86 headlight switch problems
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From: Anchorage Alaska
86 headlight switch problems
well i got the short circuit falure i believe in my headlight switch, they kept shutting off, so i took it out and replaced it but what is this terminal for i didn t hook that wire back up but everything seems to be working fine, since it was burned and fell off.. i need to replace the connector end, but wanted to know what this terminal was for.(one with green arrow)
Ray
Ray
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From: Niceville, FL.
Headlight switch terminal A should have a Tan/White wire that comes from Fuseblock Fuse #4 (15 A.). This fuse/wire supplies 12 VDC via the internal switch contacts to parking and other external lights and to the Instrument Panel lights via the internal dimmer control.
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the problem i was having was the headlights were tripping the breaker in the switch causing them to go out! hehehe. well the lights dont work with the switch unplugged and i cant see any weird wiring.. so i dont think that terminal is for the parking lights i got the green arrow to
Ray
Ray
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From: Niceville, FL.
Got the info out of my '83 Ford truck manual; possibly the '86's are wired differently. If the parking and other external lights were also wired to the headlight terminal (terminal H) then the added load could cause the breaker to trip.
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From: Virginia
Tan/white was the separate wire feeding the running lights and indirectly the instrument lights in 86. And it's famous for burning in two. I just don't know what the "A" terminal is for(the diagrams don't show the letters).
If it turns out to be a tan/white wire, and it's not hooked to anything, then you definitely have been re-wired somewhere.
If it turns out to be a tan/white wire, and it's not hooked to anything, then you definitely have been re-wired somewhere.
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Joe Kucinski
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From: Niceville, FL.
Lettered headlight switch terminals and associated wires:
A=Tan/White from fuse #4, power to switch for park & external lights and instrument panel dimmer ckt.
B=Black/Orange from Fuse link E, power to headlight switch.
D1=Light Green/Yellow power to dome light switch.
D2=Black/Pink to dome light.
H= Red/Yellow to headlight dimmer switch (hi/low beam switch).
R= Brown to exterior lights (tail, clearance,park, etc.).
I= Light Blue/Red from dimmer rheostat to fuse #17 supplying inst. panel lights.
These for '83, I think same for '82 thru '86.
A=Tan/White from fuse #4, power to switch for park & external lights and instrument panel dimmer ckt.
B=Black/Orange from Fuse link E, power to headlight switch.
D1=Light Green/Yellow power to dome light switch.
D2=Black/Pink to dome light.
H= Red/Yellow to headlight dimmer switch (hi/low beam switch).
R= Brown to exterior lights (tail, clearance,park, etc.).
I= Light Blue/Red from dimmer rheostat to fuse #17 supplying inst. panel lights.
These for '83, I think same for '82 thru '86.
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From: Pittsburgh
Well this isn't going to answer your question, but will probably answer the next one you don't know you're about to ask. 
Once you get that wire hooked back up and all I'm going to bet your headlights are going to keep flashing. It just has to do with the age of the truck and the way in which Ford chose to run the headlight wiring.
Look around the tech articles for the ford flashing headlight syndrome fix or something like that. When I did it the lights quit flashing and got twice as bright just like that. Only thing I recommend is if you do the fix, replace your headlight bulbs at the same time. If you don't the old bulbs will burn out in very short order.
Justin
Once you get that wire hooked back up and all I'm going to bet your headlights are going to keep flashing. It just has to do with the age of the truck and the way in which Ford chose to run the headlight wiring.
Look around the tech articles for the ford flashing headlight syndrome fix or something like that. When I did it the lights quit flashing and got twice as bright just like that. Only thing I recommend is if you do the fix, replace your headlight bulbs at the same time. If you don't the old bulbs will burn out in very short order.
Justin
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From: Niceville, FL.
Suit yourself, but I'd bet that the park and other external lights wiring has been tied in to the Red/Yellow wire somewhere between the headlight switch terminal H and the common terminal of the hi/lo beam dimmer switch. Thus causing the circuit breaker in the headlight switch to trip. I suspect the problem will reappear when the new headlight switch gets some age on it.
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