Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Topic: Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off? (Read 4242 times) previous topic - next topic

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

September 26, 2013, 12:28:58 AM

so the headlights on my 88 t-bird had been flickering on and off. if u hold the high beam switch all the way back they'll stay on but that is annoying. I thought the switch in the column was bad but still does it after i replaced it. noticed headlight switch in dash was getting kinda warm but cant get that at ur local parts store. was wondering if anyone else had this issue or knew the problem.

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #1 – September 26, 2013, 01:30:32 AM

Thermal protection in the switch is killing power to prevent melt down. The fix - wiring the headlights thru a relay so they get the power from the battery and the only thing the switch does is run the relay which takes no where near the current that the headlights do.

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #2 – September 26, 2013, 06:28:50 AM

Do you have autolamps?

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #3 – September 26, 2013, 07:22:20 PM

if you mean auto-dim as far as i know i do not. I do have flash to pass though.which basically what i do when it is messing up, i just pull the handle back and hold it.

do u guys know if there is an aftermarket switch or if i got one from a junkyard if it'd help?

if not do u guys know any easy way to fix it? i dont wanna destroy wires to much.

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #4 – September 26, 2013, 07:36:18 PM

Not auto dim, autolamp. Post a pic of your headlamp switch (in vehicle). If you have, then I have a relay solution which is very simple and only minimally invasive consisting of 2 wires and 2 diodes. If not, then we may have to look at how much current you're pulling through the switch.

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #5 – September 26, 2013, 08:56:30 PM

doesnt have autolamps

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #6 – September 26, 2013, 10:51:17 PM

Bummer. Tell me about your headlamps. What bulb, anything special? Any recent work, any other electrical mods? Do you have the means to measure the current through the switch?

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #7 – September 26, 2013, 11:42:09 PM

basically stock bulbs but my brother had gotten a pr of the ones that are supposed to be brighter,didnt really help any.
only thing really recent is replacing the headlight switch in the column hoping it'd fix the problem but it didnt.
no other electrical mods other then an aftermarket radio but thats been in there forever. I have a digital multimeter for my computer networking/maintenance class so if u tell me where to measure i can.

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #8 – September 27, 2013, 06:49:13 AM

First get some regular 9004 bulbs in there and we'll see what happens. The problem with high-wattage bulbs is that if you increase Watts and maintain the same Voltage, Current (amps) MUST increase, and if current increases, suddenly you start having problems with the thermal protection breaker in the headlamp switch opening and closing.

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #9 – September 27, 2013, 06:56:26 AM

Quote from: TheFoeYouKnow;422433

First get some regular 9004 bulbs in there and we'll see what happens. The problem with high-wattage bulbs is that if you increase Watts and maintain the same Voltage, Current (amps) MUST increase, and if current increases, suddenly you start having problems with the thermal protection breaker in the headlamp switch opening and closing.

yeah I was just getting ready to say that, to produce more power(watts) the voltage is the same so the current has to go up or the way they make em brighter is the resistance in them is less so the current has to go up.

Man what a waste of the $60 my brother spent.they werent even any good lol.

now i'll have to go spend another $40-50 but atleast im 95% sure that will fix my problem

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #10 – September 27, 2013, 12:09:33 PM

regular 9004 bulbs should run you 10-12 bucs a piece less if you know someone willing to give you there shop price.

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #11 – September 27, 2013, 08:37:15 PM

i got em for $9 ea at wal-mart. i did look and seen that both the regular bulbs and the ones that are currently in say they use the same watts but that wouldn't make sense

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #12 – September 27, 2013, 08:46:31 PM

They may be the same wattage, and it may not help to swap them, but we'll know that it's not the bulbs. If it comes to it, I've got a switch I'll sell.

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #13 – September 28, 2013, 01:42:05 AM

Quote from: TheFoeYouKnow;422457

They may be the same wattage, and it may not help to swap them, but we'll know that it's not the bulbs. If it comes to it, I've got a switch I'll sell.

kk.got lazy today and dint swap em yet but will tomorrow and see if it works

Anyone Have Issues With Headlights going off?

Reply #14 – September 30, 2013, 12:56:46 AM

I've got the same problem in my 88 tc and with my car the head lamps went out when i turned off the brights so now I got to hold the brights on to drive at night, also my fog lamps went out to but both bulbs look to still be in good working condition. I just pulled fuses tonight to see if I had any bad but I didnt see any. If putting new head light bulbs in will do the trick then sweet.