[fordexpoman]

I just picked up my 99 L and the headlights are extremely dim. I don't have HID's they are the factory style bulbs. I ordered the brightest pair I could find online and I can still barely see at night.

Has anyone else had this issue? Read it might be a ground issue but not sure how to go about grounding or which wire I am supposed to ground.

If anyone has experienced this or knows how to remedy the problem, I'd appreciate any help I could get.

Thanks.

 

[jking34167]

how are the housing for the headlights? good, decent, or bad shape.

 

[fordexpoman]

Brand new new just ordered a set off of late model restoration's site.

 

[Blandnuts]

I used the bulbs that came with their headlight kit and they're pretty dim. Are those the bulbs you used?

 

[fordexpoman]

No I swapped them out with the brightest ones I could find.

 

[El Chemo]

Well i have hids and the lighting is decent. It lights up the road I'd say like 4 maybe 5 feet... As everyone else will suggest, the best route is doing a retrofit

 

[josh843]

Check voltage, fuses, and relays

 

[Lafeva]

Nothing to do with aim maybe?

 

[fordexpoman]

So I'm back to square 1. I have brand new lenses and bulbs in the lights. I replaced the ground terminal on the battery and had both my battery and alternator tested at auto zone and both appear to be working fine. Anyone have any other ideas on where the dim light problem may be occurring?

I checked all the fuses, nothing is blown and I don't think a relay would cause it to be dim. Could it be at the headlight switch? Not sure where to go with this.

 

[lokilightning]

Not really any advise for you, but are the bright lights dim also? Or just when using the dim lights?

 

[fordexpoman]

The brights to me seem like they are how the low beams should be. The gauge lights and tail lights are also dim which troubles me too. Not sure if I'm looking in the wrong places or if there are other ground wires I should be checking out near the frame?

 

[Killer Ride]

For the headlights you could just hook into the existing harness for your trigger and then use a relay and go from either the battery or the solenoid post for direct power. Used to sell a whole kit at Oreilly's,Wiring, connectors,relays and instructions. Might be in the ricers section or you might find them online maybe APC?? If everything is dim then maybe you got bigger problems, alternator, fuse for alternator,or bad battery?? :smt102

 

[josh843]

Check voltage at bulb socket. If it's low, could be a relay issue. Could also possibly be combination switch on steering column.

 

[FireGuy]

Most likely a corroded ground wire. There at least four or five ground straps that connect to the frame and body, there is one in the cab behind the driver's kick panel that is infamous for being loose.

When you start the engine does it crank fast or slow? What is the charging voltage at idle when it first starts.

Years ago, I had a battery drop a cell and the lights were dim like your description, enough voltage to work but weak.

Just some items that come to mind.

One last thought, try taking a 16 gauge wire from the headlight ground to the neg post on the battery. if they brighten up, it is the ground straps.

 

[grease lightning]

Stop trying to patch up your old battery and put a brand new one. My experience with auto zone is they are idiots, I would not trust them.

 

[josh843]

Go to a parts store and check battery, should be free. Sounds like power issue since everything is dim. Check voltage at battery. If it's good then check grounds like mentioned above. Those single two steps will tell you what direction to go. Let us know what you find.

 

[fordexpoman]

I did both of those already which leads me to believe its the ground. Is it possible that the issue could be at the headlight switch? It seems likely only because the headlights, taillights and dash cluster all appear to be dim.

 

[FireGuy]

I did both of those already which leads me to believe its the ground. Is it possible that the issue could be at the headlight switch? It seems likely only because the headlights, taillights and dash cluster all appear to be dim.

Do you know if the fog light mod was done to your headlight switch, you know the one that turns on the fogs automatically? If so, that may be the culprit since that is a fail point for the switch. It is fairly easy to pull the switch and check.

Please try a complete other known good battery, take one from the gf's or wife's and try it, easy test without going to the parts store. BTW, twice now, for me, the parts store said my alternator tested good and ended up it was not also same thing on a battery load test. said good, ended up dead, just sayin' you have to be wary of trusting parts counter guys.

 

[josh843]

Go buy a 5 dollar analog volt meter and test the damn battery. Read it while truck is off. While truck is idling, and while giving gas in park. Also cut headlights to on, not auto. And check voltage at relays! Or even before relay and bulb socket. That will tell you where the culprit is! If it's different it's relay not making fully. Also check ALL other bulbs. I had an 87 Toyota that when any bulb went out, dash lights would go too, to let you know there's an issue.