thebigarniedog
Master of the Obvious
Background Car: 1998 Jetta Tdi with 4 beam lighting system. Low beams are HID with a relay and separate ballast; High beams are H7 bulbs. Daylight running lights are disabled at the switch. Jumper wire on the fuse box (mod) to allow the low beams to remain on with the high beams). The headlight switch is the one up over the standard switch (ie has the foglight option) but is essentially all on or all off.
Background Problem: about two weeks ago the driver's light went out/no workie. I noticed that the passenger light would stay on even when the headlight switch would be turned to the left (ie the off position). It would turn off when the key itself turned the car engine off. After playing with a voltage meter, it turned out that I had a bad ballast on the driver's side. I replaced it, everything seemed fine.
The Problem: Drove to work this morning. Parked behind another car and turned the headlight switch off (ie to the left) and the headlights lights stayed on (note the interior lights in the cluster properly turned off). The headlights turned off when I turned the key in the ignition switch to the off position, shutting down the engine.
The Question: It would seem that there is a short somewhere that is allowing the lowbeams to remain powered even when the headlight switch is turned to the off position. My first inclination is the headlight switch itself is the problem. Thoughts on how to isolate the switch to test this out? alternative thoughts? Thank you in advance.
Background Problem: about two weeks ago the driver's light went out/no workie. I noticed that the passenger light would stay on even when the headlight switch would be turned to the left (ie the off position). It would turn off when the key itself turned the car engine off. After playing with a voltage meter, it turned out that I had a bad ballast on the driver's side. I replaced it, everything seemed fine.
The Problem: Drove to work this morning. Parked behind another car and turned the headlight switch off (ie to the left) and the headlights lights stayed on (note the interior lights in the cluster properly turned off). The headlights turned off when I turned the key in the ignition switch to the off position, shutting down the engine.
The Question: It would seem that there is a short somewhere that is allowing the lowbeams to remain powered even when the headlight switch is turned to the off position. My first inclination is the headlight switch itself is the problem. Thoughts on how to isolate the switch to test this out? alternative thoughts? Thank you in advance.
