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Topic: My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED (Read 4948 times) previous topic - next topic

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Yesterday the coil cover I ordered from Vinnietbird came to my front door. I put it in place where it belonged and went back inside. Later in the evening I went back out to go to work and upon putting my key in the ignition my headlamps came on. My main headlamp switch is in the off position.
 
I figured that maybe I had brushed the auto lamp controls on the way out of the car in the morning when I got home. This apparently is not the case.
 
I try toggling the autolamp switch a few times and notice that it will cause the lamps to flicker, but they will stay on. Removing the key from the ignition shuts them off after about a minute as it should. The headlamp switch itself does nothing. After about 5 minutes of playing around with this I move the car and disconnect the battery and go to work.
 
Now, I have some ideas as to what it could be that is causing this, but I am by no means an electrical man. I turn wrenches fine, but chasing wire gremlins.......:punchballs:
 
I mentioned about the coil cover because it is the only thing I did between when this started and when the car worked right. You see, I recently installed a new charging curcuit fusible link which is right where the coil cover sits. That fusible link and 2 others pass through another resistor/fusible link type of apparatus and I think it's possible on of the other 2 is for the lamp feed and that I possibly disturbed something while putting the coil cover on.
 
Another possibility that crossed my mind is that of the dreaded ignition switch. The headlamp switch itself has also crossed my mind, but I find that one highly unlikely.
 
From when I bought the car in '98 until New year's eve 2006 I had never had an electrical wiring issue with this car. This is the fourth in a span of 8 full months. I'd like to fix this issue correctly and properly for now, but I also realize that the car is telling me that it's time for a new wire harness. I had read a post by Eric about someone who sell harnesses at VERY reasonable prices (not Painless Wiring and not Ford) and can't find it because or search function is horrendous.
 
So......can anybody tell me if I'm on the right track and does anyone remember that post?
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #1 –
using keyword "autolamp" for my Search,,,,,,,

i found this.

http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=11426&page=2&highlight=autolamp

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #2 –
I should also add.....  With the battery hooked back up and no key in the ignition the headlight switch works normally, but again with ignition on and it's useless.
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #3 –
It sounds like the Light Sensor Amplifier is turning on when it shouldn't. This is the thing on top of the dash that senses the light.

The Autolamp switch, by the main light switch, removes a ground (purple with orange stripe wire) to the amplifier when in the off position. This should deactivate it.

Do the lights turn on when it is light out or only when it is dark?

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #4 –
Id replace the ignition switch. Its cheap insurance. I paid 12 bucks for mine.
It's Gumby's fault.

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Tbird232ci;173550
Id replace the ignition switch. Its cheap insurance. I paid 12 bucks for mine.


that was my first thought since the problem occurs when the key is inserted.

softtouch
what do you think?  if the photo cell were bad, wouldnt the delay "off" feature be broken also? meaning the lights would stay on?  you researched this a lot deeper than i did a while back.

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #6 –
Quote from: jcassity;173566
that was my first thought since the problem occurs when the key is inserted.

softtouch
what do you think?  if the photo cell were bad, wouldnt the delay "off" feature be broken also? meaning the lights would stay on?  you researched this a lot deeper than i did a while back.


When he said "inserted key" I assumed he meant inserted key and turned it to RUN.
If this is the case then the lights coming on is correct if the Autolamp switch is in the ON position.

That's why I wanted to know if light on the photo cell turns the headlights off. To see if the light sensor amp. is working correctly except for the on/off part.

If it is then maybe the on/off switch is broke/stuck in the ON position. Or the wire from the switch to the amplifier has picked up a ground.

If the Light Sensor Amplifier is bad would the delay off feature still work? I don't know. It looks like it can  pick the Autolamp Relay so if it's broke some parts of it are still working.

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #7 –
the way i see it is up at the main light switch.

The lighting circuit is just passing through the main light switch up to the exterior lamps.

when you flip off your lights,,, power is still applied to auto lamp relay 1 which gets its timed coil power from the timed power applied on the photo diode sensor by way of fuse 18.

Either way, if both relays were unplugged , this would isolate the circuit to its bare bones operation like most of our cars without this feature.

In a nutshell, its apparent this extra circuit is in parallel with the base lighting harness.  undo the relay 1 and likely also relay 2 and check it then.

from what i read, i think he means the problem only happens when the key is inserted.

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #8 –
Quote
When he said "inserted key" I assumed he meant inserted key and turned it to RUN.


Yes, that is what I meant.  Sorry I should have specified that.  I realize it can make a difference.

Quote
Do the lights turn on when it is light out or only when it is dark?


Out side lighting has no effect over it.  It happens whether daytime.
or night.

Quote
when you flip off your lights,,, power is still applied to auto lamp relay 1 which gets its timed coil power from the timed power applied on the photo diode sensor by way of fuse 18.
Either way, if both relays were unplugged , this would isolate the circuit to its bare bones operation like most of our cars without this feature.


I read this and thought " What if I just disconnect the Autolamp Sensor.  Unplugging it allows the main headlight switch to work as it should.  After doing this it seems to have left an open circuit in the auto dim and autolamp rotary switches as they will do nothing with the sensor disconnected.

I had another one from a 1992 LSC.  I slaved it in place just to see what would happen.  Aparently the new sensor is bad because it acts as if the wire to it is disconnected.  I even left it separated from the mount on the mirror and held the sensor up against my headliner, effectively blocking all light.  The autolamp and auto dim still do nothing.

Is that new sensor totally dead or is there something else I'm missing?  I really haven't had too much time to mess with this as I've been getting pumelled by my work schedule this week and my need for sleep is ever increasing (I'm averaging about 3 hours a day).

The ignition switch will be replaced Saturday as I already have a new one ready to go.

So, anybody got any ideas with the new info presented?
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #9 –
And I just wento to get in the car again and the ORIGINAL  problem has returned........

IT does it with no sensor attached as well now.....
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #10 –
The sensor on the mirror is for the Auto-Dimmer only.
It has nothing to do with whether the lights are on or off.

The sensor for the Auto-Lamps is on top of the dash. You have to take the top of the dash off to get to it.

I think the Auto-Lamp sensor is bad and causing your problem.
If you unplug the sensor or autolamp relay #1 your problem should go away.
The auto-Dimmer should still work.



My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #11 –
lol,,,,,,,,i get to get a dig in here thats always been trown at me

[COLOR="Red"]MY NECK HURTS[/COLOR]:D

V8Demon
you did the right thing,, just not in the right way.

get one or both of those relays unplugged.  Then you should see results.  your armed now with pics of the location.

Too easy! wont interfer with sleep either.

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #12 –
Thanks guys, just got home.  Gonna rest a little and tackle this when I awake.
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #13 –
Making progress.......

Pulling the sensor cover off the dash revealed the little blue sensor for the autolamp.  Mine was COVERED in dirt/soot/grime.

Cleaning it off and making sure the autolamp swicth was off I turned on the ignition and the lights stayed off.  Covering the sensor with a towel and making sure the autolamp switch was still off made the lights come on. 

So, the sensor works.  After that I pulled the switcth apart hoping I would find something obvious.  Just a little corrosion on the contacts....nothing out of the ordinary for a 20 year old switch.  I cleaned it off and put it back together and re-installed it.  No difference.  Is it worth it to even pull the relays at this point?
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

My car is Haunted yet again....Call Ghostbusters! --- SOLVED

Reply #14 –
If you can live with the autolamp feature being always on, you don't have to pull the relays.

On the autolamp on/off switch and delayed turn off adjustment you have three wires. Purple/orange, dark blue/orange and black.

Purple/orange goes to the light sensor on/off. The autolamp switch grounds this wire to turn the sensor on.

Dark blue/orange goes to the light sensor timed delayed turn off. It goes to ground through a variable resister.

Black is the ground wire.

The other 3 wires in the 6 wire connector are for the autodimmer.

Gray/yellow goes to the dimmer light sensor. The dimmer switch grounds this wire to turn the autodimmer off. The dimmer switch provides ground for the indicator lamp when in the on position.

Yellow goes to 12volts if the main headlight switch is on.

White goes to the dimmer light sensor sensitivity adjustment.

Autolamp and auto dimmer share the same ground wire in the six wire connector.

I don't know what happens if you unplug the 6  wire connector but it may be worth a try.

I know you said you were not into electrical stuff but do you have a volt/ohm meter?