Renault Scenic - headlight problem

Frith

I have an ageing Renault Scenic (T reg) that has done 110,000 miles.


Very few problems with it until a few days ago.... when driving along (we live in the middle of nowhere so no street lights), I dipped the lights and ALL the lights went off! Putting the lights on full made all the lights go back on again and I was then able to dip/non dip as normal.


Tonight, same problem again with dipping meaning no lights at all (though not every time).


Then, when reaching the crossroads in my village, suddenly had no lights, though they had been on dip for a while before suddenly failing.


What could this be?

windup

All lights meaning front, rear, internal, dashboard, and indicators or just front?

Frith

To be honest, when plunged into pitch darkness, I've been too busy putting the lights on full trying not to crash to have a good look round!


When the children are back at school tomorrow (so not in the car with me) I'll drive it around in the daylight and have a look at the dashboard. I'm 90% sure the dashboard remains lit up. The inside light hasn't worked in years.


Definitely full beam and dipped beam go out. No idea about the back.

Strider590

"Full" as in full beam?

Are you sure your not just confusing sidelights with dipped headlights? (as sooooooo many people seem to do).

Frith

Yes, full beam. I presume there is something wrong with the stalk with the lights/dip.


When I dip the lights, they don't go from full to dipped. They sometimes go from full beam to no lights at all.

Frith

OK, driving home just now (twilight rather than completely unable to see) I can say the lights (on dipped) went off leaving the sidelights on. They're about as good as a couple of torches. The dashboard lights were all on as normal. The dipped lights just went off by themselves, not when I was dipping them.


I couldn't check the back lights whilst driving.

Strider590

Well you don't really "dip" them at all...... They are your normal driving lights, the full beam is a different bulb, or at least a different filament (H4 type bulbs).

The term refers to the beam pattern pointing down toward the ground.
The "dipped" headlights should come on directly after the sidelights, can you confirm they do?

It sounds like you've got some loose wiring or corroded connections, basically your driving a French car.

Frith

I do understand how the bulbs work.

One turn of stalk puts side lights on. Next turn does head lights. That's fine.

It's knocking the stalk again that turns off the headlights.

I'm guessing that has now deteriorated to just going over a bump is turning them ofg.

Strider590

Frith wrote: »

I do understand how the bulbs work.

One turn of stalk puts side lights on. Next turn does head lights. That's fine.

It's knocking the stalk again that turns off the headlights.

I'm guessing that has now deteriorated to just going over a bump is turning them ofg.

It may be that when the main beam is turned on, the headlights do cut out, some cars do this and some don't, so the question is why they don't turn back on again when main beam is turned off. I would assume it's all handled by relays, so perhaps one is sticking?