headlights turning off randomly
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 54
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headlights turning off randomly
Greetings.
My 89 BII might just be haunted.
OR
I have a short somewhere.
After a few minutes of driving, sometimes the headlights just go black all on thier own. sometimes I can cycle the headlight switch and they return, most of the times they do not. If I pull the column HIBEAM bar towards me and hold it in, the brites stay on. If I push it away to keep the brites on, nothing happens.
Sometimes after a couple of minutes the low beams return, otherwise I am driving home with my left hand holding the HIBEAMS in. (makes for interesting driving since its a manual)
Any ideas where this short could be? Could it be just a faulty headlight switch? curious if anyone else ran into this before.
BTW just hit 190k on this bronco. sweet
My 89 BII might just be haunted.
OR
I have a short somewhere.
After a few minutes of driving, sometimes the headlights just go black all on thier own. sometimes I can cycle the headlight switch and they return, most of the times they do not. If I pull the column HIBEAM bar towards me and hold it in, the brites stay on. If I push it away to keep the brites on, nothing happens.
Sometimes after a couple of minutes the low beams return, otherwise I am driving home with my left hand holding the HIBEAMS in. (makes for interesting driving since its a manual)
Any ideas where this short could be? Could it be just a faulty headlight switch? curious if anyone else ran into this before.
BTW just hit 190k on this bronco. sweet
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
Sounds like you need a new headlight switch, the switch has a set of points in them that sometimes get burned, then they overheat from bad contact & open causing your lights to go on & off as they heat & cool. Although they usually cycle on & off fairly quickly.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
> Could it be just a faulty headlight switch?
Yes, but, doing what you are doing has probably melted a contact in the turn signal switch too. You have to pull both, otherwise you will risk nuking the good headlamp switch when you replace it. If the headlamp switch has a melted or watery looking connector, there is a good chance the switch in the column is bad now too.
It will be fairly obvious on the high/low beam switch because the wire connector will be melted.
Yes, but, doing what you are doing has probably melted a contact in the turn signal switch too. You have to pull both, otherwise you will risk nuking the good headlamp switch when you replace it. If the headlamp switch has a melted or watery looking connector, there is a good chance the switch in the column is bad now too.
It will be fairly obvious on the high/low beam switch because the wire connector will be melted.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
Likes: 1
From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
The headlight switch and it's connector are notorious for this problem eventually. I wound up having to replace part of the park light wire and using a female blade disconnect and butt connector to negotiate a permanent fix after nearly nuking my new headlight switch. If you'd rather buy a pigtail and replace the connector in full, that works too. I didn't see any problem signs on my multi-function switch in the column - I must've caught it before it got too bad or it was the fact that it was the park light circuit and not the headlight circuit that was faulty and already burned a little. I'd go ahead and check it all out just to make sure.
BTW, the '89 I recently bought has ~204k on it, but is the possible victim of a bad mechanic or a cracked head. Won't know until I get back to the States and go pick it up and tear into it. I'm hoping it's a blown gasket due to re-use of the head bolts, but if not, it's time for WP heads and a few other things
BTW, the '89 I recently bought has ~204k on it, but is the possible victim of a bad mechanic or a cracked head. Won't know until I get back to the States and go pick it up and tear into it. I'm hoping it's a blown gasket due to re-use of the head bolts, but if not, it's time for WP heads and a few other things
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,624
Likes: 1
From: Bixby, OK
My passenger side has started turning off by itself on the low beams, but I found out why. Turns out the original owner installed the 2 100-watt halogen off-road lights by splicing into the low beams direct from under the column. I took the pull-**** out to look at it when I was installing some new gauges and I've got wires melted all over the place back there and oxidizing. It stinks, now I have to find out a way to replace all of these wires.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 215
Likes: 2
From: San Diego
Rewire the headlights through relays and have the headlight switch operate the relays. You can even buy kits for this; it's a piece of cake.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,624
Likes: 1
From: Bixby, OK
Does anybody have a pin-out for the switch? It looks like I might have to go this route. If I find out anything, I'll let you guys know.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
Likes: 1
From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
They sell new pigtails with the connector for the headlight switch - that should help in repairing that part of the issue. I agree, might as well 'upgrade' to a relay-operated setup on your headlights. The factory wiring harness just isn't very forgiving for higher-powered lighting. I'd never wire up driving lights to those circuits UNLESS it was via a relay. Hope you get 'er figured out, Romer! Same goes to you, Wild! 
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