headlight problems

[BP-Festiva]

Here's the problem, I'm trying to figure out why the headlights don't work on my festiva. I get voltage to the head light connectors but as soon as I plug one or both lights in I get 0v at the connector. And when I take the bulbs out I get battery voltage. Anyone know what the problem may be? Bulbs are good, relay is good, multifunction switch is good, fuses are also good.

[Team Lightning]

Sounds like a bad connection in the wiring harness. It's connecting good enough for the voltage to show on your tester, but not good enough for the current to flow that's why it drops to zero with a load on it. Had this happen a few times in machines at work.

[fastivaca]

Check the grounds. I ended up running a little patch wire from the black wire to the headlight plug directly to a bolt on the rad support. Worked like a charm.

[1988redfordfestiva]

one of your wires is a ground
and 2 of them are power one for high beams and the other for low beams u must have a bad ground try moving the high low beam switch back and forth and check the relay and fuse also check your wires to your tail lights

[BP-Festiva]

tail lights and turn signals work fine, i get voltage to the high beam wire as well when the high beams are turned on. I ran a wire directly from the headlight connector to the negative terminal on the battery and still got nothing, I will try to look for loose connections elsewhere in the harness.

[wybnrml]

Try checking the middle fusible link. When mine was corroded it would cut the headlights out.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

Remember Electricity 101.

E=IR, so if there's some resistance (corrosion) in a wire, E (the voltage drop) will be minimal with your tester's low current [I]. However, when you try to draw a lot of current [I] through the wire to run the headlight with the same R, the voltage drop E will increase proportionately, leaving you close to 0V at the "low" side of the resistance, i.e. the headlight. I would look for corrosion at some connector in either the "hot" wire or the grounding.

Also, whereever the resistance is will be getting hot if you leave the circuit connected, so watch out for fire.

[black01scoobyrs]

Hey sorry to Zombify this thread but I'm having the same problem. I've tried everything and still no good. I have a 93 GL with the analog dash. I've cleaned the fuseable link. The relay has 1 terminal that is corroded I cleaned it (with a razor knife) and the connector. I replaced the solenoid still no good. I bought a new headlight switch but I have no Idea where that goes. My switch is on the stalk and the switch I bought is Huge. I have realized my haynes manual is Garbage. Any help would be appreciated.