Headlights that won't light

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Mar 1, 2010 | 12:20 PM

spartan117_mc

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Headlights that won't light

Hey y'all, got a (hopefully) quick and easy question for ya. Was driving my truck the other night and realized the headlights werent on even though the switch was pulled out. I clicked the dimmer switch and I have high beams. Was driving through town with highs on and then they failed but came back on in like 30 seconds. I looked at the wiring to the headlights and there is wire nuts connecting the wiring and I wiggled all the wires around but no avail. Any ideas? Theres also a napa box with wires inbetween the battery and solenoid. Hack job brighter light mod maybe?

Mar 1, 2010 | 07:55 PM

86bigred

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Apr 2007

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From: patricia ab canada

sounds like your high low beam switch is fubared.unplug the plug,use a test light to find out witch one has power and jumper it with one of the other plug,and check your head lights,one wire is the hot wire, one is the low beam,and the other is the high beam.make sure you head light switch is on.

Mar 1, 2010 | 08:45 PM

F150xlt

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Joined: Jan 2002

Posts: 1,346

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From: Baltimore

Had the same thing happen to me a couple of days ago on my 88. Driving on the highway the headlights went out. Jiggled the switch and they cam back on.

Found the electrical plug that went to the headlight switch was melted.
What surprised me was Advance Auto Parts had the replacement connector and pigtail
harness in stock.

Your 86 uses a slightly different head light switch but pull the connector off and look at
the connector pins.

Mar 2, 2010 | 11:26 AM

Franklin2

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Joined: Jan 2001

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From: Virginia

Quote:

What surprised me was Advance Auto Parts had the replacement connector and pigtail
harness in stock.

They jump on any opportunity to make money. The switch and the harness burning up is a very common problem on Ford trucks. They also carry the acutator piece down in the column for the ignition switch that breaks all the time, as well as ignition lock cylinders, gas tanks(they rust out all the time). Parking brake cables for Fords are cheap because they sell so many, brake boosters, etc.