Defective bulbs, blown-out fuses, and bad headlight relay are the culprits that cause the headlights to turn off when high beams are turned on. Therefore, faulty dimmer switches and wiring issues are also responsible for the headlights problem.
You can easily fix this issue by addressing those caveats. Fortunately, we will help you solve those headlight problems. Apart from solving those issues, we will also break down:
- Why Does My Headlight Turn On And Off
- High Beams Won’t Stay On
- High Beam Comes On With Turn Signal Silverado
So, let’s get started right here.
Table of Contents
Headlights Turn Off When High Beams Are Turned On [5 Easy Solutions]
This chapter will disclose every culprit that is responsible for turning off the headlights when high beams are actually turned on.
Note: You can also read how to check Gauges light comes on and car shuts off.
1. Bulbs May Go Out
Most often the headlight bulbs become the culprit. The headlights may turn off when the high beams are turned on due to the following reasons:
Defective wiring or loose wire connection is the main caveat responsible for bad headlights. If the wiring of the headlights is loose, the electricity flow to the contact point will not be stable.
Such fluctuations in the electricity flow will cause the bulbs to come on and off repeatedly that heating up the bulbs. And guess what, it will make the filament inside the bulb defective.
Secondly, the bulbs will also go bad if you touch them with bare hands. Therefore, low-quality bulbs, excessive vibration, and condensation inside the bulbs are some culprits to cause your bulbs to get faulty.
Solution:
Start with inspecting the wiring of the headlights. If they get loose or damaged, the headlights will never come on. So, check the wiring and replace them if needed.
Next, never touch the headlight bulbs with bare hands while installing them. Wear latex gloves and try to touch the plastic or metal base during installation. And lastly, we recommend you go for high-quality headlight bulbs.
2. Blown-out Fuses
Headlights turn off when high beams on! Then, defective fuses of your car are at fault. Faulty wiring and defective switches are the most common reasons that cause the fuses to blow out. Turns out, installing a fuse with high amperage is another caveat responsible for blown-out fuses.
Solution:
Replacing the fuses is an easy solution for this car issue. Just locate the fuses on your car. You can find the main fuse box underneath the dashboard. There is also another fuse box under the hood. However, if you are struggling to find the fuse box, don’t hesitate to check the diagram. It will help you locate the fuse box. Then, unscrew the bad fuses and replace them with new ones.
3. Bad Headlight Relay
If the headlight relay gets bad, the headlight will not work properly. There are some signs that will let you know about a faulty headlight relay. For example, the headlights won’t turn on if the headlight relay gets defective. You can find two relays- a low-beam relay and a high-beam relay. If the low beam relay is at fault, the low beam will not come.
Solution:
Just replace the bad relay with a new one to fix this car problem. If you don’t know how to replace a bad headlight relay, you can bring your car to a mechanic to handle this task for you.
4. Dimmer Switch Is At Fault
A defective dimmer switch is also responsible for turning off the headlights when the high beams are turned on.
When you turn on the headlights, the power is sent to the dimmer switch. Then, the dimmer switch will send the electrical power to the headlights based on the command you give.
As the dimmer switch is a part of the headlight switch, the headlights will not come on if it gets faulty.
Solution:
To fix this issue, we need to replace the defective dimmer switch with a new one. You should follow the below steps to change the dimmer switch.
- Ensure you disable the SIR system.
- Pull out the upper and lower trim cover.
- Then, pull out the wire harness assembly from the wire harness strap.
- Detach the turn signal & dimmer switch assembly connector from the connector of the SIR system.
- Make sure you slide the two connectors out of the turn signal & dimmer switch assembly.
- Afterward, pull out the 2-pan head tapping screws out of the turn signal & malfunction switch assembly.
- Finally, remove the dimmer switch from the steering column tilt head assembly.
5. Wiring Issue
If your headlights don’t come on, we bet the wiring is at fault. When you take your eyes off the wiring diagram, you can find the head-lamp on-off switch is actually separated from the dimmer switch.
It means there is direct contact between the head-lamp switch and the dimmer switch through a wire connection. If this wiring gets damaged, you can’t turn on the headlights.
Solution:
We recommend you test the continuity between the low & high-beam wiring circuits at the head lamp. Next, unplug the switch to see whether the continuity goes away or not. If not, we bet the wiring is at fault. So, repair the wiring or replace them if needed.
Why Does My Headlight Turn On And Off
Headlights Turning On And Off while driving? Then, it’s the problem with the load. When the headlight bulbs will overload the headlight switch, your car headlight comes on and off automatically.
To fix this headlight problem, we recommend you change the bulbs specified by the car manufacturer. If the issue still persists, we bet the headlight switch gets defective. In this case, you should replace the headlight switch with a new one.
If you don’t know how to replace the car headlight switch, you can also watch the following tutorial to learn & get the job done.
High Beams Won’t Stay On
The following reasons cause the high beams to not work properly:
1. Bad Fuses or Relays
A blown-out fuse is the main caveat that causes high beams to not function properly. The fuse box will hold all fuses and hook up every electrical component of your car. If the high beam fuses are at fault, high beams won’t stay on. Regarding this, you should replace the high beam fuses to let the high beams work again.
Secondly, a defective relay of your high beams will also be responsible for a non-responsive high beam. Just replace the relay and bring the high beams back to their functioning state.
2. Defective High Beam Switch
If you find the high beam bulbs are in good shape, don’t forget to inspect the high beam switch. A faulty switch will prevent the bulbs from turning on. If it gets bad, we recommend you replace the high beam switch specified by the car manufacturer.
3. Automatic High Beam Sensors Get Defective
Most recent cars in the market come with automatic high-beam technology. The advanced sensors will turn on the lights automatically by detecting the ambient light and oncoming traffic. If the sensor fails, the high beams won’t stay on. In this case, replacing the high beam sensors will fix your issue.
High Beam Comes On With Turn Signal Silverado
It’s because your turn signal and high beams work in tandem. In simple words, the turn signal and high beams operate with a single switch.
When you push the switch up and down, it will activate the turn signal. And when you push the switch towards you, the beam light will come on. It happens because the lock inside the switch gets worn out.
Consequently, it makes cross-contact when you switch on the turn signal. You can easily fix this problem by replacing the turn signal switch.
FAQs:
How do you turn your high beams on and off?
First off, locate the control for your high beams. You can find it either beneath the dashboard or somewhere else. It totally depends on the model of your car.
Secondly, find out the level. You can usually find it on the left side of the steering wheel. Then, turn the lever away from you until you hear a click. If you hear the clicking noise, understand the high beams are turned on.
To turn the high beams off, just turn the lever towards you.
When should you turn your high beams off?
You should turn your high beams off when cars are approaching you. If you drive the car in fog, you must turn the high beams off. Also, ensure you turn off the high beams if you are on curves or going up hills. Therefore, switch off the high beams at intersections and stop signs.
Do low beams stay on with high beams?
Generally, low beams don’t stay on with high beams. However, both the high and low beams will flash if you turn off the auto lights and then flash the high beams.
Conclusion
Throughout this article, we broke down every reason that causes your headlights to turn off when high beams are on. So, follow the troubleshooting steps we mentioned. We hope you can fix the issue. If the problems still persist, don’t hesitate to bring your car o a professional mechanic.
About John M
John contributed as a technical head at an automobile company just 2 years after his post-graduation in Automobile Engineering. He loves to lead a free life, so he left his job & started blogging. Now, he does research on every automotive problem, part & product and seeks a better solution & best products & shares his findings with his readers to help them as well as to minimize their struggle.