HID (Xenon) - handles both low and high beam?

[2socks]

On my 5th day of of owning a one owner 2003 Aero 5sp.

Maybe my brain has been overwhelmed from reading too much on this car prior to and after the purchase but I'm confused on the headlight system. My drivers side low beam works fine but when I attempt to flip on the high beams just the passenger side works. In my haste I picked up a new H7 bulb but after playing around with it more today I'm thinking that the H7's are used only for "flash to pass".

Shouldn't I be getting some type of display somewhere?
Process of elimination would now be to swap the bulbs from left to right.

I may just end up doing without since I rarely use high beams anyway and it appears the HID's are over $100.

Thank you!

Very fun to drive, btw. If I don't keep my wife out of it I'll end up with the minivan.

[nordwulf]

The Xenon bulbs always have the same brightness. The difference between high and low beam is a shutter/screen that covers part of the bulb when on low beam. So it sounds like the shutter in the headlight is the problem.

You're correct the inner H7 bulbs are only used for flash-to-pash when your main headlights are turned off.

Welcome and congrats on your new Saab!

[jlrSAAB]

2Socks welcome to SW.

I can show you a picture of the illumination angles from a distance, more or less, of 10 metes to the wall.




the H7's are not used only for "flash to pass" and also to drive by dark road and there is no cars in the front ahead drive that may bother them.

[2socks]

So it sounds like the shutter in the headlight is the problem.

Replace bulb in the HID or is it a part of the headlight assembly?

Welcome and congrats on your new Saab!

Thank you x 2

[nordwulf]

The shutter in the headlight unit is operated by a solenoid. The headlight is sealed and they only sell it as a completely unit. Unfortunately, they are pretty expensive.

Perhaps it's an electrical connection issue. I don't know if the solenoid has a connection on the headlight housing but it's worth to check. At least unplug the headlight harness and see if there is any corrosion or moisture in there. And maybe it is a bulb issue as I don't know how that shutter solenoid is operated. As you mentioned, start with swapping out the bulbs.