dim dip beams

hi all
my dip headlights are hopeless looks like they are running at 11 volts ..
main beam is bright as it should be...
had two sets of bulbs in dip beams but they all the same...
any ideas anyone...
thanks

It's unlikely that the dip-beams are running at 11V and the rest of the car is at 12V. Did you check the output at the battery terminals? Perhaps it's your voltmeter calibration?

So, two things:

1. If the output at the battery terminals is 11V, then you've a battery alternator problem. You'll need to get this resolved ASAP or you'll get other electrical gremlins and difficult starts.

2. If the output at the battery terminals is 12V but the headlights are 11V, then you've a electrical path problem. The most common cause there is grounding, so I'd start with this first (ground is to the body and can become corroded). If that is ok, I'd work my way back to the relay box, where the actual power is supplied from,

My 7th gen headlights were pap what ever I put in them, untill I went HID anyway. Really easy to do and made big difference. And as cheap as uprated halogens too.

HI All sorry i mislead with 11 volts running to the bulbs it only looks like it is ,,
my headlights were not as dim as this last winter as i barely use them in the summer,,
to give a example how bad they are my 70 year old mother told me last night to put my headlight on while given her a lift and i told her they are on!!!
and she is not the only one to notice at lease
2 others have made comment on how crap they are
its not the bulbs never heard of them going dim not both of them
thanks

Get better bulbs like night breakers or ring xenon look. They made a big difference in mine and they are quite cheap online.

Sound like you have corrosion / bad earth somewhere. Something is making resistance somewhere. Start at the relay.

The dipped beam on mine's also crap compared to most stuff. Never found projector lights to be as good as a nice reflector unit.

The benefit of a projector though, is that it'll take an LED or HID setup and give an appropriate beam pattern, not like the car's you see blinding everyone because they're in an old reflector unit.

http://typeaccord.co.uk/forum/topic/12068-diy-7th-gen-dipped-beam-headlight-bulb-change/#entry134646

Have a look there. When I bought my accord could not see a thing on the road. Because it is a tight place it is easy to make mistakes.

Check if the bulb is fitted properly before buying new bulbs or hid kits.

My bulbs were fitted wrong.

got some LED bulbs from good old Ebay £25 now headlamps are Well Good,, beam pattern is fine
job done

Mine failed it's last MoT on the poor dipped beam. But a very aggressive polish with an abrasive cleaner and a rotary polisher fixed up the cloudy headlamp cases a treat... look like new and the headlamp brightness and pattern is also restored.

I'd be interested in a link to the LED bulbs you bought.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262763477328?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
forgot to say bit of a pain the fit but can be done