weird(and annoying) headlight issue

[deltabt7]

Ok, I've searched for some help on this issue and unfortunately nothing. So here's the mess: my passenger side headlight no longer works. Now this sounds like an easy fix, and hopefully it is and I'm and idiot, but I've tried everything I know. First let me say that a couple months ago my turn signal switch broke. It had nothing to do with the headlights, but I replaced the whole switch. A day or so later turning the headlight switch on only turned on the side markers and fogs. High beams came on only when the switch was pulled, but when released they shut off. So I tested and found the switch wasn't grounding out. So I temporarily hooked a manual ground wire to the dash to turn on the lights.
Now that temp setup is still connected and works(cause I'm lazy and didn't have time to find the grounding issue) but just yesterday the passenger light went out. now I had HID's in and the one ballast on that side was fried, probably due to this issue. I moved the other one over and it fried too.
Normal bulbs put in and nothing on the passenger side. So I checked the fuses...good. relay...good. power to the wires in the headlight assembly...good.
So what the heck could be the issue? Every other light works fine, just not the low beam won't light.

 

[gst96spyderman]

Where are you tapping power from? Possible ground issue?

 

[deltabt7]

Power is making its way to the headlight assembly from the fusebox and from the new ground I made at the switch. A ground sounds right but I shouldnt be getting power to the bulb and back if a ground is lost should I?

 

[pokemon]

First thing, you need to find your ground issue. That may be what is causing all your problems. And check all your wire because you may have a little cut somewhere and that will make the lights burn out. Could be a loose connection too.

 

[NHerron]

Power will be seen on both sides of the bulb if a ground is lost.

I would turn on the lights and record voltage readings and compare to the drivers side. That way you can be certain whether its a power, ground, or filament issue. Post the results and I'll post the 1997 specific diagram for the effected circuit.

Welcome to tuners by the way and great job at troubleshooting.

 

[gst96spyderman]

If the ground is loose, then, yes, you can be getting power in intervals. Thinking more on this, it sounds like there might be a hot wire somewhere that is causing you to loose the lights... I know it sounds tedious and is, but you need to retrace the wiring from start to finish once you find the wiring diagram. Good Luck

 

[NHerron]

The HL circuit is very simple. For low beams, a relay is grounded via the steering colum switch and power is sent to all headlight bulbs. The low beams are permanently grounded, therefore they light up. High beams are not grounded permanently.

High beam is a little less sophisticated in that the bulb current actually flows through the steering colum switch when the switch is pulled and simply grounds the circuit. In other words the headlight relay controls power to all the bulbs and when its on the low beams are on. Then pull the switch and the high beams are grounded and all bulbs are on.

All bulbs use one fusible link.