Need some help, strange headlight problem
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 5
From: Knoxville TN
Need some help, strange headlight problem
If anyone knows how to correct this please let me know, yesterday my headlights would not come up when I turned them on while driving home from work, when I got home, I shut off the engine and the headlights worked fine, they stayed up when I started the car, however if I turned them off with the engine running they stayed down, if I shut the engine off they worked fine, I checked and no codes, anyone have any thoughts where to look?
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,340
Likes: 233
From: Placitas NM
St. Jude Contributor '03 & '04
Do you hear any noise for the headlight motors?
Have you changed out the headlight motor gears?
Have you tried turning on the daylight sensor to control your headlights?
There are typically two issues with the headlights - 1) the plastic gears give out and will not raise / lower the head light and you hear the motor turning. 2) The multi-functional switch on the steering column goes out and needs to be repaired or replaced.
If you don't hear the headlight motors turning, then I would test the multi-functional switch by turning on the daylight sensor. If this operates the lights, then the switch is bad and needs to be repaired or replaced.
If neither of these items are bad, then it may be a wiring issue.
Good luck,
rr
Have you changed out the headlight motor gears?
Have you tried turning on the daylight sensor to control your headlights?
There are typically two issues with the headlights - 1) the plastic gears give out and will not raise / lower the head light and you hear the motor turning. 2) The multi-functional switch on the steering column goes out and needs to be repaired or replaced.
If you don't hear the headlight motors turning, then I would test the multi-functional switch by turning on the daylight sensor. If this operates the lights, then the switch is bad and needs to be repaired or replaced.
If neither of these items are bad, then it may be a wiring issue.
Good luck,
rr
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 5
From: Knoxville TN
the lights DO come up, but not if the engine is running, this is what's so strange, the headlight motor isn't making any strange noises, the switch works beacuse the lights work normally with the engine turned off.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,340
Likes: 233
From: Placitas NM
St. Jude Contributor '03 & '04
Well it sounds like the multi-functional switch is the problem.
How many miles do you have on the clock? I had to change mine out at 100,000 because my headlights wouldn't turn on. But in any case, just hang around and you will also get feedback from others.
rr
How many miles do you have on the clock? I had to change mine out at 100,000 because my headlights wouldn't turn on. But in any case, just hang around and you will also get feedback from others.
rr
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,617
Likes: 2
From: San Diego California
Do this, get in your car, turn on the engine, push the stalk switch to "high beam" then flip up the buckets, disengage high beams and your lights should be working...if that works it's the switch might be going south..
Last edited by homewrecker; Oct 8, 2011 at 10:30 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,103
Likes: 472
From: Newark Delaware
Check your battery - both how much juice it's got and make sure the terminals are tightly connected. I was having problems with my headlights not opening up. They would come on but not pop up. It turned out to be that one of the battery terminals was not completely tight. These cars do weird things when there is even the tiniest glitch in the electrical system.
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