Headlight Switch Issues

[Baskinator]

Yesterday, the headlight switch pushed through the dash when I went to turn it off. The plastic screw stripped after 30 years, and finally gave way. That part is now fixed. However, upon trying to reinstall it, the headlights (lo-beams) no longer turn on.  I've tried everything short of removing the dash, which I want to avoid if possible.

It must have caused a few other electrical problems, because the hi-beam indicator doesn't light anymore. It also blew the fuse for the parking lamps, which I replaced and checked the other fuses (all good). The hi-beams still work, and so do the parking/interior lights. All the bulbs in the car are good.

I replaced the headlight switch today to no avail. I then tried some suggestions mentioned in previous posts, including testing with the high beams removed and cleaning a ground wire at the firewall. Nothing has worked, and I've run out of ideas. Anything I might be missing?

[thereverendbill]

check the grounds behind the headlamps

[BenM]

I noticed that between my Pacer and Eagle, the threaded nut went from metal to plastic, but the switch is the same style and pins.

You can pull the cluster out of the dash, which is easier then pulling the whole thing apart, but there might be enough wiring harness that you could pop the switch out and fish it down to where you can get a good look at it and get at it with a multimeter. At the least, you can check your switch for continuity.

Here are the pinouts on the switch.

[Baskinator]

Thanks for the input guys, and that link Ben.

I almost feel like the new switch I got might have something wrong with it, because nothing else really makes sense to me.

Not sure what grounds behind the headlights you mean, but I'm about to take a look at my TSM in a few minutes. Also need to find the dimmer switch, haven't had much chance to do it the past few days with work and high temps.

The reason I don't want to pull the dash isn't necessarily the difficulty, but because I'm literally this problem away from having my Eagle on the road and it will set me back again. The thing is, having it on the road will also mean having a much better place to work on it, and possibly having more hands to help also.

I checked all the fuses again, and all are good. I even replaced some for good measure. It's not acting like there is anything wrong with the wiring near the switch (the only place it was disturbed when the switch fell out) because I wiggled the wires in every spot with the lights on and nothing changed. In fact, the wires look practically brand new and are neatly wrapped behind the dash. I tried repositioning the ground wire on it because I couldn't think of anything else, still no luck.

Can anyone tell me how to go about testing the new switch? I have a cheapo multimeter, just don't know much about electrical systems yet.

Ben, I may just have to search for one of those metal screws from a Pacer in the future.

[Baskinator]

I did try replacing the lo-beams with new bulbs I already had, but still nothing. I'll test the connections tomorrow when I can finally get a chance to work on it. My dad is taking a look at the wiring diagram now, so hopefully he can figure something out. He knows a good bit about electricity.

[ammachine390]

Did you ever check the dimmer switch under the column like Casper suggested? It's the switch that turns the high beams on and off.

[Eagleearl]

I don't believe the headlight switch has anything to do with your problem. The dimmer switch on the column switches between high and low beams, as Casper and Ammachine390 have suggested. As long as the high beams come on, the light switch should be providing power to the dimmer switch and the problem should be between the dimmer switch and the wiring to the low beams. Check your connection at the dimmer switch and its adjustment first, thencheck for power at the low beam connection.

[txjeeptx]

Third (er 4th?) check the dimmer switch. Its on the top of the steering column behind the dash or package tray - its easier to work on all the electrical stuff under the dash with the package tray removed, if you have one. The dimmer switch has a pushrod linkage inside the column connecting it to the turn signal lever - if that rod has come out of the "cup" it sits in on the switch, especially if it came out the last time you tried to hit the high beams, then its not switching anything when you pull the lever, and the high/lo beam switch stays on whatever it was set to when the rod came out. The switch's position on the column is adjustable, so it could be too far down the column for the pushrod to get it to latch from high back to low even if the rod is still engaged with the switch, which might happen if the adjustment slipped.

The high beam indicator not working anymore could just be a failed bulb in the dash cluster. Someone with tiny hands and is a contortionist with a decent tolerance of pain can reach the bulb and twist it out to replace it without having to take the cluster out. You can gain a lil bit of working room by removing the screws that hold the woodgrain dash plastics to the dash pad and dash substructure.

[Baskinator]

Thanks for the help everyone. Casper, you called it. I tested and replaced the old dimmer switch and everything is now fine and dandy. I'm an idiot though, because I was thinking the hi-beams were on the outside. It was shutting off both lights with the hi-beams switched off, and allowing the lo-beams to turn on with the hi-beams switched on. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the system, hopefully the new switches last.

Eggs around!