I replaced my headlight switch and dimmer switch along with new halogen headlights and now my lights work for a while then they suddenly blink off and on and off and on. I know there is a Internal circuit breaker in the headlight switch, And the possibility of halogen lights drawing more power. Is there a Heavy duty Headlight switch available or a relay kit to stop this problem with my lights? I have replaced headlight switch 2 times now in 4 years and always seems to happen. The headlights go out but the marker/taillights stay on. Its not the dimmer switch because it does it on high or low beam, Any Ideas?

 

The breaker is in the switch. your other lights are fused. you either must have a short somewhere or your chinese junk switches are the problem. I have halogen lights on my OEM switch and it hold fine. maybe there are better switches you can buy I'm not sure.

 

Relays all the way.
Your new headlight switch is probably built to much lower specifications than the old one was. Or it's just defective. Because a brand new switch should not start doing this just for using halogen bulbs.
The new bulbs are likely not using any more power anyway. Not sure what year your truck is, but while the older ones did have 45w, or maybe even 50w low beams, the later ones, and any replacement bulbs for the last 40 or 50 years had 55w low beams. It usually takes quite awhile for an original switch to start flicking on and off due to only passing 10 or 20 more watts through it. Unless it was already on it's way out. All of mine lasted years before needing to update to relays.

Then again, your wiring could be at fault as well. Old wiring over that long path can have much more resistance than it did 40 years ago too. You might measure the voltage at the headlights to see how it compares to battery voltage. Just to see.
But no matter what, adding relays is a good idea. We sell a kit here: https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/produc..._lighting_78yr and Bronco Graveyard has one as well.
I used to make my own, but now these are so inexpensive I've done a couple of those as well.

The relays are a more compact design, but are not hard to find at the local store should you need a replacement. Even Ford uses this type of relay in a couple of applications, but they're just not the cube-shaped "Bosch type" relays.

Good luck. Sorry to hear your switch flubbed the halogen test so quickly! You didn't put in higher output bulbs by any chance, did you?

Paul

 

Nope I did not go anything special just halogen sealed beams But I did pick up a new Headlight switch at Napa Auto parts. Its the better quality one (echilin) switch. so i will see what that does. If that does not solve it i will go to a relay system.

 

My headlights did the same. I did the same as you and replaced the dimmer then the switch.

Then it still happened. Did the relay kit and no problems ever since. Do the relay kit.

 

When mine did it many years ago (was quite the surprise as I'd never heard of it at that time (before the internet)) it was quite the adventure that night out in the middle of nowhere.
I ended up making a relay kit myself because I'd already decided that the '79 and newer Toyota trucks had the stupidest bright headlights I'd seen, and noticed they had headlight relays. Ended up being such a good workaround I was able to keep the original switch from '71 for many more years.

In my case I'm pretty sure it wasn't the fact that I had halogens alone, but the fact that I used high-beams a lot and had recently switched over to 55/100 Hella bulbs. Knew the 55w lows would be fine, but for some reason ignored the fact that the 200 watts of two lamps on high might be more than the original designers had planned for!

For the record, if this ever happens to you or someone you know while you're out in the dark, you can usually get home without any more drama by unplugging one headlamp. It halves the load on the switch and if it's not too far gone, is enough to keep the breaker from tripping.
Yes, you lose half of your light, but it beats the heck out of no light at all! Even if it's just for moments at a time.

Paul

 

Also a good idea to check and clean ALL your lighting grounds to lower resistance in the circuit. I'd even recommend shooting contact cleaner in the sockets and trying to clean up the internal contacts.

 

I changed to a quality Headlight switch and had them on for over an hour on high beams and they never quit. But if they do in the future I am just gonna go with the Relay system, I already have a relay and know how to wire it in without buying a kit from LMC truck. Anyhow so far so good see what happens

 

If you need a relay on a stock light set up ( including halogen ) you have a problem.

 

Slightly different use case. Low beans do not turn on, but by stepping on the high beams switch a couple times, they finally light up. Next wekk my trick no longer works. No fiddling works.
Should I replace the high beam foot switch first or both high beam and headlight switch?

Thanks,

 

you need to use your voltmeter to ensure you have 12v on the R-Y wire going into the dimmer switch and 12V going out of one of the other connectors...then press the dimmer switch and check for 12V going out the other connection. If you have 12v on the R-Y and nothing going out either of the other two, then yes, replace the dimmes switch.