Hyundai Repair: headlights, low beams, high beams


Question
QUESTION: Our highbeams are not working. What could be the problem? We have already replaced the bulbs. The low beams work. Could it be a wiring problem? Are there any sites that have the diagram for the wiring , that you don't have to pay for?

ANSWER: Depending on your vehicle, it's possible the problem could be a blown fuse, a faulty switch, a relay, or a wiring issue.  On some vehicles, it's also often easy to mistake the low beam bulbs for the high beams and vice versa.

You can view the wiring diagrams at www.hmaservice.com.  You'll need to register for a free account, and the site requires Internet Explorer.  Once you've logged in, enter your year and model, and click on the ETM (electrical troubleshooting manual) tab and go to the headlamp schematic.  Navigation can be a little tricky for new users, so follow-up if you have any problems navigating the site.  

Also, if you follow-up with the year and model of your car, I'll be happy to look at the schematic and advise on how to proceed.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Oh sorry it's a 2003 Hyundai Accent
ANSWER: Okay.  The high and low beams are together in one bulb.  So we can eliminate the bulbs.  The high and low beams share power and a relay, so we can eliminate that as well.  What we're left with is the wiring between the bulbs and the switch, and the switch itself.  Chances are good there's an open circuit in the switch itself.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We checked or changed the switches. We took the carpeting out, could we have distrurbed something while doing so? A ground or pinched something?

Answer
Both high and low beams use the same ground after the switch, so that cannot be the issue either.  You should begin checking the wiring between the bulbs and the switch.  Looking at the schematic, the wires from each bulb go to the underhood fuse block, and then one wire proceeds from there to the switch.  At this point, you'll probably need to grab the schematic and a test light or multimeter and go testing to find the problem.