Wierd Headlight Problem...

[Goodfella]

hi, i have a 96 Explorer.....my drivers side headlamp stoped working, and so i changed the headlight and still it does not work,,,,.....its only that one side.....and i found that if i left it on for about an hour or so it would come on by itself.....i also closed the hood one time and it came on. i tested the voltage and found that im not getting 12v to it.....i checked all the fuses and they seem to be fine....im really confused.,.....the other side works perfect....please help.....thanks

Troy

 

[Robb]

and i found that if i left it on for about an hour or so it would come on by itself.....i also closed the hood one time and it came on.

Sounds like a loose or corroded connection, or a broken wire. Follow the wires back from the light, and just started wiggling wires/harnesses and see if you can duplicate the "closed the hood" condition.

 

[Alec]

I agree.

 

[agallant]

relay?

 

[Goodfella]

well.......is it possible for me to splice the wires from the harness of the broken one and attach it to the working one? and maybe i will have to put a higher fuse to accomadate the extra amperage.....this will be easier then trying to trace a corroded wire.....is it possible? any help will be great....thanks

 

[Alec]

I wouldn't trust the stock wiring at the terminal of one headlamp to run both.

 

[Goodfella]

huh? so it will not work? what should i do? im lost and confused and in the dark.....literally. Is there anyway of easily fixing this problem? have u ever heard of this happening?

thanks again

 

[Alec]

It happens all the time on "older" vehicles. Wires wear and corrode over time, and 7 years is plenty for that to happen.

And you've checked all the fuses and relays? This happens for both high and low? If it happens for both then it's the ground wire from the lamp most likely. What you could do in that case is splice into it 4-6" from the lamp harness (leaving the stock wiring pretty much intact) and make your own aux ground. The ground is the middle of the 3 in the headlamp harness.

 

[Goodfella]

i think i get what u mean ALEC.....this is exactly the help i need.....thanks alot, but can u give me some exact instructions to fix my problem.....i have not the slightest clue how to trace the wires from the harness through out the car....aint it confuseing? cause it all goes into one big SNAKE of wires....where exactly should i slpice? is it possible to splice all three wires from the broken harness and attach to the working harness?

thanks again.....troy

 

[Alec]

The plug that goes into the headlight bulb has 3 wires. Take the middle one and add another wire to it, so you have a junction with the 2 ends of the original, and the new wire (a "T"). Do this far enough away from the headlamp harness so you have plenty of extra room in case you mess up.

Then take the new wire, put a ring terminal on the end, and connect it to a good ground. Around there and reasonable body mount bolt (esp the fenders) should do the trick. Could even go directly to where the neg battery cable comes off the frame.

 

[Goodfella]

Hey Alec, that did'nt work...its still dead......BUT......i found that the HIGHbeams do work....when i put on the highbeams it works,.....but the daytime running lights and driving lights dont work. maybe this info might help you figure it out since ur the expert.....thank you very much for your help so far. Hopefully i can get it working thanks to you.

Troy

 

[Alec]

so the highs work on both sides, but the drl and lows don't work on one side?

Please double check all your fuses. Besides that it could be the multifunction switch (turn stalk).