Both my headlights stopped working, had been fine minutes earlier, but suddenly were just gone what could cause this?

We had been out looking at christmas lights and everything was fine, but then on a particularily crowded street we had to park, SO we did and when we got back in the lights just did not come on. I had to hold the brights on all the way home.My husband checked the fuse and said it looked fine, and I keep thinking it does not make sense that it could be the headlamps themselves burning out because they both are out, Does anyone know what it could be? I am on a very tight budget and need to use my car, help!

Asked by glowgirl 49 months ago Similar questions: headlights stopped working fine minutes earlier suddenly Transportation > Automotive - Makes and Models.

Similar questions: headlights stopped working fine minutes earlier suddenly.

Transportation > Automotive - Makes and Models.

Few reasons are possible: 1. ) The gh and Low beam fuses are normally 2 separate fuses - be sure to check (and preferably replace) both. I don't know Volvo models and you didnt' specify a year, but blade-type fuses and buss fuses are both very cheap ( usually Replace the high AND low beam fuses - try the simple stuff first.2.

) The next thing is possibly a bad high/low beam switch, but since you said you could hold the switch back and the high-beams come on, that makes me think it's probably not the switch. And since you're holding the switch, I'm guessing it's not a floor-switch button. Floor switches tend to get gummed up with floor-gunk and stop working, but usually that leaves you stuck with one setting (high or low), not neither, although I've seen that happen too.

3. ) Could be a relay (headlamp relay or "bulb failure" relay). It's not common, but not uncommon, either.

Depending on the age of your car, the relay could look like a 1" x 1" x 3" grey/red/blue box or it could look like a small coke can. It can be under the hood of your car in a black electrical box, or under your dashboard. Relays can be cheap or expensive ($10 - $150, from what I've seen), depending on the type/age/make/model of car.

A service manual could probably tell you where it is, but you might be more comfortable taking it to a shop that you trust to get that replaced.4. ) Maybe both low-beam elements blew out at the same time, which would require new lamps. Honestly, I doubt that's your issue - too coincidental for both to go at the same time.5.

) The only other thing I can think of is a bad ground... but each headlight should have an individual ground, so both going bad at once would be incredibly coincidental to the point of being unrealistic. My money is on #1, although I've had personal experience with #2 (floor switches, never steering column switches) and I had #3 happen to me on an early 90's pickup. Good luck to you - let us know what it was!

Sources: experience...

Check the fuses first. They might look good but they are bad. Hopefully you have fuses in your car that are of the same amperage as the headlights.

Since the fuses in the other areas of your car are working with those other fuses its an easy troubleshoot. Put the ones from the other areas into the headlight fuse slot. If they work you know you had a bad fuse.

Then you can put the fuses back and buy those for the headlights. CHEAP FIX. Sometimes those fuses look good (even new ones) but they are bad.

Good luck. ~ K Sources: personal experience .

Probably a fuse For both headlights to go at once requires a common point of failure. That is most likely a fuse; secondarily but less likely, the light switch. Beyond that, it could be the wiring harness or a relay if used in your car..

Fuse possibly but... It could be a fuse but generally both the high beams and low beams feed through the same fuse, so if the high beams worked just fine, I would doubt the fuse theory. Check the owner's manual, though, as it will tell you whether you have two fuses for the headlights. Further, give the fact that this is a newer car (made since the mid-1980s in this context), it is most likely going to use the blade fuses rather than the old style cylindrical fuses.As such, it is very easy to tell if such a fuse is blown, especially for one that would have to carry as much power as a headlight fuse (typically about 20 amps, if I am not mistaken).

The fuse element (the thing that looks like a horseshoe in the middle of the plastic) is quite wide, so you can see if it is burned through or not. Assuming that the fuse is/fuses are okay, I would think that there could be a problem with either the switch itself or with the wiring between the switch and the lamps themselves. Given this time of year and depending on where you are, it could be that slush and/or salt got into a crack in the insulation of the wiring causing a problem or, along the same lines, it could be the broken insulation is allowing the wire to ground against something and, thus, short so that the power does not go to the lights to activate the low beam elements.

Peeking at your profile, I noticed that it says you are in California. Being here in the Midwest where we have about three or four inches of snow on the ground as well as sand and salt, that sort of crud could easily muck up exposed wire. However, out your way, I don't think you have had anything but rain and maybe salty air.

Did you go through any puddles or anything such as that before you stopped the car and killed the lights? It could be that the water you went through had a chance to work inside and cause you problems while you were out of the car.In any case, what I would do (assuming you can garage your car, is keep it inside where it is warmer and drier for a few days to see if that helps. If it does, then more than likely it is a short of some sort and replacement of the appropriate wiring will probably be necessary.

As a quick fix, though, if you can find the offending stretch of wire, you might try wrapping some electrical tape around it so as to keep it away from any metal and, thus, shorting once again.(Tracking down the offending length of wire would be easier if you had access to a volt meter, often called a multimeter.) I hope this helps! Feel free to send me a private message if you have any questions about my answer..

Be sure there is a good ground for the headlamps (no corrosion) but I think it is in the switch (or relay if it has one) .

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