newbie to dsm world.. need some help!

[slowdescent6]

i just bought a 1999 mitsubishi eclipse gst on saturday, and the headlights do not work. so i changed the bulbs in them because they were both blown and they started smoking and then they blew within 5 minutes. i am not exactly sure what is wrong with them, but i figured that the wiring was screwed up and it is letting way too much voltage to them. if anyone has a wiring diagram for the headlights or can help me, id love it. thanks

Tara

 

[dave99gst]

are ya sure you didnt touch the bulbs with your fingers when you installed them ?

 

[paranoidTSi]

Are ya sure you didn't put the high beam bulbs in the low beam section and the low beam bulbs in the high beam section?

 

[jayboogie]

just for kicks check fuses...

 

[slowdescent6]

i checked the fuses and they are fine. the lights are in the correct spots and no i did not touch them with my fingers. i am guessing there is a short somewhere but i am not sure where or how to fix it and that is why a wiring diagram would help out alot.

 

[ScottsTSIAWD]

Go get a inexpensive voltmeter from sears, radioshack, whatever. $ 20.00 or less. Then check to see how many volts are going to the plug for your headlight. Let us know what you find.

 

[Defiant]

Replace your alternator (after testing).

Also:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178917

 

[Slack_r]

You can't touch them with your fingers while you're installing them?? confused..

 

[wkg96rs]

Are ya sure you didn't put the high beam bulbs in the low beam section and the low beam bulbs in the high beam section?

kinda hard to do that unless you force it or do some splicing... connectors are completely different to prevent this...

 

[wkg96rs]

You can't touch them with your fingers while you're installing them?? confused..

you cant touch the glass part of the bulb when installing them. if you do, the oils from your hands will cause it to blow.

 

[marcmsj]

sounds like you have too much voltage going through them.. since the fuse didn't blow, there probably isn't a short... unless the previous owner wasn't very smart and placed a higher amperage fuse in there if it kept blowing... so i would check to make sure you have the correct fuse. like everyone said.. don't touch the glass part of the bulbs when replacing them, it will cause them to blow. the smoking part would almost give that away to me.

and like defiant said, test your alternator and replace if necessary... you might have a bad voltage regulator.

 

[ScottsTSIAWD]

again, you have got to know what kind of voltage your system has. Check at the batt. first then check at the back of the alt. then check at the plug for the lights. DO NOT PULL THE BATT CABLE OFF TO CHECK THE ALTERNATOR!!!!!! I don't care what any shadetree mechanic says, don't do it .

 

[Slack_r]

ic ic thanks

 

[slowdescent6]

well i descided to get new bulbs and put them in, and i did not touch them and when i put them in the right one started smoking and the left one didnt but they wouldnt work without switching on the high beams also.. so i figured the wiring is screwed up.