ok I've been having an issue with my headlamps not working for a couple of weeks

truck is an 01 f150 with auto lamps and daytime running lights (canadian truck) and no fog lamps

when parked with the engine not running the headlights will come on
the high beams and low beans will work fine

I don't know for sure if the lights are "timing out" or if starting the truck is what's shutting them off

they stay on only a few seconds once the truck is started - this applies if the switch is set to auto lamp or set to headlights on

my daytime running lights work fine and come on as the truck is started everytime

my parking lights also work fine

I've been limping around town using the daytime running lamps and the parking lamps for the time being

flash to pass also works fine but trying to set the highbeams to on also results in nothing

and I have not yet been able to find a revelliant diagram that shows the fuses/relays , at last not one that relates to anything in either of my fuse boxes

sigh,.. 200 bucks worth of factory service manuals and not one wireing diagram to be found

also the headlights are it seems the only thing that has no fuse listing position in the owner's manual

colour me stumped as I have no idea where to start and my local wrecker's burned down this spring so the idea of throwing cheep parts at it to solve the issue isn't doable

not sure if it's a relay somewhere , the headlight switch or the highbeam switch in the steering cllm

I should add my rad cradle is on it's last legs so it could be a ground issue but again without diagrams to work from I don't even know where the lighting circut grounds are located (?)

 

Headlight fuses are listed but it sounds to me like the auto lamps circuit is malfunctioning or a main relay is failing. Since the lights actually do light however briefly, I would tend to expect that the fuses are good, but it wouldn't hurt anything to test them or swap in new clean fuses. I don't have much experience with the extreme corrosion of northern vehicles but I am guessing that may factor in to this issue.
http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Fo.../01f12og4e.pdf

 

been meaning to post a thank you ^

I think I found the source of the problem
I haven't tried to fix it yet but the other night when I got home I shut off the parking lamps by flipping the switch to auto then with the truck still running I pulled the tilt wheel release and the wheel poped up like it should .. and my headlamps came back on

and they work in every position of the tilt wheel except all the way down
one up from , they work but if I pull down on the wheel they flicker

so it seems the link rod to the switch at the bottom of the steering collum is probably a little bent from the wheel going up and down for 16 years

I'll dig into it when it cools down a little outside dureing the daytime

but for now I have working lights it seems

 

it may be the wire harness plug... pulled slightly from flexing over the years.... may need repaired, or just pushed back onto connector.

 

I could be wrong, but I don't think there is a link rod. Usually the connector pulls off the multifunction switch when the wheel is tilted down due to too tight wiring. For this same reason many people have had issues with turn signals not working.