How Do You Diagnose An Electrical Short With Car Headlights?
An electrical short in your vehicle’s headlights can keep you from driving at night. Most electrical shorts are caused by moisture or damaged wiring unless there is a known manufacturer’s defect. While fixing the problem is best left to a qualified mechanic, troubleshooting or diagnosing an electrical short can be done in about 15 minutes by yourself. Check the fuse for the headlights. Remove the fuse panel cover under the steering wheel and pull the fuse for the headlights using the fuse puller in the fuse box. Replace the fuse if the metal strip inside the fuse is damaged or broken. Use the same amperage fuse as the original. Check for water or excessive moisture in the headlight housing. Sometimes the seal on the headlight lens fails. This will cause moisture to build up inside the housing until it shorts out the headlight bulb terminals or until the moisture causes the bulb to explode inside the housing. This can short out the headlights. A cracked housing or housing with moisture
