Main Beam Issue

[rob392]

Hi guys,

First post here...I have searched but couldnt find an answer.

I just got back from a poor weather drive in the dark with my newly bought second hand (56 plate) fiesta and had serious issues with the headlights.

Essentially, when I turn my main beam on by pulling the indicator stalk all the way back, the dipped beam turns off. This means that the lower portion of the road is put into near darkness and the main beam really provides only a little extra light than dipped. Before anyone asks..the main beam definitely comes on and the blue light on the dash does come on, all bulbs are fine.

However, if I pull the stalk back and hold it, I get both main and dipped together, providing an acceptable amount of light for "main beam".

I thought it might just be an issue on all fiestas, but my cousins fiesta keeps the dipped lights on and "adds" a main beam when you perform the same action with the stalk (i.e absoultely nothing "goes out" when you turn on main beam). Granted this is a much newer model (2011) so perhaps they fixed the problem.

Please tell me there is an easy fix? Perhaps its a relay issue?

Any thoughts would be great!

Thanks.

[cjay1]

pre 2008? use h4 bulb so cannot have both on at same time unless like you say you hold the switch. however this could lead to overheating as both filaments are within the same bulb. although i used to do the same and never had an issue

[GingerFlame]

As above, H4 bulbs use one filament at a time

[rob392]

Thanks guys, I guess I will just upgrade the bulbs to compensate as best I can.

[MarksST]

Are your headlamps adjusted correctly? Either by the level adjust in the car or the actual headlamps themselves?

[CharlieUK]

I guess it's to do with the situations where main beam is needed. On a country road, there are little or no street lights so your eyes adjust to the light informs of you, the light bouncing from the road effects your pupil dilation and as a result are unable to see a far as you should be able, hence the reduction in light directly in front of you. When your driving in an urban evnvironment, the street lights provide most of the background light so our eyes adjust to the light,and the reflection of the headlights on the road is greatly reduced. I guess you could if you wanted, turn on the fog lights? Although technically it is breaking the law if it's not foggy.

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