Hello,

I have a 2009 Chevrolet HHR LS. It has 143,000 miles on it. Even with a different connector the left headlight comes on, but it's too dim.

All the other lights on the car are working normally. The fuses check out as being okay. Three different bulbs have been tried. I don't know if the Ground was checked. The headlight bulb is just not getting enough voltage.

The car seems to be running fine. It needs to pass inspection by the end of February. Any advice would be great.

Thank You!

 

Kind of obvious; he installed the new harness incorrectly. My wild guess is he mistook the ground for a hot. Or, whichever wire fried the connector is fried further down the line, finding the reason for a fried connector is part of the repair; now he is liable if your car burns down. Anyone with a VOM could find it doesn't take a specialist. I suggest you either pay him enough that he cares or find someone that does, for whatever reason he doesn't want to spend the time on it. The ground for the left headlight is on the left strut tower, easily located by the casual observer it is the wires screwed into the sheet metal.

 

Hi Don,

Thank you for your fast, frank, and detailed reply. If the connector was incorrectly wired, would the headlight come on at all, even dimly?

I made an appointment next Wednesday with another repair shop. I may scout a few new shops tomorrow.

This is the old connector.

Thanks Again!

 

Check the ground wire and the relays and fuses in the under hood fuse box, for corrosion

 

You say it's not getting enough voltage, has this been proven with a voltmeter?

Here's a guess, and that's all it is. Maybe you've been running super bright bulbs. Is this what caused the burned socket, maybe, maybe not.

Anyway, the one bulb would still be the super bright, but after the work was complete, the mechanic has been trying regular bulbs, which are dim in comparison.

 

Thanks guys. I have an appointment with a local mechanic who does not seem daunted by electrical problems. I'm giving him the car next Wednesday. I hope it's a corroded ground situation. I live in a wintry area. Road salt is used a lot. The car is 12 years old. There is visible rust elsewhere, like along the bottom of the door edges, etc. Corrosion seems a likely cause.

I have been using ordinary H13 Sylvania bulbs.

I'll let you guys know the outcome.

Dave

 

It’s completely plausible that a defective incandescent bulb could develop a short and the overload could damage that connector, although one would think the fuse/breaker would prevent that. But whatever even caused the connector damage may have also caused damage elsewhere in the circuit.

 

I had a burned out bulb "start working again" (shorted filament) and it melted the socket just like this one. Replaced with a pigtail and all was fine.

 

The mechanic I brought the car to on Wednesday morning fixed the headlight.

He said he had to re-solder a connection.

It works fine now.

 

All fixed a loose wire, resoldered. Thanks for the follow up.