights today... I'm hanging all new rotors this afternoon anyway. I have not driven the Disco at night in ages. I leave for work pretty early in the morning but that's after dawn so the headlights could have been out for a while.

@Savannah Buzz: I'm a Security Studies masters candidate and will submit my application for the doctoral program later this fall. Fingers crossed.

 

As in physical and electronic security or information technology network security? I work at research university, and tell unsuspecting new grad students that I sneak in their labs at night and change the exponents on equations left on white boards.....

 

Okay so, new headlights did not fix this issue. When I first installed them, everything seemed to work just fine. Then I noticed that the lights actually seem dim again. A day or two after that, the lights were nice and bright. Finally, last night, I was driving on a country road and, when I went from high beams back to low, the lights were clearly not on anymore. It was too dark to go poking around when I got home.

So, why would the headlights work intermittently? If I had blown a fuse, they wouldn't have worked at all, right? First guess is bad relay and second is a bunged up headlight switch. What do you guys think?

 

2 Thoughts, go get your charging system tested at a local parts store, voltage must be between 13.6 and 14.4 volts. Check your head light grounds.
As for your rotors, don't forget to do a 2 quart DOT 4 brake flush ath the same time.

 

if they are on and just dim, it is quite possibly a ground issue. when i had my 97 rover one bulb had a bad ground wire and made it 1/4-1/2 as bright as the other, intermittently. you can check the ground wire with a multimeter to make sure it is indeed connected to ground.

 

Well, it may be a connector or splice issue, but most head light systems (like the D1 and others) use the same ground for high beam and low beam. While you've got that meter out check the voltages at the connecters if you can reach them. The high beam is on fuse 22, the low beam (well I'll be dipped.... er, no that's "dipped" beam in the King's English) is on fuse 10. So you could have bad fuse, connections, and even that ground connection, because high beam, low beam, and day time light all splice together and join the same ground point. And those fuses are for just one side. So a separate set of ground points and fuses for the other side (other fuses are 33, 11, 9, 3).

The two low beam (dipped beam bulbs) are fed from the switch to fuse 9 and fuse 10, then on to the bulbs. So you can read at the fuse to chassis ground for 12 volts. Most fuses have a small point where a meter can touch. If switch is "on" and good, there should be 12 volts between chassis and either side of fuses 9 & 10.

Rave has a full color schematic that is easy to follow. With two different fuses, two different grounds, the only common point is the switch.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I tested system voltage and got 13.8v. Then I had to focus attention elsewhere. Then, last night, a passing trucker told me that my rear lights were out. So, turn signals, DRL and high beams work. No lights come on until I shift into gear. So, is the switch on the steering column the only common path for all the rest? Sorry for limited info... didn't get in until 4am.