jakeafton Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I've searched around for this but haven't found anything. When I bought my LGT is had a HID kit in it, but the headlights were sooo dull and scratched that they were really dark when driving at night. I bought new one piecers that are really clear. They're H4 style 3 prong dual fillament sockets on the new headlamps. When I removed the HID kit I realized hey, this car stock had 9006 headlamps, not 9003/H4. So I made a wire harness. All the wire colors coming from the car were weird colors, and different on both sides. 1 set had a yellow and red wire with a green stripe or something and a solid red. I took my best guess and hooked up ground to the solid red, the low beam to the green and high to the yellow I think. Anyway, both sides worked in daylight, and highbeams worked. Tonight while driving, the low beams are yellow and dark. Even though I bought SilverStar Ultra's, "The Brightest and Whitest Light." The high beams IS really bright and white. But, the lows are dark and yellow. What gives? Did I wire them wrong? Am I destined to have dark low beams? Everytime a car drives by their headlights DROWN out my headlights. If there's street lights I can't tell if my headlights are even on. I can see my fog lights are on better than my headlights...I felt like just driving with my high beams on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karumba Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 To think from another side ... are you sure your casing couldn't be the worse culprit? Try possibly getting them polished properly to clear up the light. Not sure about the wiring, just giving you another possible alley to help brighten them up. I'll go back to lurking in the shadows of this site. Pictures of my rides; 2001 Honda Civic LX 4dr old whip[/url] Current Wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 3, 2013 Author Share Posted November 3, 2013 I bought new ones, they're super clean and clear. Thanks for the suggestion tho. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevlar_07 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Have you checked the voltage going to the low side wire? It should have close to battery voltage, if not you may have a resistance issue on that circuit a quick voltage drop test will confirm it. I would also check the ground circuit for high resistance as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 3, 2013 Author Share Posted November 3, 2013 I'll definitely check the voltage. But, both low beams? Do they feed off the same wire? I doubt two separate wires...is there a link or fuse somewhere? Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishLt Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Stole the pics from a projector install on the "international" page but they'll work for what you're asking. If you wired them up per the pictures then I'd get the ole multimeter out and start checking from the headlights and move back to the column multi-switch. Happy hunting, -LT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 3, 2013 Author Share Posted November 3, 2013 Hmm...if they're hooked up wrong do they still work? Lol i don't see how. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishLt Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Yeah, if they're working as you've said then I can't see them being hooked up wrong. The pictures were just to eliminate one more possible from the list. I can't see it being a ground as the highs/lows should use the same grounding point. Did you get a chance to check voltage in the lighting circuit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 I did, below is what I got. The right plug on the harness only reads 18 with low beams on... http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz110/archafton/subaru.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 Did i have the mutimeter set wrong? Haha I don't have a lot of experience with wiring Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishLt Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Well something is screwed up....you should be reading close to 13-14v at the lamps with the engine running and the lights plugged in. It should be a little less of what the battery is reading across posts, less for the voltage drop due to resistance of headlight circuit. multimeter should be DC one probe to socket other to ground. You did take the ballast for the hid out right? I only ask because they're job is to deliver 35w...which would explain the 32....still not sure where 18 would come from. Possible ground and high being swapped? If I'm ass backwards here someone feel free to chime in. But I'd recheck your wiring against the pictures before anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/04/yny8uze9.jpg Those guys? They're out... The 18 is with the car running. If its on ACC its 13, 14... Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishLt Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 You shouldn't be able to get a higher voltage at the end of the circuit than you start with. Which should be 12.7ish engine off 14.5ish running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 So I'm an idiot. Battery runs 14.4ish, left plug per my previous pic is at 14.3ish, but with low beams on the right plug is at 8.2ish. Yeah, it's not getting enough power...on both sides. Identical readings. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 Fyi, mutimeter works better when reading DC not AC. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishLt Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Haha, if you don't have acouple of those moments while working on cars then you should be working on something bigger. Alright...see we're making progress. PO might have had same issue and stuck hids in to compensate. Time to move further back the line...I don't have a wiring diagram or I could point you in a direction. Generally speaking most cars have 2 relays...one for high one for low....you could try swapping them to check the relay. Not sure what all connections the headlight harness makes before getting back to the fuse box in the subarus. EDIT:Legacy's headlight relays should be the top(when looking from bumper-furthest away from you) two in fuse box under hood behind battery. Disconnect battery/press brakes couple times to discharge/swap relays/reconnect battery...check for any change. You can also just check for voltage at the low beam relay after you pull it/reconnect battery to see it it's getting correct power....if it isn't then the problem is further upstream. I guess you don't have to go through pulling battery connector and what not....i'm just anal about frying stuff. Hehe I said anal. <-yeah i'm a 12yr old at heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 That makes sense about the PO...I'll try swapping the relays in a bit here. After SNF.. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 Thanks a lot btw! Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 Would a relay...that seems strange to me, if a relay goes bad doesn't it just uh, not work Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishLt Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Most of the time...but it could just be causing crazy ammounts of resistance across the circuit and killing the 13v down to 8. It's also a good way to move further up the line of trouble shooting. The other possible culprit is the column switch not giving good power across terminals. Anything else will take some actual investigating in between the switch and relay. I'm from pittsburgh...so pro football is shot for me this year...luckily notre dame is doing pretty solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz110/archafton/CAM00107.jpg It looks like there is only one relay per headlight. Not separate ones for high and low... Bummer, rough day for steelers in foxborough today. I'm from seattle area. Go hawks. So i watched some of the steelers pats game cause I was trying to escape having a heart attack... Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishLt Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 ah okay....so subies are left/right not hi/lo makes sense. Well I'm starting to get to the end of my electrical knowledge. With the relays set up like that then it's got to be either the sockets not sitting tight enough(which seems unlikely on both sides and only on the lows) or a grounding issue causing resistance. I'm not sure if the column is a switched power or switched ground on these but that would be what i'd guess is the issue seeing as a ground issue (outside of that switch) should affect both high and lows.....really could use one of the electrical gurus to chime in here. PS wouldn't hurt to throw new fuses in for headlights in the interior panel....just as another ruled it out type thing. There's always that like 3%chance that your's are the ones that didn't do what they're supposed to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twisty Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 have you dragged a wire from the battery to the light socket to verify the bulbs/ sockets are working correctly without the switches and relays inline yet? if you drag a 12v+ directly to the light and they are still dim, the relays and wiring is not the problem. my money is on crappy relays, personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeafton Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 http://www.designlabx.com/subaru/fusebox/fuseboxcover.jpg I don't see a fuse for the headlights in the interior panel... I swapped relays around with my A/C that's not hooked up, they're all 12v relays. Didn't change voltage at all. Still read 8.4 on both sides, even with one swapped and one not. It's not the relays... twisty, I have some 16 gauge wire, how...should I just make another harness? lol, I guess I could cut my beautifully made harness and try swapping low beam wires. There is a wire under my dash ran for an amp, so apparently it had a sound system in it at one point. Could they have tapped off of something under the dash somewhere that could cause it to do that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zues Marine Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I don't see a fuse for the headlights in the interior panel... they're in the fusebox under the hood, mayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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