Very frustrated now! I posted earlier about having issues with the parking lights on my 1982 F100. The headlights work, but I have no parking lights (brake lights work). After posting on here, I checked the headlight switch and realized that after turning on the headlights, if I push the switch in just slightly, the parking lights come on, but the headlights go off. So, I thought the switch was worn and needed replaced. I replaced the switch last night, and it's doing the same thing! Sometimes I can get the headlights and parking lights to come on at the same time, but it wont stay that way because any little bump of the switch causes them to go off. It's obviously not a fuse because I can get the lights to come on, but just not with the headlights. Any suggestions?

 

What year is your truck?

 

It's an 82 F100

 

Thanks...

I'm assuming you have no taillamps either, just brake lamps. If you have taillamps, let me know.

Alright, looking at the headlamp switch connector, you will see two wires, one colored Tan/White stripe, and one colored Brown.

Check for power at the tan/white stripe wire. If no power, check the parking lamp, taillamp fuse. If the fuse is good, check wiring between fuse panel and headlamp switch on tan/white stripe wire. Make sure there is power at the fuse panel as well to power the fuse.

If you got power at the Tan/White stripe wire, at the headlamp switch, turn the headlamp switch on in the first position. Then check for power at the brown wire. If no power at the brown wire, but power at the tan/white stripe wire, then replace the headlamp switch.

If power at both wires brown and tan/white stripe, check the brown wire at the front turn signal sockets, and rear sockets. If no power at the sockets on the brown wire, there is a fault in the wiring between the sockets and headlamp switch.

If you do have power at the sockets at the brown wires, but still no parking lamps, check the grounds on the front of the truck, and make sure the lamp sockets are good.

 

Thanks for your help! I did check the fuses, and they are good. See, here's the thing; my problem is, the parking lights work when the switch is pulled to the first position. The headlights work when pulled to the second position. The parking lights should stay on with the headlights, but they do not. They just stopped working all of a sudden with the headlights, meaning at night, I have to no tail lights unless I hit my brakes. When I turn the headlights on, and then barely push the headlight **** in, the parking and the headlights work as they should, together. This tells me that everything is getting power. This is why I thought I simply needed a new switch. However, I installed a new switch yesterday, and I have the same problem that I did with the old switch. The block that plugs on to the switch looks ok as well...no cracks or anything that I could see. If there was a problem with a wire/fuse/bulb/socket, wouldn't that show up with just the parking lights on?

 

Not necesserily. The switch has two different sections inside it and the headlamps and parking lamps do not connect together on the 1981-1986 switch. They have two seperate feed circuts.

If you are loosing your parking and taillights in the headlamp on mode, and it works in the parking lamp mode, it has to be in the switch or tan/white wire.

Check the tan/white wire for power in all three positions of the switch at the switch. You should have power to it in all three positions, including off.

Then check for power at the brown wire in all three positions. With it off there should be no power. With parking and headlamp on it should be hot.

 

Ok, this makes sense. See, learn something new every day. Thanks so much for your help. Ill check the wire, and I'll post what I find in case someone else has the same problem.