# Dim headlight

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/dim-headlight/36182>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** toyota, tercel\
**Created:** [September 5, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dim-headlight/36182 "2009-09-05T21:33:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ernesto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@ernesto](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ernesto)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dim-headlight/36182/1 "2009-09-05T21:33:54Z")

</div>

driver side headlight normal— right side dim as lighted by candle  
  
 Bulb is ok, wiring seems ok also.  
  
 Can I just disconnect and run new wires from driver side headlight to left headlight?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dim-headlight/36182/2 "2009-09-05T21:39:03Z")

</div>

I would bet that the connection between the right side headlight and the chassis (the ground) is defective. Check the leads from the right headlight and see if you see where one of the leads connects to the body of the car. Clean this connection and you may be good to go.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dim-headlight/36182/3 "2009-09-05T22:14:43Z")

</div>

```
Yea, I agree, that describes a bad ground very well. There are other possibilities, but start with the ground.
```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Perv2820](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@Perv2820](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Perv2820)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dim-headlight/36182/4 "2009-09-05T22:14:57Z")

</div>

Use a volt meter to see if the HOT wire has the 12 volts required. Then try a temporary ground as suggested earlier. A contact cleaner spray into the connector wouldn’t hurt.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dim-headlight/36182/5 "2009-09-05T23:00:24Z")

</div>

If the vehicle doesn’t have daylight running lights then the high and low beams have a seperate ground lead. If both the high and low beams are low in intensity then I would say the power connection at the bulb is the most likely suspect since the share a common power connection. The connections in the socket often go bad and you may need to replace the bulb socket.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dim-headlight/36182/6 "2009-09-05T23:41:26Z")

</div>

According to my wiring guide, the ground is common, and it has separate power leads for high beam and low beam.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ernesto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@ernesto](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ernesto)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dim-headlight/36182/7 "2009-09-09T18:05:15Z")

</div>

the problem was the corroded headlight socket—many thanx to all