97 850 high beam problem

[John Palkovic]

When I'm driving down the highway, and switch to high beams, my bulb
failure warning light comes on, then it goes off after 20 seconds or
so. Both sides are lighting up. My headlamps have separate bulbs for
high and low beam (two bulbs/side). I observed this behavior while
driving in the rain the other day. Is this anything to worry about?
Should I replace the bulbs even though they are working?

-John

 

[Rob Guenther]

Probably a slightly corroded contact causing a drop in current on one of the
sides... I would try cleaning the contacts that touch the bulb... If the
bulbs are good, don't go wasting 10-30 bucks per pulb.

 

[Stephen M. Henning]

When I'm driving down the highway, and switch to high beams, my bulb
failure warning light comes on, then it goes off after 20 seconds or
so. Both sides are lighting up. My headlamps have separate bulbs for
high and low beam (two bulbs/side). I observed this behavior while
driving in the rain the other day. Is this anything to worry about?
Should I replace the bulbs even though they are working?

It sounds like the high beam bulbs are not matched. The idiot light
will come on if there is a slight difference in the bulbs or their
sockets. Bulbs change with age and their thermal characteristics age
also. If one bulb is a different brand, from a different manufacturing
batch, or been used longer, there will be a mismatch. This is why they
always recommend replacing both at the same time with identical lamps.
I notice most dealers sell 2-packs now so you know they are perfectly
matched. It sounds like there is no problem as long as the bulb failure
light goes out. Sometime switching the lamps will solve the problem;
sometimes it makes it worse.

 

[Mike F]

When I'm driving down the highway, and switch to high beams, my bulb
failure warning light comes on, then it goes off after 20 seconds or
so. Both sides are lighting up. My headlamps have separate bulbs for
high and low beam (two bulbs/side). I observed this behavior while
driving in the rain the other day. Is this anything to worry about?
Should I replace the bulbs even though they are working?

-John

The high beam bulbs are not connected to the bulb failure. You probably
have a weak ground wire that's allowing current through the low beam
bulbs and on to the other headlight's ground wire.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

NOTE: new address!!
Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
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