84SE - headlights won't go up/down/on...
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84SE-EGI helpy-helperton
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,584
Likes: 542
From: Phoenix, AZ
84SE - headlights won't go up/down/on...
84SE - 162k mi, daily driver.
Before test driving my new fuel injector last night, I could not get the headlights to extend or turn on with either the switch on the column stalk, or the 'cleaning' switch on the dash.
Never had this problem before, and affects both headlight buckets, identically.
Additionally, the parking lights would come on, driving lights would come on, but the headlights would not, even with the lids manually opened by turning the motors. Flashing brights doesn't do anything either, and the headlights worked just fine earlier in the evening.
Checked the fusible links, all 5 tested okay. Doesn't seem to be a fuse under the dash for headlamps, either.
I know it's unrelated to the injector work that I was doing, but could I have bumped something? I spent an hour tracing the wiring, fuses, and fusible links, and couldn't find anything wrong.
Any suggestions? TIA,
Before test driving my new fuel injector last night, I could not get the headlights to extend or turn on with either the switch on the column stalk, or the 'cleaning' switch on the dash.
Never had this problem before, and affects both headlight buckets, identically.
Additionally, the parking lights would come on, driving lights would come on, but the headlights would not, even with the lids manually opened by turning the motors. Flashing brights doesn't do anything either, and the headlights worked just fine earlier in the evening.
Checked the fusible links, all 5 tested okay. Doesn't seem to be a fuse under the dash for headlamps, either.
I know it's unrelated to the injector work that I was doing, but could I have bumped something? I spent an hour tracing the wiring, fuses, and fusible links, and couldn't find anything wrong.
Any suggestions? TIA,
Anytime baby!
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 748
Likes: 2
From: Austin, TX USA
It is very common for the "combo switch", the switch that controls the headlights, cruise, signals, and wiper, to get dirty inside over time (18+ years) and fail. It often shows itself as one or more of these things not working or working sporadically. For me, I had the probalem of my brights not staying on, but working in the "flash to pass" mode. Then my wipers stopped working.
To fix it, you need to remove the steering wheel. Get a puller from you local auto place. Remove the plastic shrounds and pull the switch, CAREFUL NOT TO LOSE ANY OF THE BALL BEARINGS. They are tiny. Dissasemble the switch and clean it with contact cleaner. Use a pink eraser to rub the contacts back to shiny new copper again. Grease with a suitable grease and reassemble. Fixed everything for me.
Oh and you might want to check your fusible links first, in the engine compartment. But the switch is a common problem.
Right on.
To fix it, you need to remove the steering wheel. Get a puller from you local auto place. Remove the plastic shrounds and pull the switch, CAREFUL NOT TO LOSE ANY OF THE BALL BEARINGS. They are tiny. Dissasemble the switch and clean it with contact cleaner. Use a pink eraser to rub the contacts back to shiny new copper again. Grease with a suitable grease and reassemble. Fixed everything for me.
Oh and you might want to check your fusible links first, in the engine compartment. But the switch is a common problem.
Right on.
Anytime baby!
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 748
Likes: 2
From: Austin, TX USA
Oh I just read that the cleaning switch didn't pop em up either...well in that case it's probably not a failure of the combo switch, unless it's demise would somehow impair the other switch from working...hmm...i would recheck the fusible links and fuses first...
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