headlights and rear lights dead

[dell_mare]

Hi to everyone. 
I have Suzuki Vitara, 1995, 1.6 16v, 2d, cabrio. 

Headlight (low and high beam),  and rear lights suddenly stop working. Before that few times I heard strange clicking sound from inside of console. Sounds like some switch clicking. 

Turn signals works. Every other electrical devices works. Battery is ok. Fuses (main and other) are proper. Is this is corrosion problem or maybe some device is dead?

[fixkick]

usa car, ? lighting varies by country.
DRL, does car have DRL , Daylight running light open, or as seen in Canada by law mandatory?
the tail lights have there own ground, so would not be loss of ground ,front of car and rear at same time. hard to believe possible same time.
note that low beams, are tail lamps too. same circuit, so when lows fail, front, tails go with it.
in my web site, search box, type DRL , see first photo schematic, 1995
page is how to defeat it but makes fixing easy to. testing.
https://fixkick.com/power-elect/DRL/Index.html


it is very common on this car that DRL module when unplugged pins are burned.
DRL model is I.D. # 54 here.
https://fixkick.com/ECU/92-95-dash-parts.JPG


NO DRL cars.
https://fixkick.com/power-elect/Head-lig...nDRL1w.jpg

DRL , top fail item on this car, (it self bypasses if hand brake set or Alternator fails and GEN lamp glows in dash.)


ONE More test you failed to do. is.
Head lamp passing mode, pull the HD lever back and it bypasses DRL. This causes blue head light high beam blue indicator to glow and both head lamps to glow high beams, if yes, then HD have power and the ground is good.

good luck you finding the cause, but first tell if DRL is there. (you'd know this if car was driven many times, if DRL is present for years)

[dell_mare]

Thank you for useful tips. Car was made in Spain for European market. No DRL. I've solved mystery. After I moved and returned back battery few times (It was needed on boat), I forgot to tight terminals on + and -. So dashboard, headlights and rear lights didnt get power. After tightening, everything get in normal. It is strange that other devices had enough power. So, tip for everyone, check battery first.

[fixkick]

glad you found it...
well you didnt say the starter was dead, that be big time obvious. that.
that is correct the radios are tiny current (low volumes) 0.100 amps current , or tiny lamps at same)
but head lamps use 100x times more that at 10 full amps.
the big power users are:
starter 100amps (warm day)
near 15amps the heater blower on high.
rear defogger hear near above
and headlamps at near 10 amps.
them wiper motor,
mother other things use flea power and will run with near dead battery, or green nasty corroded battery lugs.

[dell_mare]

Thanks for all but I owe small update of solution of my problem with head lights, rear lights and dashboard light.

First I found that terminals on battery was loose but tightening them was not a long term solution.
After few kilometers, my problem came back.
So I opened hatch again and search for wire that goes from battery plus to the main fuse box to head light fuse.
I found that wire which goes to fuse box directly was tiny as hair thread and unprotected...so maybe that is the problem. And it was.
I've changed small terminal (which is part of the main terminals on the battery plus) and used isolation tape to isolate wire.
After that, problem is solved.

[fixkick]

must bet the classic death fuse box, on the right front fender.
as seem on my bad power page here
a super bad place for any fuse box is here but yah

https://fixkick.com/electrical-failure.html