Extremely Dim S14 Kouki Headlights Please Help

[highwaystar22]

I've searched four times and checked numerous threads but haven't found anything that relates to this.

I have a 97 S14 and the headlights are extremely dim. New battery, grounds are hooked up. Motor is stock KA. I don't get it. I can't even drive with them on. I have to use the highbeams everywhere I go. I'm killing myself trying to find the problem. Upgraded bulbs, got new stock ones, used silverstar's. Nothing works. The highbeams work GREAT so it seems like they are getting the right voltage. I just can't figure it out.

Anyone else had this problem with their car??? Any help is GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.

[slos14]

is the wire's that plug in too the lights burnt or grounding out ? you might wanna take a look an see . good luck man

[Addicted2Kouki]

time to break out the voltage meter.

check the voltage going to the bulb.

[j6250]

Check to see if they are aligned correctly

[mavrick243]

ya i have been having the same problem with my '95 240

[thatdrifterguy]

maybe you wired it up wrong. i noticed that one of my lights was a little dimmer. so i just switched the wires around till it got the brightest one. (my wires were messed around with from the past owners)

[highwaystar22]

Alignment is good. I checked them 16 ways from sunday. Wires look fine, but I'll have to grab a multimeter to check. Any idea on the voltage? 12v? If it is a ground/short do I need to pull the harness apart to replace that wire?

I bought some HID's to go in the projectors, but I don't know if they're glass or not and I don't want to melt them. Better ssafe than ruin $400 head lights.

The bulds are stock, I haven't installed the HIDs. I don't want to put those in until I have sorted the gremlins out.

[GSXRJJordan]

First thing I would try is to wire the bulb up straight to the battery ~ you wont be able to hold the bulb itself with wires and all, but if you just hook up some primary wire to the rear of the headlight, it should do the trick. If it's not bright then, you've got some f*cked up bulbs, or your housings are all out of whack.

Have you been touching the bulbs with your fingers? The oil on your skin can cause the surface of the bulb to get very hot, and sometimes become slightly opaque (which makes it even hotter, and burns the bulb out very fast).

[highwaystar22]

I replaced the bulbs twice to ensure it wasn't me. I put them in with fresh latex gloves. I'll have to try that and check voltage this weekend.

[hey808]

Make sure the bulbs are seated in the base properly. If they are not all the way in, and flat on the base, the beam pattern is horrible. Ask me how I know...Also you'll have no problems running the HIDs in the housings. If anything, I was under the impression that HIDs run cooler than conventional halogens. We had no problems with our 35w HIDs in Kouki USDM headlights.

[g6civcx]

Check with battery current to see if it's bright. If it's bright on the battery but not on the harness then check your all wires coming from the battery to headlight relay, and all ground wires.

[projectRDM]

Plugs are burned up or damaged. Whoever owned it before you ran higher wattage bulbs, drawing too much current and melting the plug. That's the issue 99% of the time.

[highwaystar22]

I will check that since you are by far the 240 S14 wiring god for real. Thank you for the help all of you. I have a list of things to do now. I'll have a friend at Nissan Parts see if I can get new plugs. The junkyeards around here are scarce on anything 240 related.