electric help. headlights very dim.
 

hi, i have a 04 rx8 and last night as i started my car, my headlights went out, and my center console with my automatic shifter in it went out also.
i got out of my car and noticed my headlights are not out, just VERY dim. and taillights work fine, any ideas? i dont have warranty and mazda is expensive to send to. ty

I would check the battery first, then the fuses. If the fuses are fine, I'd check the alternator to see if it's going bad and making your headlights dim.

I would check the fuses frist. The car started so the battery is good plus other lights worked.

i pushed down on all my fuses and checked em, they all are not burnt out, the headlight fuse or relay labeled HEAD is clean and secure, the car starts up fine so i dont think its alternator and i got a new battery less than a month ago. ( old one died) .
also is the headlights connected to the center console lights ? cuz those come off and on at random also.

Maybe a faulty relay or bad connection. Are your headlights HID, or Halogen?

Are the battery terminals securely attached to the battery? What's the battery voltage with car off and on?

Is the plastic headlight all yellow, hazy, cloudy or crystal clear?

my headlights are yellow, stock and my brights are white how do i check id my relay is loose? its snug into the plastic fuse box at least

But, there are 2 different types of stock headlamps. The base model has regular halogen (incandescent) bulbs. The higher models have HID (arc bulbs). I would be very surprised to see dimly-lit HID; it's more of an all-or-nothing as far as I understand. Dim halogens indicate a voltage drop. Since it affects both lights, doesn't sound like a dirty/loose socket issue. I would measure the voltage at one of the sockets to verify. Then if it is low you will need to follow it back through the circuit. To test the relay you need to measure the voltage on the output side (the connectors/wires that lead to the headlamps). If voltage is low there, then measure the input side. You need to understand the difference between the switching and power sides of the relay. Comparing input and output will tell you if there's a voltage drop at the relay. Simple replacement. If voltage is still low on input side then you have to keep following the circuit until you find where it's dropping.

So, it might be a lot of work. Following the circuit will eventually pinpoint the issue. Or, you could take a simpler but less accurate approach -- make sure battery connections are clean and tight, then replace the relay and see if problem goes away. If not then you're back to having to take a more disciplined troubleshooting approach.

Check the alternator output; should be 14.25 volts.