headlight not working

[str8bloc]

well my wife went out last night to get us some food. lights worked, later that night i was tryin to go to work and when i pulled to turn the lights on. nothing just my turn lights came on taillights stoplights and blinkers. i tried replacing both the dimmer and the switch but nothin im stumped. please reply fast this is my only way to work

[Captkaos]

Are you getting power to the lights?

[str8bloc]

no power to EVERYTHING else but headlights

[jaredts]

Did you try jiggling the plug on the back of the headlights?  These things are notorious for not making good connection after years of corrosion sets in.  Of course that's unlikely if they both worked and suddenly both stopped working, but you never know.  If you can put a test light or meter on the headlight plug and check for voltage that would be another first step.  I would then pull the headlight switch and check for voltage there.  I don't know the wiring there by heart or anything, but there should be one wire with 12+ volts on it.  If I had no other way to work and needed headlights I would temporarily run a wire if I had to (fused of course), but that's a hack job reserved for emergencies.

[78 Chevyrado]

Is the headlight switch connector plug ok?  Maybe something shorted in the old switch and screwed up the plug and now it's not working with the new switch...

[str8bloc]

ive jigglled the conneter and behind the switch is there a fusiable link i need to look 4

[Josh454]

Have you checked to see if you have ground?

[smitty77]

Just a long shot but have you checked the voltage coming from the alternator?  I had a Mercury Tracer long ago where the alternator/voltage regulator (all in the same unit) was "full fielding" to somewhere near 18 volts.  Aside from extra bright dash and interior lights, the only indication something was amiss was both headlights burned out in about 0.25 seconds when I put the high beams on.

Just a guess if all of your sleuthing comes up empty.

[str8bloc]

where is the ground to this
if i check the alternater could that be the prob i dont get power at all to the headlights

[jaredts]

You really need to get a test light or multimeter and find out if you are getting voltage to the headlight connectors.  Trace backward from there.  If you are getting voltage at the connectors then both headlights have burned out (unusual), or bad connection or bad ground.  I believe the primary ground for the headlights comes off the negative battery cable.  It screws to the radiator support with a star washer.  There is a post on this site that says one of the fusible links on the starter is for the headlights, but I don't personally know anything about those fusible links other than I see them and have never blown on any vehicle of mine.