WackyRotary

WEIRD problem....I have looked already through the search, and amused how many headlight problems there are, but not mine I guess.

A 83 GS: Headlights pop up normally and stay up with the lights on. When shutting them off, they cycle up and down constantly!!! Also the "headlight" light in the dash comes on too. What does that warning light indicate? IT DOESN'T stop unless I flip the headlight switch that keeps them up, and then they stay up. If I turn it to the down position, it cycles again without stopping. I found to get the headlights to stay down, I can disconnect the battery at the right moment and then they will stay down....Untill I go to use them again, and the same problem presists...

Any ideas what is causing the problem?

H4Inf

There are some quick-connect couplers for each retractor motor. Since both of them do the same thing, I would be less inclined to think it was a loose wire in that wiring.

The light in the dash is just to indicate that the retractor motors are running.

Perhaps in your console switch for the lights theres a loose or carbonned up connection, so the motors arent getting the signal to stay down? I'm not exactly sure.

You could also check the headlight relay inside the front left of engine bay.

rwatson5651

iTrader: (5)

This probably wont help but I always thought those motors had an internal switch to stop them when they went down, but if it was one of them it shouldnt affect both lights????

Im with H4inf and would check the wiring harness for loose connections.

Drifting rex

iTrader: (17)

It might also be a bad connection at the fusible links.

WackyRotary

Thanks for the possible solutions guys. I will certainly check and see, I think H4Inf is probably on the right track. This car has been sitting since 2002 in a muddy barn yard- I think for the most part. I'm sure moist envorment around it would cause some issues like this with corrosion or carboning over terminals and such, not to mention some of the body rust under the fenders, and other rusted items not usually found rusty on these cars. Also the warning lights switch doesn't work quite right either and works intermittently still, not that they would need to be used much. Plus the fan motor doesn't work either, so I need to find out what needs to be fixed.

Anyone else ever had/heard of this cycling of the headlights occur to them? That is #1 problem to figure out right now.

LongDuck

Drifting rex is right about the Fusible Link for Headlights being bad.

Replace this fusible link before doing any 'custom' wiring - you'll be amazed at what a simple fix it is. Had this problem myself and found it to be the Headlight Fusible Link after much troubleshooting.

kiker14

iTrader: (1)

Hey LongDuck, I know you don't do the whole IM/PM/e-mail thing, so I guess I'll ask you here, how come you haven't switched over to a "normal" fuse block for the engine, like out of a 2nd gen? It's just such an easy mod, and will eliminate the hassles of those stupid fusible links. I'm a 20 year old college student with only physics 1 level knowledge of electrical systems, but it was a cinch, took me about 20 minutes, and makes me feel much more confident about the entire electrical system, esp. since when my fusible links blew before, i just would jumper them with some 16 gauge wire... but yeah, why no switchity switch to the easier method?

LongDuck

Yaknow what - I don't have a good reason for not switching over!

Except that maybe the stock system has worked very well for the past 20 years and I've really been focused on other projects around my SE getting the 'rolling restoration' done so I can just enjoy driving it to work every day.

If there were some 'splice-and-patch' kit for the fusebox conversion, I'd probably do that, but getting out to the pick-a-part and finding the right parts (and the time) is the only thing keeping me from it.

Maybe you could start up a new thread and outline (w/pics) what it takes it do it - I know that a lot of us have had to figure ways around the Fusible Link stuff in the past. Thanks,

kiker14

iTrader: (1)

wow, LongDuck asking ME for help, didn't think that would ever happen... luckily for the two of us, there was a thread about two weeks ago that I "self stickied" (put in my favorites) that show specifically what is needed, and what to do. The only part that I do not yet have is a bracket to hold the 2nd gen fuse block, so it is currently jerry rigged in there with some electrical tape and surgical steel wire (soon I will get some scrap metal and make a simple bracket). As much as I would like to have my very own writeup, I will simply link you to here:

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...6&page=2&pp=15

...it's easier to find if you search for fuseable instead of fusible, apparently we can't spell real well

however, there are a few things I would like to add (maybe a mod can mix & match to make a worthwile stickey)...

In max 7's pictures, he does not make it clear that in addition to the "main" wire, there needs to be a power wire directly from the battery into the other side of the "main" location on the 2nd gen box (this will make sense if you are looking at the fuse box). I personally did not re-use the stock "power" wire because it had a jumper on it to power both of the fusible link boxes, so I just used some of my 8 gauge power wire, and used one of those melt on to fit connectors so as to make a tight connection into the box. Also, if you are like me and get your 2nd gen box as JUST the box (no connectors or wires), you can use the connectors off of the fusable links to go into the bottom of the 2nd gen fuse box (I did not know this, so I bought 12-10 gauge connectors and simply bent them open a bit to fit). however, using the connectrs that I used, I was able to mark on them in permanent marker which wire is which (I = injectors, E = egi comp, etc etc) so when I go to mount the box, I will not need to re-label which wire is which.


::also:: I'm not sure if I'm allowed to put this here, but I'm always trying to think of ways to help out fellow rotorheads and make a buck here and there, so if there is a demand, I have no problem designing a little "2nd gen conversion" kit that will include EVERYTHING you need (connectors, wire, box, fuses, bracket, instruction manual) to do the conversion... PM me or IM me at newguy2006 if interested in such a kit. (mods, if i'm not allowed to do this here, feel free to delete this part)

::edit:: if I make such a kit, there will be no soldering required, just wire stripping and crimping, very very easy!

WackyRotary

Thanks guys, I will check the fusable link first. Can you give me a exact location of the one for the headlights(a picture maybe)? I don't have the car infront of me right now, and won't for a week.

kiker14

iTrader: (1)

^--that's where the fusible links are





You want to check the one that says "Retra" short for "retractor", I believe.

WackyRotary

Thanks Kiker14, that seems to make good sense to me!

kiker14

iTrader: (1)

btw, the pic is from a gsl-se, i don't think the other models have any "extra" links (inject and compu are for the fuel injection on the -se models) so you should only have those three other ones, as far as i know.

IanS

iTrader: (4)

That is correct. The 12A cars have only the 3, and it says "retract".

wakazz

I know this is an old thread but does anyone know what Amperage those fusible links are?

74RX4

iTrader: (10)

midnight mechanic

you can replace those wire fusible links with buzz fuse modules. Yellow pink and yellow have worked since the write up in this forum 9 years ago (2003?).

They're a direct fit, you just have to sand down the top of the vertical sides.

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-arch...thread-532866/

But I think the problem is a short in your center consul, in the switch that moves the headlamps up and down.