Bob H

iTrader: (10)

Well, did lots of searching, found nothing in older threads.
Here's what I've got:

Turn on the headlight switch, everything except the headlights themselves come on. The flip lights won't pop up. I can hit the switch on the dash and raise the lights - but still no headlights. If I pull back for a high-beam flash, the high beams come on.
The fuse in the main block is fine,(pull it and they won't go up). The retractor relay in the front box works fine - (pull it and they won't retract).
No fuses are blown - anything I'm missing?
Short and quick:
Can raise and lower headlights w/dash switch.
Won't raise on their own w/turn signal/light switch.
Can make the high beams work by pulling back on the light switch.

This is keeping me from driving my car - its very frustrating since I'm driving a lot at night.
-Bob

Envisioned7

Well what I'd have to go for first is that your headlight switch is bad...Sometimes the little soldered connections inside can break and cause the headlights not to work, but because the high beams are a different switch they would still work. Im not sure if the low-beams go through a relay...they could possibly go straight through the headlight switch which would be why when you pull the fuse its still ok...You could always pull out a Fluke and check all the legs of the wiring for excessive resistance, and make sure the right amount of power is making it to the right places. Best of luck..hope this helps.

Bob H

iTrader: (10)

I'll have to find a way of checking the headlight switch on the stalk - all the wires just come out from inside the stalk.
Thanks for the suggestion though.

Speedworks

You can find info on how to test the dasboard manual switch in the workshop manual on page T-70 or in that neighbourhood.

I'm having trouble with mine as well. when turning on my llights, the lights flip up and light.

When turning them of, the lights go out but don't flip down...

When running current directly to the pop up motors, they flip up and down so motors are fine.
It's just the steering which is crap.

Bob H

iTrader: (10)

Sounds like your retractor relay is bad. It's the one in the front fuse box behind the bumper. When I pulled that one during my troubleshooting, the lights wouldn't retract.

1point3liter

This exact same issue started for me last night.
I plan to look into the issue tonight or tomorrow. If you find an answer before I do please post it!

1point3liter

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ght=headlights

I found some info, but no definitely resolution yet.

1point3liter

more info.
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ght=headlights

1point3liter

and more.
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ght=headlights

AWD-RWD racer

iTrader: (5)

check your ground wire. get a tester and see if your still getting power to the headlight plugs. i had a similar problem. had a bad ground. cut the ground wire and grounded both cut ends and everything worked.

Bob H

iTrader: (10)

I'm guilty of just what I was searching for - that noone posted their solution. For me, it was the headlight relay which is right behind/beside the big fusebox in the engine bay behind the battery. Mine was rerouted somewhere different so I hadn't checked it. Replaced that relay,(its just like the fan relays on the other side), and it worked perfect. In other threads, people were not specifying where the relay they replaced was, confusing my troubleshooting since I thought the headlight relay was in a different place. Bottom line, works great now after replacing the drivers side,(US) headlight relay. It's the one by itself.
-Bob

1point3liter

Last night I did some troubleshooting and found the relay to be the problem.

1point3liter

Back from the dead. I never replaced the relay, just hitting it with a screw driver resolved the issue.
Well, I had the relay act up again a couple weeks ago. I found the replacement part in stock and cheap at Advance and figured I'd share the part# for the next guy who has this problem.

Part No. R4136Z $17

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...RPRELAAMS____#

bufferovrflo

iTrader: (7)

Just a heads up, I couldn't find anyone who carries this relay locally for less than $30; so after poking around the cheapest new I found is from RockAuto Auto Parts for $10.51 shipped. Problem solved

speedjunkie

iTrader: (3)

I have this same exact problem right now. Which relay are you guys talking about? The only thing I find near the battery is the fuse in the skinny fuse box that hangs off the battery in a stock setup. And I tested it and it's good, and I'm getting power to it when I turn the stalk for the lights.

1point3liter

its been a few years, but i believe this relay was in box up near the hood latch.

nguybao

iTrader: (6)

In a stock setup, the relay is covered with a black rubber boot and is attached to a standalone mount just forward of the driver side shock mount.

speedjunkie

iTrader: (3)

I swapped the TNS relay with the retractor relay today just to see and it didn't work.

Oh I forgot all about that relay. I moved all that stuff down to where the battery used to be. I'll have to look at that tomorrow. Thanks!

1point3liter

you may already know this, but make sure none of the relays are hanging upside down. water will get in them and eventually cause them to fail. This goes for cars not driven in the rain too (assuming you wash your car)

Mrmatt3465

iTrader: (10)

Break out your multimeter and disconnect the clock spring harness under the steering column. There are three wires from the headlight switch:green, red, and black. Should have continuity from green to black and red to black with the headlight switch set to headlights and continuity to only one (can't remember if it's green or red) in parking light mode. If you find you only have continuity on one with it in headlight mode, you know your headlight switch is bad.

Looka da flicka da switch.

If you have continuity on both, your headlight relay might be bad. If you have continuity on one, piggy back the grounds on the dash harness side so both circuits see ground when you flick the switch forward. This means flicking the switch forward will always result in headlight operation. Because let's face it, who uses just parking lights.

Matt

speedjunkie

iTrader: (3)

Good call 1point3liter lol.

Turned out to be the headlight relay for me too. When I relocated my wires and boxes it ended up on its side and had a bunch of water in it. I tried to clean it out but it was done so I got a new one from O'Reilly. Then I put dielectric grease on the terminals and RTV on the outside anywhere water could get in lol. I think I'm going to swap it and my fan relays over to Hella relays like I'm using for my fuel pumps. My fan relays already failed due to moisture/corrosion even mounted in the stock location. They've been swapped out and failed again already but this time they're relocated next to the passenger oil cooler.

vspecpgt

Had this just happen to me as well. It was the relay. You can check the relay by jumping the wires.

The headlight switch grounds out when turned on closing the coil and powering the headlights. The smaller white/green wire is connected to the switch while the larger white/green is connected to headlight. Both red wires constantly have power. So jumping a red (or double red) with the larger green wire should activate the headlight, as well as the retractor.

Hope this helps someone else. Part number is r4136 at advance. Not sure if they got rid of the "Z" sometime after the above post. mine was 22.99

cr-rex

iTrader: (114)

just wanted to chime in and say this thread helped me. my relay corroded on the inside and failed. replaced it with the AC relay in the front fuse box and the low beams worked again. i dont have ac so its just a spare anyway....

B-TAG

^ will relay's like this actually not work? most of mine were in worse shape.

however, when I powered them it still flipped over and showed continuity.

Having the same problem as OP, headlights wont come on from the switch but will pop up manually from the dash and come with flash to pass.

cr-rex

iTrader: (114)

Apparently yes lol. That's how mine looked, it didn't work, I replaced it with one that didn't look like that and the problem went away. I would call that a success story. Even though yours look worse than mine, it may be corroded in places that don't necessarily affect the operation. Mine, although less corroded, could be bad in just the spots that affect whether or not it does its job. Hopefully that makes sense. Try replacing it and see if the problem goes away. Just because it bench checks good doesn't mean it's working. You know these cars do run on 45.697oz of magic. It's just enough to cause issues like this.