Headlight Glitch
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 25
From: Tacoma WA
Headlight Glitch
So the last couple days I noticed when I start my car, then turn my headlights on, they won't pop up... but if I turn them off, then back on again, they pop up just fine, and continue to pop up/down fine until I turn the car off. Once I turn the car off, the behavior starts again. 
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Dan
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Dan
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,456
Likes: 8
From: Cockeysville Maryland
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Daytona Jam 1 Veteran
Mine does this too occassionally. It doesn't sound like you are having any grinding noise from the headlight gears and no run on after they are down.
Try this next time. After you turn them on and they don't pop up try pushing the light stalk on the steering column forward to turn on hi beams. Does this make them pop up?
It could be the stalk is going bad or perhaps the headlight control module mounted behind the passenger headlight.
Maybe with some additional info someone might have a better idea of how to pinpoint the problem.
Try this next time. After you turn them on and they don't pop up try pushing the light stalk on the steering column forward to turn on hi beams. Does this make them pop up?
It could be the stalk is going bad or perhaps the headlight control module mounted behind the passenger headlight.
Maybe with some additional info someone might have a better idea of how to pinpoint the problem.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 25
From: Tacoma WA
Mine does this too occassionally. It doesn't sound like you are having any grinding noise from the headlight gears and no run on after they are down.
Try this next time. After you turn them on and they don't pop up try pushing the light stalk on the steering column forward to turn on hi beams. Does this make them pop up?
It could be the stalk is going bad or perhaps the headlight control module mounted behind the passenger headlight.
Maybe with some additional info someone might have a better idea of how to pinpoint the problem.
Try this next time. After you turn them on and they don't pop up try pushing the light stalk on the steering column forward to turn on hi beams. Does this make them pop up?
It could be the stalk is going bad or perhaps the headlight control module mounted behind the passenger headlight.
Maybe with some additional info someone might have a better idea of how to pinpoint the problem.
Mine is a '97 so the headlight control module, etc, is quite old. That said, they already have brass gears from the aforementioned problem... it does seem more electrical than mechanical to me...
I'll give the high-beam thing a shot next time and update here.
Thanks,
-Dan
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 25
From: Tacoma WA
Oddly enough, it didn't do it this morning... it seems pretty intermittent... maybe I should go wiggle a bunch of cables out there and make sure everythings connected well.
-Dan
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
From: CT
Headlight trouble
I had this too. On my first go around with this, it turned out to be the stalk needed to be replaced. Then after about three years I was getting the problem of both lights not going up, or only one light going up. And like AnteVenom said, it doesn't sound like the gears. For me it was the connections right under the hood, the 4 or 5 wire(can't recall how many terminals) gray plugs that sit on each fender more towards the front of the car. Needed to tighten the contacts and clean them. Then I found that the two plugs on the headlight control module, unit that sits under the passenger headlight need to be cleaned. Just be careful and make sure you unplug the gray plug that feeds the passenger headlight if you try to access it by sticking your arm under the pass headlight to access the plug on the HCM. Hope along with everyone else's input this directs you in the right direction.
So the last couple days I noticed when I start my car, then turn my headlights on, they won't pop up... but if I turn them off, then back on again, they pop up just fine, and continue to pop up/down fine until I turn the car off. Once I turn the car off, the behavior starts again.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Dan
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Dan
