Headlights both, low beams dead??

Both R & L low beam headlights will not function. Go figure? The fuses of the headlight curcuits which are located in both the engine compartment and interior underdash fuse panels do not appear to have blown. I went so far as to replace several of the the fuses just to be sure. Go figure? Maybe a relay is Kaputt? Could it be that both low beam headlight bulbs have burned out simultaneously??? (long shot here ~ someone buy me a Lotto ticket). Maybe the headlight switch, maybe an ignition switch?? The high beam headlights work fine although the low beams will not. All other lights appear to operate fine.

 

I'm on a road trip 1000 miles from home...... "If it wasn't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all"

 

Any clues???

Edited January 3, 2009 by M. Schneider

It's common to have a low beam burn out with our projector headlights, but both at the same time? I guess it could happen. Go to an auto parts store, see if they'll replace the bulbs to see if that's the fix. The O'Reilly's in my town is very helpful. I bought new wiper blades once and without asking the guy grabbed 'em, walked out to my truck and put them on for me. Tell the store of your problem and see if they can pop in a new bulb or test the wiring connector to see if it's working. Also a repair mechanic would do it, might do it for cheap. Good luck.

 

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=162&pictureid=854

As you suggest, I'll check the low beam bulbs in the morning as we have checked into a hotel for the evening. Damm,,, I wanted to drive for a few more hours - Oh well what's a road trip without some issue anyway. The Silverstar bulbs (bought in Germany) in the low beams are only a few years old - but to have both burnout at the same time .............long shot! Will see tommorrow at an O'Reilly's auto parts store or so.

 

Thanks for the reply. Cheers, Mike

Edited January 5, 2009 by M. Schneider

Replace the bulbs, & pull the DRL module (some may disagree with the efficacy of the latter).

Last Thanksgiving, both of my Low beams went out at the same time. These cars eat headlights.

maybe it was one that blew out without you knowing and then the other one went out shortly after then you noticed... or maybe the wire some how shorted out... hopefully the first one. do the high beams work? have you taken the bulb out yet?

Schneider, any news? Hope all it is were the bulbs. Other than that I hope your road trip is going well. I had a road trip cut short years ago because my lights were acting up. Turned out is was a wiring connection (factory Y connector) was going bad so was an easy fix. It's hard to drive at night without lights.

 

This morning I unplugged the DRL connector, took all of a minute. I know the previous owner had replaced the bulbs in my car but in 5 months I haven't had a problem yet. Enjoy your trip.

Hey Hobie and all ~ The low beam bulbs are OK, that is the bulbs are NOT burnt out. The fuses are fine also. As a back drop, the low beam bulbs I have personally replaced over the years once or twice IIRC. In November 2004 when buying the car I wanted better head lights, so switching to the ever so slightly brighter Silver Star bulbs satisfied the itch. The high beam head lights work fine....

 

Go figure. I'll drop the car with Subaru on Monday.... we'll see.

 

The road trip ended fine although a few hours of night driving on the interstate with only fog lights/running lights/ etc was difficult. At 75mph played follow the leader until our exit; Cake.

Edited January 5, 2009 by M. Schneider

Good luck with it. My guess would be they both went.

The two low beam lights are working again. Seems the Subi Tech simply checked a wire connection and bingo. I asked my wife where the connection was and all she knew was "under the hood" possibly near the firewall. Go figure.

 

I'll call the Subi dealer to gain an understanding of exactly where this "connection" might be located.

Last Thanksgiving, both of my Low beams went out at the same time. These cars eat headlights.

 

 

Get a 4300K HID conversion, they last forever.

 

My car ate bulbs monthly, the HID's have outlasted conventional bulbs by X10.

The two low beam lights are working again. Seems the Subi Tech simply checked a wire connection and bingo. I asked my wife where the connection was and all she knew was "under the hood" possibly near the firewall. Go figure.

 

I'll call the Subi dealer to gain an understanding of exactly where this "connection" might be located.

 

I would venture where the socket is. Good to see you got it working. Thankfully my original oem ones are still working fine at 35k.

Get a 4300K HID conversion, they last forever.

 

My car ate bulbs monthly, the HID's have outlasted conventional bulbs by X10.

 

Before the Outback my daily driver of 10 years was a MY96 Audi S6 wagon which had factory HID lights; after installing complete headlight modules sourced from Audi Germany. Back in 1995, the 1st generation HIDs made by Hella had the ballast and xenon bulb permanently connected making a bulb failure expensive. 2nd generation HIDs quickly altered this ballast/bulb configuration.

 

My MY98 911 has OEM HIDs. In ten years /50K miles the 911 has not had a single HID bulb failure; neither has my wife’s MY00 Boxster. That is not to say xenon bulbs do not fail, they do.

 

Maybe, just maybe there’s a high quality 4300K HID aftermarket kit in the Outback’s future. Does the Subaru’s projector assemblies include lenses with an appropriate cut off to support a xenon light source? Could look cheesy with an excessivily bright bulb and a funky lens cut off? What brand of HID kits have others used?

 

Short of a HID option, I’d support Subaru offering a headlight high pressure washer so I can stop pulling off highway to clean the headlights. Ski time in the Rockies is a bitch...w/o washers.

Edited December 2, 2015 by M. Schneider

Get a 4300K HID conversion, they last forever.

 

My car ate bulbs monthly, the HID's have outlasted conventional bulbs by X10.

 

Allready done;) I love them.

At around 45K miles (this past September), my driver's side OEM low beam went out. I replaced both with new Silverstars! What a difference!

 

This weekend, only 5 months and 8K miles since the replacement, both low beams went out within 3 days. I know many have said that our cars eat bulbs, but for the first set to last 3+ years and then the Silverstars burn out after 5 months is unacceptable.

 

Needless to say, Sylvania's going to hear about it...

Both of mine went out on a trip back from Atlantic city, 30k on the car, last year. I got into the car turned the lights on and started driving, it was raining and I didn't quite notice until I got on the highway. I couldn't believe it!! Never in my life have I driven a car in which both go out at the exact same time! Drove home on high beams trying very hard to stay out of people's rear mirrors. Not fun! Took it to the dealer and they couldn't believe it either. They replaced the bulbs under warranty but now I am wondering what the heck this connector thing MS's dealer is talking about and if they really changed them. Do tell!

I am wondering what the heck this connector thing MS's dealer is talking about and if they really changed them. Do tell!

 

I am thinking they may mean the socket connectors that the bulbs go in or right in that area.

Before the Outback my daily driver of 10 years was a MY96 Audi S6 wagon which had factory HID lights; after installing complete headlight modules sourced from Audi Germany. Back in 1995, the 1st generation HIDs made by Hella had the ballast and xenon bulb permanently connected making a bulb failure expensive. 2nd generation HIDs quickly altered this ballast/bulb configuration.

 

My MY98 911 has OEM HIDs. In ten years /50K miles the 911 has not had a single HID bulb failure; neither has my wife’s MY00 Boxster. That is not to say xenon bulbs do not fail, they do.

 

Maybe, just maybe there’s a high quality 4300K HID aftermarket kit in the Outback’s future. Does the Subaru’s projector assemblies include lenses with an appropriate cut off to support a xenon light source? Could look cheesy with an excessivily bright bulb and a funky lens cut off? What brand of HID kits have other used?

 

Short of a HID option, I’d support Subaru offering a headlight high pressure washer so I can stop pulling off highway to clean the headlights. Ski time in the Rockies is a bitch...w/o washers.

 

911, Boxster + 1 Outback ???

 

Wowie you have quite the garage. Are you a doctor or lawyer? Nice...that would be my choices if I had the money. 911 at least and a Subie.

Schneider, any news on what it was?

 

...just happened to me tonight. Bulbs fine, fuses fine, HI-beams fine, everything else works (parking lights come on with the switch, etc.)

 

I'm hoping to fix it myself, as I've got 45K+ miles on it.

 

Thanks!

911, Boxster + 1 Outback ???

 

Are you a doctor or lawyer? Nice...that would be my choices if I had the money. 911 at least and a Subie.

 

Neither MD or Esq., and not even a professional i.e. MBA etc.; just a small business owner going on a few decades.

 

Anyway, the OB XT was an attempt to replace our aging Audi UrS6 wagon, also turbo charged. The idea of the OB XT also being forced induction would make climbing the Colorado Mountains easy. That's where the two cars part way's. As capable as the Subi XT is, it aint-got-no-refinement like its German counterparts, if there is a counterpart.

Its a Luv Hate with the Subaru wagon. The at-long-last Bilstein suspension enhancement kit (BTS-5056) will go a long way to diminisish a core Outback XT model's weakness - (don't get me started on the Subaru's weak ineffective brakes)

 

Now if anyone could perform the required brain surgery on that .. Piece-Of-Shiite HVAC combo radio nonsense …. Shame on you Subaru..... you cheap mother-fker’s for allowing OE Panasonic of talking you into… (don’t get me started)

 

But hey,,, The OB XT is not my daily driver, it's my wife's. My DD is a 06 VW Jetta TDI w/DSG. Ride the torque baby all the way to 40MPG...

Edited December 2, 2015 by M. Schneider

Schneider, any news on what it was?

 

...just happened to me tonight. Bulbs fine, fuses fine, HI-beams fine, everything else works (parking lights come on with the switch, etc.)

 

Hey valor ~ The last I heard was the Subi dealership tech cleaned up or re-connected a displaced connector associated with the Head Light wiring loom. My wife indicated this took only minutes, she was on her way from the dealership in no time. Possibly if you were to follow the Head Lights wiring path checking each termination/connector etc. Best of Luck.

Many thanks!!

valor did you ever figure out which connector was giving you troubles?

 

Last night, I noticed both low beams were out. DRLs were not working, however everything thing else was. Tail lights, high beams, fog lights all working.

 

I have to check the bulbs this morning but this it seems like a wiring issues more than simultaneous burnt filaments.

 

Thanks for any help you guys may have.

...weird...it was simultaneous burnt filaments. Never replaced bulbs until 65K guess I cant complain, both at the same time is odd though. I know both must have burnt out within a day or so of each other because when I park in the garage I always look at the reflection on the door to see if the bulbs are good. Anyway that's the update.

I think that with quality components, the tolerances are tight enough that when one fails, you should expect the other to go very soon.