Low beam does not work on VAZ 2114

Do you know why the low beam lamp on the left burns out two to three times more often than the lamp on the right? Personally, I was only guessing until I removed the bumper. I'll try to draw and explain.

1 - switching unit (relay or electronic switch) LF - left headlight PF - right headlight

So, the wiring to the left headlight is two times shorter than to the right one. Resistance up to LF = R, up to PF = 2R Accordingly, the starting current of the right lamp is two times less. Hence the increase in service life by two to three (!) times.

And so, installation of soft start blocks with a switch-on delay.

After the engine starts, the light sensor immediately turns on the low beam. The operating mode has not stabilized and the engine is still picking up speed, plus, there is a higher charging current to the battery, because just a couple of seconds ago the starter was working, and then the low beam is turned on, +10A to the generator load. Switching modes are the most difficult thing for electronics.

The diagram and photo of the block are in my blog below, the entry is called: “Smooth ignition of the low beam, improved option.”

A compact board, shrink-wrapped and additionally wrapped with a sponge on an STP 5mm adhesive base, is placed directly in the headlight, next to the low beam lamp.

New OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER PLUS Limited Edition lamps installed

The smoothness of switching on is not particularly noticeable in the video. It is much more noticeable to the eye, apparently because I took it with my phone. Strong smoothness is not needed, it is unnecessary. It will be necessary to remove heat from the transistor, since at the moment the lamp starts, the heat release from the transistor is maximum. When open, the transistor does not heat up at all. Because the field worker has losses of 0.18 -0.2 volts. It's not about anything. And to prove to representatives of the “authorities” that I do not have xenon, but just a soft start and 4300K lamps.

Currently both headlights operate with soft start. No problems noticed.

As you know, optics play a very important role in ensuring vehicle safety at night. Therefore, if the lighting in a car stops working, the driver needs to detect and fix the breakdown as quickly as possible. In this article we will tell you how to replace the low and high beam lamps and for what reasons the lighting may not work.

Why is there no low beam?

Incorrect operation of automotive optics

For what reasons do low beam lamps burn out? What to do if your car's low beams don't work?

There may be several reasons:

If the low beam does not turn on or light up, this may be due to a failure of the light bulb itself. Depending on the design of the optics, the low beam may not work, while the high beam may function quite normally. If you use halogen lamps equipped with two filaments, then the reason may lie in the rupture of one of these filaments. As a rule, if one low beam headlight does not light, this is due precisely to the inoperability of the lamp.
The next reason why a driver may think that a low beam lamp needs to be replaced is a fuse failure. The optics may well not turn on due to the fact that the fuse may have burned out. To identify this, you need to open the fuse box and find the burnt out element. By removing the device and replacing it with a new one, you can get rid of the problem. If fuses constantly and often blow out, this may indicate a possible breakdown in the car's electrical circuit. In this case, most likely, you will need to seek help from an electrician, but you can also check the wiring yourself. It should be noted that wiring problems can be found in different places. Therefore, the car owner needs to diagnose all the pads that are connected to the safety unit. For example, the block may be poorly fixed; sometimes the reason why current does not pass through may be oxidation of the contacts. If the problem is in the fastening, then the nuts just need to be tightened, if in the contacts, then they need to be cleaned. Sometimes this happens: the light bulb does not work due to oxidation of the wire on the switch itself. This is especially true for domestically produced vehicles.
In some cases, the reasons why the low beam headlights cannot light up are related to the engineering solutions of the designers. It happens that one headlight may not function due to the fact that the operation of the purifiers is disrupted. For example, this is true for Niv. In this case, the operation of the low beam is ensured by the electric motor, since the entire system is tied to it. So if the motor fails, the optics may well not work. In any case, if you encounter unusual reasons, it would be better to seek help from a professional electrician.
It happens that the mass on the headlight disappears and then there is no light.

Main reasons

Replacing light bulbs in a car is not difficult, but when replacement is required constantly, every driver begins to get nervous. Therefore, it is necessary to understand why this happens.

There are usually only 4 reasons for this phenomenon:

Installation of low-quality light bulbs . However, sometimes price does not play a decisive role. Perhaps the store had a sale of defective products, for this reason it is better to change the store.
Moisture getting into the headlights. This happens from the appearance of microcracks in the headlights or drying out of the seals adjacent to the headlights. There is a possibility of not just the bulbs burning out, but also the entire lighting system failing. The structure needs to be replaced.
Poor contact . It is possible that the contact of the light bulb socket is already old and needs to be replaced. Sometimes you just need to remove the blockages. It is not uncommon for the contacts to come loose in the light bulbs themselves. You should understand what exactly the problem is and contact the technical center if necessary.
On-board network malfunction. If the light bulb on the left burns out first, and then on the right, then the problem is not in the equipment itself, but in the network. Without the appropriate technical education, you will not be able to fix the problem yourself. It is necessary to use qualified help.

It also very often happens that the driver forgets to turn off the light bulbs or drives on a bad battery system. As a result, sometimes all electronics break down.

Attention! Often light bulbs burn out due to the fact that their service life is ending or the power was incorrectly selected. It is not recommended to install 100 Watt lamps. It is necessary to choose lighting products with lower power but improved brightness.

Which bulbs are best for low beam headlights?

If you think that once you install a high-quality low beam lamp, you can forget about the need for replacement, then you are mistaken. From time to time you will have to change the optical elements anyway. But in order to remove and change the lamp as rarely as possible, you should choose the right element.

Today there are several types of light bulbs:

Incandescent - the simplest type, is a filament enclosed in a bulb. When the element operates, this filament is heated. With regular use, the thread will become thinner and eventually burn out.
Halogen - in this case, the filament is surrounded by a special halogen gas, due to which the temperature rises, which leads to improved lighting. The service life of halogen lamps is much longer than that of the bulbs described above, it reaches about 1000 hours.
Gas discharge - in this case, lighting is created as a result of heating gas under high voltage. Such devices usually use xenon, which is characterized by high luminous efficiency. To provide power and enable xenon, additional devices are needed, but in general such a system significantly increases the cost of optics. The service life in this case can reach 2 thousand hours.
LED light bulbs have recently become increasingly popular among domestic buyers. They can last up to 3 thousand hours or more depending on the manufacturer and usually have a white lighting color. It should be noted that LED elements provide better road illumination while consuming an order of magnitude less energy.

Five varieties of Osram light bulbs

How to extend the life of headlight bulbs?

To prevent the low beam lamp from burning out, it is advisable to take preventive measures and prevent burnout in advance. Let's present common methods for solving the problem:

Installation of fog lights. You can also use daytime running lights. This will make it possible to turn on the low beam only in the dark. The service life of light bulbs is saved.
Buying quality lamps. It is better not to save money in this matter. It is not recommended to buy used light bulbs at dealerships. Purchasing new lamps at a low price is also not a very wise choice. It is advisable to buy lighting devices from trusted manufacturers.
Follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations. The manufacturer usually recommends specific types of lamps suitable for a specific car model.
Compliance with safety rules during installation. Replacement requires careful work: wear cloth gloves and install the lamp. If you touch the device with your finger, be sure to wipe it with alcohol or a degreaser.
Pay attention to tension. If the car's alternator produces unsupported voltage, it will cause rapid breakdown.
Maintaining proper condition of terminals and wires. Everything must be recorded and connected correctly.

Why don't the high beams work?

If the low and high beams or only the high beams do not light up, the reasons are as follows:

Replacing the high beam lamp may be due to the burnout of the element itself, as in the case described above when replacing the low beam lamp is necessary.
Fuse or relay failure. You need to find the relay block and check the functionality of the element.
The problem is in the operation of the steering column light switch.
If we are talking about an old car, it may be necessary to diagnose the mass. The resistance to ground should be no more than 5 ohms.
As in the case of low beam lighting, the cause of the malfunction may lie in oxidation or broken contacts. If we are talking about a break, then checking the electrical circuit will allow you to identify it (the author of the video is the channel I adore the Internet).

Temperature extremes

High temperatures are inevitable when a filament emits light, but the hotter the filament gets, the shorter its lifespan. This situation may arise when driving mostly at night or if the rules require driving on roads only with the running lights on. Then the filaments will heat up for a long time and reach a high temperature, which will most likely contribute to their early failure.

Operating the vehicle in areas with low temperatures may also reduce the life of the lighting fixtures. Under such conditions, the filaments of lamps become more fragile and prone to breaking, especially if this is accompanied by movement on an uneven road with potholes and holes.

Replacement instructions

If the headlights do not light up when the optics are turned on, and the problem is related specifically to the light bulbs, then you will need to replace the low or high beam lamp.

If you do not know how to remove and how to replace low beam or high beam lamps, below are instructions that will help you understand this issue:

Before changing the low beam bulb, you should completely turn off the voltage in the electrical circuit of the car, this will avoid possible short circuits. To do this, open the engine compartment and disconnect the terminals from the battery.
Then go to the headlight itself and remove the protection that covers the optical elements. Depending on the design of the vehicle, protection may vary. It can be fixed with bolts, and the light bulbs can also be protected by a plastic cover that just needs to be unscrewed. In general, to dismantle the protective element, you need to be guided by the situation. If you have any questions, try to find answers to them in the service book.
After removing the protection, disconnect the power supply and unscrew the socket that secures the lamp itself. Carefully remove it and replace it with a new one. Before installation, it is advisable to treat the flask itself with medical alcohol, otherwise it may burn out immediately. When installing the bulb itself, you should not handle it with your hands, as fingerprints will worsen the illumination. If you need to handle the flask specifically, use a dry cloth. Further assembly of the structure is carried out in reverse order.

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Ford Focus 2

The car has products with an H7 socket. The manufacturer can be either General Electric or Philips. The first has the article 17123, the second has 12972 PR.

Common causes of optics burnout for Ford Focus 2 in addition to those listed above:

Problems with the generator relay;
The absence of a back cover in the headlight will lead to increased humidity, oxidation of the terminals, increased resistance in the circuit, and, accordingly, the air temperature in the area of the lamps.
Incomplete fastening of the headlight to the body means there is a play that should not exist;
The rubber plugs in the headlights are damaged or missing;
Bad contacts in the fuse box responsible for daylight.

Some owners of Ford Focus 2, who were tired of constantly changing low beam lamps, approached the problem creatively - they installed a daylight control controller.

Why does the low beam lamp often burn out? Let’s delve into the essence of the problem.

If the low beam lamps on a car often burn out, it doesn’t matter whether one or all of them at the same time, then the first thing to do is measure the voltage in the on-board network.

This is not difficult to do - take a multimeter, set the measurement threshold to no more than 20 volts, start the car, connect the black wire of the device to the minus, and the red wire to the positive of the battery. The readings should not exceed 14.5V.

There is no point in taking readings directly on the lamp since they will still be less there (voltage loss on the connectors and in the wires).

If the voltage is higher than 14.5 volts, then the battery may be overcharged, keep this in mind.