For some reason my brights on my passenger side doesnt work. Its not the bulb and Im getting power to it perfectly. I also recently replaced the harness. Dims are fine, but no brights on that side. What could it be? Im clueless along with many who have tried to help me. I am getting a click noise when I pull back on the switch, like when you flash your brights, but not when I push foward on it (Probably Normal). Maybe a problem similar to the door lock timer that I recently resoldered. Help if you can!

chris

 

combination switch? It causes me all kinds of weird problems with my hi beams.

 

Where is that and how do I fix it?

 

the combination switch is Nissan's name for the headlight stalk - the thing you physically turn to get the headlights on, or push to get blinkers

fix it by getting a new one or maybe one from a junkyard

 

That seems to work fine though. Would that cause the brights to come on, on only one side? I figured if that were the problem, nothing would work. Maybe I can just clean it, to get a better connection. How do I take it off? Im not ignorant, I just like to know what im getting into.

 

I had the same problem (and more).

It's the switch itself. Cant explain it but that was for sure the problem. Find a known good one and see for yourself.

 

93maxVG--

Perhaps the high-beam relay has oxidized contacts preventing the passenger side high-beam from energizing the lamp. If you have a volt meter you can check to see if the passenger side circuit is energized at the headlight. You can also swap left for right lamps to rule out any problem with the bulbs.

--SAM

 

Yep,

did that, the volt meter says every thing is cool up there. Also, I have switched the lights, same thing. I think its the switch. Maybe.

 

Mine was doing that too but I have a Canadian max with DRL it used to do it all the time but I disconnected the DRL now its fine

 

Sorry, but what is DRL? Non-Canadian Max's ( ) dont have it?

And how do I change this switch? Do I take off the stearing coloum? I just dont know.

 

daytime running lights, US maximas dont have it

to take off the switch, remove the plastic cover around the steering wheel (there are 5 or so screws on the bottom side and then a big clip holding it to the steering column)
on my car, I was able to get those pieces off without removing the lower dash, but on my friends car I wasn't so you'll have to try for yourself and see
once that is off, I think there are just a couple screws holding it in that will be pretty obvious

 

93maxVG--

I'm confused, are you saying that the electrical circuit at the passenger headlight is working fine *and* you've swapped left for right head lamps and the passenger side still refuses to work correctly ?!? If I read you correctly you're saying 1+1=0, please clarify...maybe you have a bad head lamp connector ???

--SAM

 

Yep!!! That is exactly what I am saying. Doesnt make any frikking since does it?? As for the connector, I just changed it last week. Thats why its a........Headlight Mystery!!!

 

93maxVG--

Ok, back to my original speculation that the high-beam relay contacts are oxidized.

Here's why: When you make the measurement at the connector, I assume you are doing it with no load, i.e. head lamp removed. The voltage measures fine because there is no current draw, therefore the resistive relay contacts don't drop any voltage because there's no current flowing. When you put the head lamp into the circuit the voltage drops too low to operate the lamp. Check the relay under this condition to see if it's getting hot. It doesn't have to be the relay to cause this phenomenon, it could be a corroded wire or connector also. This is the best I can offer given the clues.

--SAM

 

its the switch mine was doing the same thing so I replaced it with one from a junk yard $40 before i bought a new one i took the old one apart and cleaned it and put it back in then one of the hight beams would work but not both before i cleaned it neither worked

 

I had a similar problem with mine. The passenger side "low" beam would not work the "high" beam worked fine. My passenger side headlight went out gradually, at first I could wiggle the "combo switch" and the light would turn on. After a while nothing I did would help. I tried replacing the bulb and no luck. I checked the impedance and voltage on the connector a found that they were different between the driver and passenger sides. I began to trace the wires but quickly gave up after seeing that they lead to a much larger wiring assembly that I didn't want to have to get into.


I lived with it for several months like that I just turned my fog lights on so that others could see me at night. After a while (few months) there was a few second delay between my turning the switch and the lights actually turning on. At that point I suspected it was more than likely something in the steering column or light switch.

I removed the plastic covers on the steering column and removed the "COMBINATION SWITCH". On the back side of the switch there is a translucent/transparent plastic cover over some contacts. When you turn or actuate the "COMBINATION SWITCH" you'll notice that the contacts move up and down. When I did this I noticed that one of the contacts didn't move as much as the others. I pressed down "bent" the contact so that it would make contact when actuated. I reinstalled the combo switch and steering column covers (reconnected the battery) and whoooola "THERE WAS LIGHT"

Hope this helps.

Took me about 30 min. to disassemble, diagnose and reassemble.

DON'T FORGET TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WHEN DOING THIS!!!!!!!!
DON'T FORGET TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WHEN DOING THIS!!!!!!!!

 

is it possible that you have a bad connection where you replaced the harness, did u solder them or just butt connect? theoretically speaking right and left side are always connected, therefore there could be a short in the wiring from one to the other. try tracing the wire and if theres nothing in between (relay fuse, etc,) then try to splice a new wire in

 

At first I suspected it might be a bad solder or terminal crimp somewhere, and that is why I began to trace the suspect wire to find where it lead to. After traceing it to the driver side and seeing that it went into a much larger harnes that was taped and it went under the front fender I decided I would leave it for the time being.


When the few second delay appeared I finally made the time to look into it again. The wire I had suspected was color coded white with orage stripe. When I removed the "combo switch" I looked at the colors on the mating connector and found a wire that had the same color scheme. I did a continuity check with my voltmeter and found that there weren't problems with the wire, the problem must be the switch. After removing the translucent cover this is when I noticed one of the terminals wasn't making contact when the switch was actuated.


Now that I think about it, it makes even more sense. From a design stand point you don't want and additional 12V circuits in the steering column than you need to have. The terminals on the "combo switch" are the ground for the perspective circuits (Hi, Lo, Turn lights)and when terminals make contact (like they are supposed to) they complete the circuit and thus turn on the lights.