First, I thought my passenger side headlight bulb blew out, but upon closer inspection it was on, but barely visible and super dim. I thought it was bad, and to check it, I swapped it with the driver side bulb and it works fine in the driver side! I took the perfectly fine driver side bulb and put it in the passenger side, and same thing, super dim and you can't even see it.

Any ideas? I didn't have time to mess with it since it's super cold right now.

 

If you have a voltmeter then I would check for high resistance, then check the wires for any cuts or cracks. Also check the terminals that go into the bulb itself to see if it's burnt or not.

 

Jason check for a blown fuse... The same thing happened to me on my Tercel and it was a blown fuse.
Steve

 

if it was a blown fuse, wouldn't both lights not work at all? mine do that too, but i thought it was because of a crack in the pass. side light so i changed them a few months ago, but it does the same thing. not too bad of a diff. but you can tell.

 

I just went out and tested my 96 4Runner, with either the Right or Left 10A fuse (The small blade fuses in the fuse box right next to the battery) removed, that headlight is still on, but very dim.

Check that out tomorrow Jason. I verified it for you since the climate is a little warmer on the west coast ~40 degrees now. but it's in the 60s durring the day.

Steve

 

I would check with a voltmeter and see because if it is dimming there should be a lower voltage causing it (this could be contacts, broken or corroded wire, etc). Also check the socket to be sure the contacts are making a good connection.

 

Thanks guys! You were right, it was the fuse! I didn't have a 10 amp, so I stuck in a 7.5 amp for now. I appreicate you keeping me warm.

 

I have this same issue...I am going to check the fuse today

in that fuse box, near the battery, do they take large or small type blade fuses?

thanks, tim

 

It's the same way on my 88 4Runner. Blown fuse causes a dim headlamp. Makes no sense though.

 

I believe larger in the engine compartment and smaller inside.

 

If yours is the same as mine it should be a smaller blade type, should be a 7.5A

 

wow, glad this thread popped up, i guess i'll go check my fuse today since i'm still dealing with the same problem.

 

i checked my fuse, that is what it was....

 

i had tapped off the pass headlamp power lead and ran it to the driver side one

as i needed to drive my truck, i did it neatly, put an inline fuse etc

i now replaced the fuse in the fuse box as i learned what the problem was, however i am going to leave this auxillary line in for now, but with the fuse removed

this way if needed i can toss the inline fuse in, in case i run out of the little blade fuses off road or something

plus im too lazy to remove it

 

i have the same problem on a 1991 toyota pickup 22r, except its the drivers side headlight. i checked all the fuses. there all good. but its still dim. help? lol

 

Check the battery terminals to see if you have a fuseable link. They sometimes burn out. Review any work you or someone may have done with your vehicle. A wire harness gets moved and sometimes if you check your fuse box and wire harness you will find the problem. Electric is not a rocket science. A wire goes from one place to another. From a fuseable link to power and ground. A ground that is weak can also cause the light to dim. Take your time, write down what you checked, votage on one headlight terminal, the other terminal, olms reading with + battery disconnected if you have a test meter and compare both reading from each headlight. It's like you being Sherlock Holmes. Once you discover a different reading on the power side or ground, you then can trace back the problem. If you find a poor ground you can run a new wire from the plug to a better ground. If that does the trick you're back in business. If not, continue with your search until you find the problem. Just remember to sit back and listen to some great music and drink a cold one after you find the problem. It will make you think you're an expert sleuth.