RAF48

Gentlemen:

This is my first foray into this forum. I'm the exasperated owner of a 2000 XTerra. I say exasperated because I would never have believed I would have searched the WWW for help with an auto problem and gotten so many answers like "Replace the instrument cluster" or "Test the computer for ground", etc.. Doesn't anybody FIX things anymore? If I'm having trouble with my Instrument Cluster I am pretty sure buying a new one will correct the problem. I am on the Internet instead of in a mechanic's shop in the hope of saving some money. I'm looking for help with SPECIFICS. HOW do I test the on-board computer for grounding? If I look inside the Instrument cluster is it possible that I might find a corroded contact or a broken dial? I.E., HOW do I go about checking the I-Cluster?

Sorry to rant on my first question to this forum but I've just spent hours on the I-Net trying to find some help with a headlight problem. When I 1st started, the problem was that I lost my Low Beams...but High Beams were still functional. I found numerous sites that addressed this problem, but the only thing I'm finding in the way of suggestions is "Replace the headlight relay switch". While I was grateful to know that this switch is often the problem, not one person described how to take the switch apart and troubleshoot it! Not a single picture anywhere as to what the switch looked like inside and what to check. Is "Buy a new one" really a helpful answer to most HELP questions for a forum? I realize that there are parts that just can't be repaired and therefore HAVE to be replaced, but this wasn't one of those parts. I can't tell you how many "Buy (at $70. a pop) a new switch" suggestions were offered, and no suggestions as to what to do next if the switch WASN'T the problem after all. 'Googling' "How to repair Nissan headlight relay" lead me to site after site of auto stores that sell Nissan parts...not a word addressing my Googled question...just "We sell quality Nissan parts". What was it about "How to repair" that didn't make it through the search engine?! Can any of you identify with the experience I just described or do I need to take a valium and try back tommorrow??

Whew, now that I got that out of my system, I would be very grateful if anybody has any ideas as to how to systematically go about tracing the source of my problem (High Beams, no Low Beams) - already checked fuses, relays, lights and connections TO lights, and took apart the headlight switch relay, cleaned the contacts, put it back together - now I don't have High Beams either), and might it be possible to repair the faulty part (and HOW), or do I need to take it to a mechanic and forget about the "Do-It-Yourself" concept? Any checks I seem to have overlooked?

Thanks muchly for putting up with my venting...I promise I won't do it again.

RAF48