97 Avalon Headlight Problem - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

crazycyclist · 08-02-2009, 03:20 AM

We recently upgraded our 93 Camry to a 97 Avalon and love the car!

Retuning from one of our first evening outing in town the headlights wouldn't come on. My wife was driving the car and I was in another vehicle. We thought that maybe a relay was missing so we left the car in town. The next day I got the car and drove to an auto parts store to look for a part. When I pulled up to the store, I turned on the headlights and saw that they were working!

I went home and gave my wife a hard time about needing to know how to operate the switch!

Well tonight I'm eating humble pie

, because the problem has occurred again. We drove just a couple blocks and on the way back the head lights would not come on. The relay is operating (I removed the cover and visually saw it work). I haven't checked voltage yet.

Running lights come on. Neither low nor high beams work. In either manual or auto mode.

Any ideas of where to look or what the problem might be?

greeksoccerboy · 08-03-2009, 09:07 AM

just one headlight or both?
Did you check the bulbs? maybe they're loose
Idk if yours has the "auto" feature but try also using the all time on switch. My avalon sadly has veryy poor output. But atleast they work..

crazycyclist · 08-03-2009, 09:16 AM

Both headlights - high and low beam - nothing works but running lights. Same thing in On and Auto.

skynet1988 · 08-07-2009, 04:51 PM

Check the Head Light Relay, make sure the case isnt melted!

crazycyclist · 08-08-2009, 10:26 AM

I did some more troubleshooting and determined the problem wasn't with the relay (it worked fine) nor fuses. I ended up taking it in to an auto electric shop to have them diagnose it. The problem turned out to be in the fuse/relay block itself. Something inside it was broken. A trip to the junk yard and $40 later I put in the new fuse/relay block and it works fine now. My only concern is that one of the leads was clearly overheated and melted the plastic around the connector. I'm hoping that was a symptom of the problem inside the block not something else...

One of the interesting things we noticed was that as we pulled on the headlight relay to replace it, the radiator fan would come on. Let go and it would go off... Not a good sign.

We replaced it last night so hopefully things will work well from now on.

tacosteelersman · 08-08-2009, 11:22 AM

Good to hear you fixed it,Thanks for finding time to post your symptoms and solution....Dave