Halp! Intermittent high beam flickering
Thread Starter
|
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,769
Likes: 7
From: O-O-O-Oreilly's
Halp! Intermittent high beam flickering
My lights have been great since I fully rewired the truck with an EZ harness. The lights flickered before the rewire, were fine for a while, then started flickering again. Only the high beams flicker though. Any ideas guys?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
Check grounds, headlight switch, and high beam switch.... could also be a bad crimp too.
Dunno how ya did it but personally, I would solder and heat shrunked the splices.
Does it flicker with the engine off? Meanimg, is it vibration sensitive?
Dunno how ya did it but personally, I would solder and heat shrunked the splices.
Does it flicker with the engine off? Meanimg, is it vibration sensitive?
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
There is a aftermarket headlight harness on LMC or ebay that plugs in to bypass the headlight switch and take power directly from the battery.. Solved my flickering problem..
http://www.lmctruck.com/features/cc/ccc4l.htm
http://www.lmctruck.com/features/cc/ccc4l.htm
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,398
Likes: 6
Hey dewd,
Since this has been an issue before your harness, I would suspect the actual switch being the issue. Since I didn't want to run my wires to the high beam switch on the floor, I used a toggle and ran it to a relay for the high beams. Actually works great, but I sometimes forget it is on.
Since this has been an issue before your harness, I would suspect the actual switch being the issue. Since I didn't want to run my wires to the high beam switch on the floor, I used a toggle and ran it to a relay for the high beams. Actually works great, but I sometimes forget it is on.
Trending Topics
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
As I understand it, the higher load will heat up the light switch causing it to cut out then cool and start again then the cycle continues.. As it wears the flicker gets worse.. I may be wrong of course, but since I installed the harness all high current is off of the switch and is now used to trigger the relays..
Plug and Play Harness are way cheaper searching around cheesebay...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-H4-Headlight-Relay-Wiring-Harness-System-2-Headlamp-Light-Bulb-Fix-Dim-Light-/310882156217?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368
Plug and Play Harness are way cheaper searching around cheesebay...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-H4-Headlight-Relay-Wiring-Harness-System-2-Headlamp-Light-Bulb-Fix-Dim-Light-/310882156217?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 473
Likes: 0
From: SW Florida
You should do some diagnosis here first. There is a thermal circuit breaker inside the headlight switch that will cause this if the circuit is overloading. A clue is it's only happening on the high beams, so the switch could be getting weak but consider the rest of the system before you condemn it. How old is the dimmer switch? If you just replaced the harness you've eliminated a lot of the resistance the old harness had so what components are still old in the circuits? Make sure you don't have both the highs and low beams coming on when you switch it to high beams.
All good with the relay setups, just make sure there isn't a short somewhere else that is going to fry your new harness.
All good with the relay setups, just make sure there isn't a short somewhere else that is going to fry your new harness.
Thread Starter
|
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,769
Likes: 7
From: O-O-O-Oreilly's
Thank you all for the suggestions. The dimmer switch is brand new. The old components are the light switch, voltage regulator, the pigtails for the lights, and the sockets for the bulbs. I just cleaned the grounds.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 759
Likes: 0
From: North Dakota
I recommend getting the relay harness... stops the high amperage from going through the switch. Even with a new headlight switch my lights are brighter with the relay setup. Gives you new sockets for the lights too.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
...You're saying that your rig hasn't been received the headlight relay upgrade when the EZ wiring went in? That would-should have been the one of the first things to do (after mechanicals and such). Do it!!!
.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,398
Likes: 6
I was thinking more about this and something sounded familiar.....
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...on-switch.html
Perhaps it is just the wire in the switch block that has loosened and is making minimal contact.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...on-switch.html
Perhaps it is just the wire in the switch block that has loosened and is making minimal contact.