Headlight problem please help!

[bigsparky]

I'll try to give as much information as possible:

My headlights don't turn on. I have a 92 so it has daytime running lights. The DRL's DO turn on. When I push the headlight switch to the first position, all the corner lights, rear lights, etc come on that are supposed to come on, and the DRL's are still on. When I switch it to the next position, where the headlights should be on, nothing happens. All the "parking" lights are on and the DRL's are on but the headlight low beams do not come on. I thought the switch was faulty, so I put in a new one and the same problem is there. If I push the signal light lever forward (which turns the high beams on) nothing happens. The DRL's stay on, etc, etc. But if I pull the turn signal lever toward myself (used to 'flash' other drivers) the lights brighten.

I tested the wires AT the headlight to see if they are getting power. With the car off and the headlight switch on, there was NO power at any of the three wires.

Also, at no time do my foglights come on. I keep the switch on at all times and throughout all this testing, nothing turns the foglights on.

The first time I noticed I had no lights, I was on my way home from work late one night, I noticed they seemed very dim, then all of a sudden they came back on. They worked for a day or two, now they do not come on at all.

I looked at all the wiring under the hood for the headlights and nothing looks shorted out or melted or anything. I have not checked under the dash, etc.

Any ideas?

 

[HISSIN50]

I dont know what is different about DRL cars vs others (I have 'others'). But did you check the wire that goes from the headlight switch to the multi-function switch (turn signal switch)? On my 88, it is a thicker gauge (perhaps 12 or 10 AWG) and is Red/yel or Red/blk (I cant recall).
At the MF switch, the wire can back out of the plastic connector. This means that the headlights themselves dont turn on, nor do brights. But flash-to-pass still works since that does not use headlight switch power.

I would note that if you have parking lights on and test at the headlight switch, something should be hot (I was confused in your post - I am tired).

No other great ideas. Good luck.

 

[bigsparky]

where is that wire located?

 

[HISSIN50]

It is the feed wire from the back of the headlight switch to the turn signal switch's connector.

When I pulled my turn signal (MF) switch, I found my wire had backed out somehow.

Good luck.

 

[srothfuss]

You said that you had power getting to the lights? It should be 12 volts. Was that what you had?

How do the connections (terminals) look on the ends of your wiring harnesses? I had a problem with my fog lights now working but I was getting voltage to the connectors. Turns out that the contacts were very dirty and I had to clean them. Now, they are good as new. Although, I don't use the fogs very much since I haven't done the relay upgrade yet... But that is for a different post.

Anyway to sum up my rambling: Try cleaning your terminals to see if that solves your problem. It won't take much money and won't waste too much of your time!

 

[89MustangGX]

Also wondering if this may be the traditional GT problem with burning up wires due to excessive heat. Did you happen to notice what condition the wiring harness to the headlight switch looked when you changed it?

 

[RsStanG1987]

Fool around with your dimmer switch and check your multi function switch. Thats what i did when mine broke last week and they work again. The one wire going to the multi function switch in my car is burned up i al gonna fix that next week. Try that and your dimmer switch..

 

[bigsparky]

Sorry I was late to reply to this.

There was NO power at the headlights, so cleaning the contacts will do nothing.

All the wires looked normal to me, nothing looked burned or melted

I'll have to check that one wire you are talking about. But where exactly did it come disconnected?? At the headlight switch??

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[HISSIN50]

:

I'll have to check that one wire you are talking about. But where exactly did it come disconnected?? At the headlight switch??

At the Multi function switch.

 

[bigsparky]

At the Multi function switch.

I checked and everything looks mint in there
Any other suggestions??