Car Headlight problem
April 2, 2011 3:36 PM Subscribe
I have a 2006 V6 Sonata, last night I was driving and when using my high beam headlights they would stay bright and then dim then brighten up again all along my hour long drive. The headlights did not do this on regular beam (no dimming on this setting). The battery has not been replaced since I have had this car, but I didn't know if it could be the battery, alternator, headlights or something else entirely?
Does your Sonata have HID headlights?
It could be a problem with the high beam end of the HIDs, or, like the real Dan said, it's the voltage regulator.
posted by Relay at 6:29 PM on April 2, 2011
It could be a problem with the high beam end of the HIDs, or, like the real Dan said, it's the voltage regulator.
posted by Relay at 6:29 PM on April 2, 2011
Best answer: Do the high beams gradually change brightness or do they switch abruptly from high to low? If it's an abrupt switch, it's probably the high-beam relay. If the relay's weak, then the heat and current from long term operation of the high beams could cause the relay to fail. Once it's cooled down again, the relay will reactivate and the high beams pop back on. If you routinely drive with your high beams on for extended periods of time, the relay might be going bad.
A way to test this is to find the high beam relay (probably in a fuse box under the hood) and switch it with another relay. There'll probably be one for the low beams or the horn that's the same configuration. If the problem is eliminated when the relays are swapped, there's your problem.
If it's the alternator, you can check easily yourself by turning on everything in the car and seeing if odd stuff starts to happen. What happens when you turn on the high beams, wipers, radio, dome light, and defroster? Does everything act up? If so, then the alternator's probably weak but, honestly, it's rare to see a 2006 with an alternator failure, unless you have at least 120,000 miles or something.
posted by Jon-o at 7:39 AM on April 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
A way to test this is to find the high beam relay (probably in a fuse box under the hood) and switch it with another relay. There'll probably be one for the low beams or the horn that's the same configuration. If the problem is eliminated when the relays are swapped, there's your problem.
If it's the alternator, you can check easily yourself by turning on everything in the car and seeing if odd stuff starts to happen. What happens when you turn on the high beams, wipers, radio, dome light, and defroster? Does everything act up? If so, then the alternator's probably weak but, honestly, it's rare to see a 2006 with an alternator failure, unless you have at least 120,000 miles or something.
posted by Jon-o at 7:39 AM on April 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
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that is having trouble at high currents, which your high beams would require.
posted by the Real Dan at 3:40 PM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]