1984 headlight relay

Topic: 1984 headlight relay (Read 876 times) previous topic - next topic

1984 headlight relay

January 23, 2009, 06:23:47 PM

hi...

i am in need of the location of the headlamp relay on a 1984 cougar. i dont have a manual , i saw the diagrams for the 1987, but looking for my 1984.
i replaced the dimmer switch which was bad, one of the spades on it had become lose and melt the pigtail connecter not too bad but enough. but my additonal trouble is with the relay i am wondering?
the headlights only work about 15 minutes and then start flashing on and off does it with the high beams too. sometimes just flashing the high beams will get them to stay on but it is intermittent. also if you turn the headlight switch on and off it will work but not always. parking lights not affected. i called a ford dealer for a relay and he said only had a relay with the automatic headlights that there was none for a regular system. so i called another dealer and he had one, he said it didnt matter that the relay worked for auto and regular systems. now i just need the location. thanks for any help

p.s i just joined the site here and will post some backround on my cars in the general section.

thanks eddie

1984 headlight relay

Reply #1 – January 23, 2009, 07:28:26 PM

If you don't have automatic lights, I think everything just runs through your headlight switch, and then through the multifunction switch. I know the multifunction switch (the one that triggers high/low, left/right ) are pr0ne to melting/burning out. I have replaced at least 2 on different occasions.

Try wiggling the bundle behind the multifunction switch.

I can't find the wiring diagram right now, maybe I can find my book.

1984 headlight relay

Reply #2 – January 23, 2009, 10:24:47 PM

Sounds like your jumping to conclusions,, get yourself an 84 EVTM.

1984 headlight relay

Reply #3 – January 24, 2009, 12:40:19 AM

also,,click on my diy link below and there are a lot of porbably usefule wiring diagrams.

If you seach for user "softtouch",, he usually posts wiring diagrams of the 84 evtm. He knows his shiznit to!

1984 headlight relay

Reply #4 – January 24, 2009, 03:36:32 PM

danzajax is right. There is no relay in the standard (non-autolamp) headlight circuit.
The headlight switch has a built in circuit breaker. Your lights are turning on and off because the circuit breaker is opening and closing.

The breaker opens when it heats up and closes when it cools. It is supposed to heat up if there is a circuit overload drawing too much current through it.

Do you have standard sealed beam headlights?
When the lights are on, are all four on?

If the answer is yes to the above questions, the headlight switch is probably bad.

Do eyeball the multifunction switch as danzajax suggested to see if anything is cooked.

1984 headlight relay

Reply #5 – January 25, 2009, 04:10:48 PM

i had allready replaced the dimmer switch one of the blades in it must have been loose and was a little melted. it also had melted the connector too.
i got a new pigtail connector. so i though that would have cured it. thats when it didnt and thats when i signed up here :) so anway the first ford dealer was right that there was no relay but didnt offer the info on the headlight switch. the second one sold me a relay i didnt need ( if anyone needs one let me know its free ) . and sat i went and got a headlight switch and yeahhhh now my lights work great.