a so called buddy just gave me an 80 f250 s/c it woudnt start adjusted the carb now runs like a dream now my tail lites and head lites where working at first.now nothing .changed all fuses/headlite switch bulbs redid the ground wires i have brake lites signals all work front marker lites work still no head lites or tail lites .I really need to get this truck legal so i can put my 460 into my 4x4 PLEASE HELP

 

With the headlight switch on, do you have any voltage down at the dimmer switch in the floor?

 

illl go do that rite now but there is an extra solinoid on the drivers side that the wires from the dimmer switch go to and its getting pretty hot but if i cross it over like on a starter solinoid my head lites come on figuire that plus when you look at the solinoid the big stud on the left side use to have some sort of wire atacht to it but i cant find the other end of it nowhere

 

Well, you should have a red/yellow going into the dimmer switch from the headlight switch. Hopefully this has 12 volts on it with the headlight switch pulled out.

Coming out of the dimmer switch you should have a lightgreen/black(highbeam) and a red/black(lowbeam). One of these should have 12 volts on it, and when you click the switch, the other one will have 12 volts. If all this checks out, try to find these same color wires out at the mystery relay.

If you find a lightgreen/black going into the mystery circuit, and going out of the mystery circuit, take these two wires out of the mystery circuit, and twist them together.

Same for the red/black. If you find two, take them off and twist them together. This should put you back in factory configuration.

Your taillights are a dark brown wire. If you find any dark brown wires going into the mystery circuit....... you know the program now

 

so just get rid of the relay and find the correct wires is what i will do in the morning let ya know whats the outcome THANKS

 

illl go do that rite now but there is an extra solinoid on the drivers side that the wires from the dimmer switch go to and its getting pretty hot but if i cross it over like on a starter solinoid my head lites come on figuire that plus when you look at the solinoid the big stud on the left side use to have some sort of wire atacht to it but i cant find the other end of it nowhere

That extra Solinoid that the wires go to is grounded, replace it and your headlights will work

 

thanks for that im rite sick and tiered of wireing for one day get back to it tomorrow

 

Anytime (most of em ) that you have any componant that is extremely hot to the touch on a 12vdc system, its on its way out, or is already there, creating a direct short to ground, all 12 v dc systems currents go to ground, but has to have the resistance (lights, relays, switches etc) to then go to the proper ground. DC Circuits are really simple to understand, and if you keep in mind that current flows ONLY in one direction (AC current flows both ways in a circuit, thus is the reason why you have a seperate ground circuit) In a Light bulb, the circuit is "live" at the very end, But the "ground" is the brass around the sealed glass enclosure (the vaccum in the bulb is keeping the bulb cool) so you see if you have any relay...switch that unless has its own grounding circuit with it (outside will be metal) the circuit is grounded someplace other than the switch. So if the componant is extremely "hot" to the touch, I would bet that unless its the heating element, its going to be the problem that also could be another part of a bigger problem someplace else in the ciircuit.

 

Now the next step would be to purchase an Multimeter with multi setting, a good model would be from any radio shack store. read the instructions, short an to the point, and you'll be able to dianoise any 12v electrical problem in the future...if you keep in mind what I said earlier....

 

This understanding of how 12v cd circuits works id alot better than twisting together some wires that could very well be going to ground in the first place, and with a multimeter, you'll be able to check that before you start cutting up your wires and then creating a whole new set of problems later on down the road when one of thos live wires go to ground and start melting everywire that its attached to and any other thing in its path.....

 

your scaring me its starting to make sence i have a good multi meter but the only thing ive ever done with it is check flashlite batteries ill lrt ya know how it goes tomorrow i really want to get this truck on the road so i can start putting my 460 into my 79 f250 4x4 once again thanks

 

i have headlites i looked at the wireing at the dimmer switch the center wire going into the switch was spliced and went to this mystery solinoid that went nowhere got rid of the solinoid and now thank to you guys its all WORKING THANKS

 

You're welcomed, we knew you could do it......