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Author
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Topic: Headlights going on and off without warning ( long )
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bob1963
Gearhead Posts: 167
From: Highland,Illinois
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 08-07-2005 02:30 PM
 
About a year ago and less than 1800 miles ago I had the under dash wiring harness and the hi beam dimmer switch on the floor replaced on my 1966 in line 6 automatic Mustang,all the other wiring in the car is new.The place that did the work is a respected Mustang shop close to me and have been in business for more than 20 years.Last night the wife and I drove the car to a pub to see some friends and watch a band.on the way home the headlights and dash lights when on hi beams went off for a few seconds and then back on and it seemed as if in intervals of less than a minute or so of each other,but it was not a continues thing it just happened radomly.I'm unsure if the tail lights went out or if i was doing this when the lights are on low beam but it may have been we didn't have enough time and I didn't want to push my luck and be driving around in a situation like that at 2:30 in the morning.the radio did not go off and the car didn't stall out but before I call the shop and ask them to look at it I would like to get some ideas on what to look at or what could be causing this problem.any ideas out there ?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
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DidgeyTrucker
Gearhead Posts: 1813
From: Greenbrier, TN USA
Registered: Oct 99
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posted 08-07-2005 02:56 PM
I had the same thing happen on my '66 F-100. And ono the trucks the parking lights go off when the headlights go on. It got DARK at 55mph on a two lane road.I replaced the h eadlight switch and dimmer switch and had no more problems.......until the other day I was running the fan at night to clear the windshield. The headlights turned off. I hit the headlight switch to park and ack to headlights and they came on. There might be some sort of problem in your headlight switch when the current draw is high. It gets hot and shuts off the current flow. There are no circuit breakers, only fuses. And when a fuse blows, it's gone. Tracy ------------------
Tracy M&M #245
MAC OS9.1 & 10.3.8/ Earthlink DSL
1956 F-100 Panel w/429 (3.50 9")
1966 F-100 SWB w/351C (3.25 9" - 3.70 posi for Saturday nights)
Music City F-100's,
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bob1963
Gearhead Posts: 167
From: Highland,Illinois
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 08-07-2005 03:00 PM
Thamks Tracy,sounds like the best place to start would be the headlight switch.I had to replace the wiper switch about 1 or 2 years ago. and the headlight switch is the original.
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trashline
Gearhead Posts: 2230
From: Levittown, Pa
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted 08-07-2005 05:07 PM
yea headlight switch would be a good start there is a fuse type mechanisum in the switch that trips when it gets hot. this is very common with old fords heck even my 88 turbo coupe did it. auto zone sells the switches and this is what I have been using for about two years without a problem. ------------------
88 thunderbird TC 2.3L
66 mustang 200ci 3 speed
68 Fairlane 289 w/ auto
79 f150 300 3 onda tree
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bob1963
Gearhead Posts: 167
From: Highland,Illinois
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 08-07-2005 05:25 PM
Looking into my spare parts I found a new and a used headlight switch.I would like to install the used one in order to eliminate some of the spare parts I have laying around.I would like to avoid wasting the time of putting it in just to find out its no good and end up with the same problem I have with the one in the car now.I was wondering if anyone knows how to bench test the used switch to see if it works and save some time.Any help appreciated. Thanks
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Scott H
Gearhead Posts: 1480
From: Chicago area
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 08-07-2005 05:31 PM
The headlight switch is the circuit breaker for the headlight system, and it will do exactly as you described. Either the swtich is worn out and/or there is too much load for the old worn switch to handle (like halogen lights).
To test the switch you would have to rig up something of a test bench that simulates the load being placed on the switch. Wire up a couple headlights to it and power it with a 12v power supply and see what happens.
Personally, for the time it would take me to create such a testing device I would just use the car as my test bench....install it and see how it goes. If you want to save time, you could just leave it hanging under the dash until you've tested it, then later on move it up into its mounted position. 
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bob1963
Gearhead Posts: 167
From: Highland,Illinois
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 08-07-2005 05:53 PM
I just got my orders from the wife,she says if I new what was good for me I better just put the new one in and forget trying to save a dollar,what the heck I can get another new one for a spare from Mac's for about $16.00.Thanks all, Later.
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n2oMike
Gearhead Posts: 3058
From: Spencer, WV
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 08-07-2005 07:01 PM
Wiring up your headlights using relays will keep you from having switch problems when using halogen lights. As a side benefit, the lights will be MUCH brighter.You can do it up yourself, or buy one of the many available kits. Good Luck! ------------------
Mike Burch
66 mustang real street
302 4-speed 289 heads
10.63 @ 129.3
http://www.geocities.com/carbedstangs/cmml_mburch.html
http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/healey/367
http://www.mustangworks.com/cgi-bin/moi-display.cgi?220
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