Headlights Take Turns Working...

[prayforsurf0]

So passenger side headlight goes out and I notice this 5 mins away from home at night. However, when I put the high beams on, it works. So I leave the high beams on to get home and avoid getting pulled over.

Next day I buy a new bulb and replace it. Turn the headlights on to make sure it works. Neither side works now. But when I pull back the high beams both lights go on, but if I lock the high beams on (push the signal arm forward to leave the high beams on), the high beams don't work. Only when I pull back.

Then suddenly I loose the drivers head light. Even when pulling back on the high beam signal arm. Passenger side turns on still, but only when pulled back to use the high beams.

Its worth noting that leading up to this point, the head lights weren't turning on when I used the round dial on the dash board to the left of the steering column. Only the orange side lights did. To get the lights to turn on I had to plug the "automatic sensor" that is connected to the rearview mirror. I had stopped using the automatic sensor for my headlights because they stopped turning off automatically. So I unplugged that and manually turn the head lights on and off when I needed them with the dashboard switch. Now I was using it again by turning the lights on with the dashboard (even though they didn't go on) and then plugging the auto sensor plug into the rear view mirror. That would get them both on.

Now everything is all fishy. What should I do ?

 

[J_C]

First guess is the MFS. I'd start by opening and cleaning out the multi function switch (column lever), just the base of it not the stalk. It has about 5 (T-10 ?) screws, will need old hardened grease cleaned out, oxidation scrubbed off the copper contacts, then new dielectric grease.

There's a couple pieces inside that will be loose so you'd want to do it over a workbench so you see their position when you open it instead of them falling out, though it is not hard to figure out where they go.

If you don't want to bother cleaning it out then a new aftermarket MFS is under $40 last time I checked, but I hate to buy parts before I know the old are bad. You could check continuity on the connector with a multimeter in each of its positions. Some topic in this forum has the pinout for the MFS.

 

[prayforsurf0]

First guess is the MFS. I'd start by opening and cleaning out the multi function switch (column lever), just the base of it not the stalk. It has about 5 (T-10 ?) screws, will need old hardened grease cleaned out, oxidation scrubbed off the copper contacts, then new dielectric grease.

There's a couple pieces inside that will be loose so you'd want to do it over a workbench so you see their position when you open it instead of them falling out, though it is not hard to figure out where they go.

If you don't want to bother cleaning it out then a new aftermarket MFS is under $40 last time I checked, but I hate to buy parts before I know the old are bad. You could check continuity on the connector with a multimeter in each of its positions. Some topic in this forum has the pinout for the MFS.

Thanks for your response. I disconnected the MFS and unplugged it, but both the contacts on the MFS and the plug that goes into it look pretty darn clean. No grease or anything.

Do you think the headlight switch on the dashboard to the left of the steering column went bad ?

 

[prayforsurf0]

Thanks for your response. I disconnected the MFS and unplugged it, but both the contacts on the MFS and the plug that goes into it look pretty darn clean. No grease or anything.

Do you think the headlight switch on the dashboard to the left of the steering column went bad ?

Ok, first of all I made a mistake. I removed the MFS but only checked the contacts where the wiring harness connects...Didn't realize I had to open it up, which when I did, yes there was a lot of old grease. So I sanded it up and cleaned it with electrical cleaner. Still no headlights though when I put it back together and reconnected it. I pulled the dash panel to take a look at the switch and found the problem. The red wire with the yellow stripe (the low beam wire) was breaking and hanging by a thread. The connector inside the wiring harness was so corroded and additionally seemed to cause a short. Not sure why the fuse didn't blow though.

Thanks for your help. Wanted to update this thread in case other have the same problem. Everyone seems to think the MFS is the problem as it is often the case. But for me it was not, it was a corroded/broken wire and connector.