Headlights and taillights - not working

[scb71]

I have a gas Club Car DS limo that I bought a few weeks ago. The headlights were not working and I figured I could just trace it and figure it out but unfortunately I've been running in circles and getting nowhere.

I believe I have 12v to each of the lights - the headlights and the taillights - but no lighting on any of them. With that said, I am a novice with electrical tracing. I used a digital meter and read at the switch, I even bypassed the switch by jumping it to see if they would light but they did not. I pulled the bulbs and they looked good, but just in case I replaced all of the bulbs and still no lights. I then put the old bulbs back in since they look fine.

Please help me troubleshoot this and figure out why I can't get the lights to work! This is about to drive me crazy...
Thank you in advance.

[krashhole]

First, I would get a 12v test light. If you're going to try and trace out a issue in a 12v system, you have to have one. You could either have a bad switch or a blown fuse if the cart has one. Using your meter, are you getting 12v coming into the switch?

[lockman1]

What year and model is it?

If I remember correctly, some of the Villager 6's and 8's with factory lights had a separate fuse for the lights in the electrical components box.
(ECB= black box in the engine compartment, usually on the drivers side next to the battery)

[scb71]

Thanks for the reply.
I have 12v coming to the switch and after it at each of the lighting connectors- as in 12v at each headlight and 12v to each taillight. That was using a meter.

If u have a meter why would I need a test light? As stated earlier, I'm pretty handy and mechanically inclined but am not a mechanic so I'm ready to learn!

Thanks again!

[lockman1]

You have 12V.... that's what I get for "speed reading"!
The only other thing it could be is a bad ground somewhere!

[krashhole]

Are you probing both of the contacts on the sockets? Just asking because sometimes you could have a bad ground meaning you would have to place your probe on another metal surface which would tell you, you either have a bad contact, broke wire, or in your case, the main ground to the frame could be broke.

[scb71]

Ok. This is a DS that is stretched - with aluminum but it's still a 'conversion' as far as I can tell.
It has a small fuse panel in the box you reference but there is only one fuse in it - three empty slots - and that fuse looks good. It has 12v at the lights though anyway.

How can I test for grounds? Can I try jumping a new ground at each light to see if they light up that way? If so I guess I could always just run new grounds all the way around or would that not work?
thanks again.

[lockman1]

All of my grounds on my 07 are tied to a bolt on the frame just in front of the engine.
Krash... go ahead and take over, we're posting at almost the same time!

[krashhole]

That is why I was asking how you were checking for 12v at the sockets, to determine if you have a ground issue. See, if you had a TEST LIGHT, you could clip the lead to 12v, and then touch your chassis with the probe :)

Run 1 end of the wire to a solid ground somewhere and the other end to the ground on one of the light sockets.

[krashhole]

Originally Posted by lockman1

All of my grounds on my 07 are tied to a bolt on the frame just in front of the engine.
Krash... go ahead and take over, we're posting at almost the same time!

You're good man. Sometimes, 2 heads are better than one