Headlight Low Beams Out

2001 Golf GL

Everything worked fine yesterday moring, I KNOW the DRLs were on. Then on the drive home at night I noticed...

I have no low beams at all; activate highs and just those bulbs come on, lows stay off (expected I guess). DRLs are now always off. Raise and lower handbrake and you can hear relay click under dash in unison with BRAKE warning light on dash but DRLs don't turn off and come back on when released like they used to. HL Switch does activate all dash and switch backlight illuminations.

Checked all fuses at drivers side of dash, and on top of battery. Pulled relay 173 and inspected, looks good. Verifyed that it is the 173 that is clicking when hand brake lever raised, so relay is working, can't vouch for its all pins working.

Pulled HL switch; 12v at pin 1 with key "on", switch opens/closes pin 4 to low beams. jumped 1 to 4 at harness, still no lo beams. Pulled bulbs - filiments look intact. It would be odd if both failed together (and they look intact!)

Car is clean, garaged, no corrosion, low miles; but 16 years old.

I'm stumped.

2001 Golf A4 TDI GL with no fog lamps, headlight switch has just 2 legends, off (at 11 oclock) and on (at 12 oclock). Found part "REPV108906", $20 at Amazon. Relay 173 costs about $10. But throwing parts at the problem is a "dealer solution". And I think I have validated the parts.

Any more sugestions?
Thanks All...

-=PSH=-

I think on the Golf it's a 4-bulb system, and lows stay on with the highs.

I'd suggest a continuity check on the bulbs with a meter, or jump straight from the battery to them, because I don't think a visual check is reliable for bulb filaments.

$10 for the relay seems cheap enough to risk, if it doesn't work you've got a spare.

Don't know about that switch on Amazon, but I had two non-OEM euroswitches fail wierdly on my (some lights came on but not others), and I remember them feeling cheap and tinny-sounding compared to the original switch (and the OEM euroswitch I eventually scored.

You might try tilting your steering column up and down with the lights turned on.
If your lights turn on, likely the connector on the back of the turn signal/high beam selector has gotten a little loose.

I fought with my car doing that for a few months, and found it by accident when I went to pull the wheel, chasing another issue.
I did find that the retention clip had broken, so I used a zip tie to help keep it in the socket.
Once I pushed the large connector fully back into position, I haven't had another instance of the low beams dropping out, in over a year so far.

Rob, you were right, visual check on filiments is not reliable - rechecked with meter and they were indeed open. Replaced both bulbs and all is fine again. Who knew they would BOTH burn out together? -- This forum! MANY posts said they do burn out together, and they were right!

So Ocum was right, the simplest answer is usually the right one - It's the bulbs stupid!

BTW, I was expecting the driver's side to be a bear but it wasn't, it took just minutes. Did not have to move battery or anything, just remove the access panel and pop off the back, it was no worse than the passenger side to get back together. I guess the 2001 is easier than earlier years...I can't believe some dealers wanted hundreds to change the bulb, claiming you had to remove the bumper.

Thanks to all!
-=PSH=-

Glad to hear it turned out to just the bulbs.

paul_cat said:

Rob, you were right, visual check on filiments is not reliable - rechecked with meter and they were indeed open. Replaced both bulbs and all is fine again. Who knew they would BOTH burn out together? -- This forum! MANY posts said they do burn out together, and they were right!

Click to expand...

I had that with my old Wrangler once.
Old saying, manure happens.

Yes wonneber, excrement does occur. There are many posts about both low beams blowing out for no apparent reason; it happened to me a couple of years ago.