headlights not working....

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by funky2nite

sorry to bother you mate, I think this thread is the gold mine off the search on the internet, am still a bit baffled up from where to start from what I've been reading off your posts. I noticed our 2006 yaris/vitz has just had its dipped lights/ normal driving lights go off. Over the past weeks I noticed occasionally that the lights went off and on/ flickered a bit during driving but then back on and remained during the trip, which cautioned me but as long as they seem to be fixed I didnt worry much. but now they'er off, kinda the car's not drivable at night. I checked both 10A H/L fuses under the hood which are fine, and the under the dash fuse 10A termed d/L still fine. anything in particular that strikes your mind? all other lights do work.

Does your 2006 have HID headlights? If so, it may be the ballasts, as another person on here who has a set of imported headlights recently had the same thing happen and ended up having to replace the ballasts.

[funky2nite]

Originally Posted by CTScott

Does your 2006 have HID headlights? If so, it may be the ballasts, as another person on here who has a set of imported headlights recently had the same thing happen and ended up having to replace the ballasts.

No it's stock still with it's japanese stock headlights, we guess since there was a previous owner before us, but again the headlights seems stock. Again as I mentioned, a few weeks ago I witnessed the dipped lights go off whilst drive but back on a few moments later.

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by funky2nite

No it's stock still with it's japanese stock headlights, we guess since there was a previous owner before us, but again the headlights seems stock. Again as I mentioned, a few weeks ago I witnessed the dipped lights go off whilst drive but back on a few moments later.

Some of the Japanese ones had stock HID headlights and they really don't look much different than the non-HID ones. The picture below (from ebay) is a HID one. The main difference (besides the ballast mounted to the bottom of the housing) is the longer, narrower bulb with the HID ones.




If you verify that they are not HIDs, then my next suspicion would be the headlight switch itself or its connector. On one of mine, a pin had gotten sloppy from too many times of the connector being plugged and unplugged, and my lights started flickering at night. I figured it out by driving with the lower steering column cover removed and when it would happen I could wiggle the wires and make them come back on.

[funky2nite]

Originally Posted by CTScott

Some of the Japanese ones had stock HID headlights and they really don't look much different than the non-HID ones. The picture below (from ebay) is a HID one. The main difference (besides the ballast mounted to the bottom of the housing) is the longer, narrower bulb with the HID ones.




If you verify that they are not HIDs, then my next suspicion would be the headlight switch itself or its connector. On one of mine, a pin had gotten sloppy from too many times of the connector being plugged and unplugged, and my lights started flickering at night. I figured it out by driving with the lower steering column cover removed and when it would happen I could wiggle the wires and make them come back on.

Thanks CT Scott, managed to ask the missus to send me the following shots of the headlights:



I understand your point on wiggling the wires under the steering column, from our end I can recall that the last time steering column has been opened is like 3 yrs ago to fit the FM radio thingy that unlocks the FM european frequency on the factory headunit. Although now I've just remembered that I've replaced headunit to an aftermarket one like a year and a half ago, since the stock one had the touchscreen stop functioning. in other words that fm frequency chip can be removed I gues.. but again..I dunno if this is related.

[funky2nite]

Originally Posted by CTScott

Some of the Japanese ones had stock HID headlights and they really don't look much different than the non-HID ones. The picture below (from ebay) is a HID one. The main difference (besides the ballast mounted to the bottom of the housing) is the longer, narrower bulb with the HID ones.




If you verify that they are not HIDs, then my next suspicion would be the headlight switch itself or its connector. On one of mine, a pin had gotten sloppy from too many times of the connector being plugged and unplugged, and my lights started flickering at night. I figured it out by driving with the lower steering column cover removed and when it would happen I could wiggle the wires and make them come back on.

have already sent you a post with image links, and it's subject to moderation thats why the post didnt show up yet. I just confirmed that HID is a way longer bulb than the halogen one which has the black tip. mine's are definitely with the black tip.

also in the post subject to moderation because of the image links, I did mention that the last tiem I can recall of opening up steering column was once like 3 years ago when we still had the stock double din touch screen factory headunit, in which I fitted an fm european frequency unlocker on the stock headunit, but after that like a year and a half ago touchscreen did stop functioning and had replaced it with an aftermarket kenwood one, which reminds me that now I dont need that chip any longer which is still in the column. but again this is years ago and I wonder how it could interfere.

[funky2nite]

Originally Posted by CTScott

Some of the Japanese ones had stock HID headlights and they really don't look much different than the non-HID ones. The picture below (from ebay) is a HID one. The main difference (besides the ballast mounted to the bottom of the housing) is the longer, narrower bulb with the HID ones.




If you verify that they are not HIDs, then my next suspicion would be the headlight switch itself or its connector. On one of mine, a pin had gotten sloppy from too many times of the connector being plugged and unplugged, and my lights started flickering at night. I figured it out by driving with the lower steering column cover removed and when it would happen I could wiggle the wires and make them come back on.

Thanks for your help mate, after I found out that our headlights are still halogen, had no other option and took it to a guy, instantly he presumed that its from the stalk switch itself, he swapped it with a genuine one and voila it worked. eur65 for stalk + eur20 labor cost.. pricey but a must do cos noone wants a car with no lights... I wouldnt figure how toyotas should fail in such manner..and the guy was kinda sure what's to blame in fact he was right, he said its a common occurence..and the island here is full of yaris/vitz japan imports so the fault would be rectified.

cheers for your help guys, especially you CTscott

Ian - Malta