0:00
Your car's headlights won't turn on, but
0:02
the high beams still work. Most times
0:05
that's a bad headlight switch, a blown
0:07
low beam fuse, or burned out bulbs. Easy
0:10
checks you can do at home. You'll just
0:13
need a basic test light or a cheap OBD
0:15
scanner, plus a screwdriver set. Don't
0:18
worry, I'll walk you through it so you
0:20
know exactly where to look inside the
0:22
car. First thing, pop the hood and check
0:25
the headlight bulbs themselves. The low
0:27
beam filament burns out way more often
0:30
than the high beam. Swap in a known good
0:32
bulb or even swap sides if one headlight
0:34
works after swapping. You found the
0:36
issue. If both bulbs look good, slide
0:40
over to the car fuse box. Your car
0:42
usually has one under the hood near the
0:44
battery and another under the dash. Find
0:47
the low beam fuse and check it. If it's
0:49
blown, replace it with the exact same
0:51
amp rating. Simple fix costs just a
0:54
couple bucks. Okay, then if fuses are
0:57
fine, the headlight relay could be the
0:58
culprit. That's the small plug-in cube
1:01
inside the fuse box. You can swap it
1:04
with another identical relay like the
1:05
horn relay to see if your headlights
1:07
come back. If they do, replace the
1:10
relay. Now, if bulbs, fuses, and relays
1:13
are all good, we move inside the car.
1:15
The headlight switch on the steering
1:17
column wears out over time. When the
1:19
switch can't send power to the low beam
1:21
circuit, you'll only get high beams.
1:24
Replacing that switch is usually under 1
1:26
hour with basic tools. Safety tip. If
1:30
your car has steering wheel airbags,
1:32
disconnect the battery before removing
1:34
trim panels. Another spot to check is
1:37
the wiring connector at the back of the
1:39
headlight housing. Those plastic plugs
1:41
sometimes melt from heat and lose
1:43
contact. If you see discoloration or
1:45
burning, replace the connector. It's
1:48
cheap and saves you from future shorts.
1:51
Now, um here's a quick story. I had a
1:54
Volkswagen Jetta come in last year with
1:56
this exact problem. Customers swore both
1:59
bulbs were new. After half an hour
2:01
chasing fuses and relays, I found the
2:04
connector on the passenger headlight had
2:05
melted just enough to break contact. $10
2:08
part, car fixed, and the customer
2:11
couldn't believe it. Question for you.
2:13
What car model are you working on right
2:15
now? Drop it in the comments because
2:18
wiring layouts change a lot between
2:20
brands. Back to the fix. If you've
2:22
checked bulbs, fuses, relays, the
2:25
switch, and wiring connectors, the last
2:27
suspect is the ECU or body control
2:29
module. That's rare, but when it
2:32
happens, the module stops sending power
2:34
to the headlights. At that point, you'll
2:36
want to shop with factory level
2:38
diagnostics. It's not worth guessing.
2:40
So, let's recap quick. No low beams, but
2:43
high beams work. Start with bulbs, then
2:46
check fuses, relays, the switch, and
2:48
wiring connectors. Only after all that
2:51
do you look at the control module. Like
2:53
and subscribe if this walkthrough helped
2:56
and share your car story in the
2:57
comments. It might save the next person
3:00
hours of frustration.
