What to Do When Car Headlights Don't Work?
2 Answers
There are several solutions when car headlights don't work: 1. When the headlights don't turn on, first try tapping the headlight cover a few times to check if it's due to poor contact in the power socket. If the headlights turn on after tapping, it's definitely a contact issue. In this case, simply unplug and replug the headlight's power cable to resolve the problem. 2. If both left and right headlights are not working, it's likely that the fuse has blown. Check the relevant fuse. If the fuse is indeed blown, replacing it with one of the same capacity will immediately solve the issue.
Last month when I was driving home, my headlights suddenly went out, which was really nerve-wracking. I immediately slowed down, pulled over, and turned on my hazard lights—never risk continuing to drive. I popped the hood and checked the fuse box, found the fuse labeled for the headlights, pulled it out, and sure enough, it was blown. Replaced it with a spare, and the lights came back on. If that hadn’t worked, it might’ve been a burnt-out bulb—keeping a spare bulb on hand makes replacement easy, but never touch the glass part of the bulb with bare hands. For wiring shorts or corroded connectors, professional diagnosis is needed. Once, after replacing a bulb, my lights still flickered—turned out the socket was oxidized, but the repair shop cleaned it and everything worked fine. During regular maintenance, have them test the voltage regulator and relay to prevent issues. Always keep a toolkit in your car for emergencies.
