Electrical problems with headlights/taillights

[mdisalvo55]

Recently when driving at night my headlights started turning off and on. They will click on for a few seconds and click off. It doesnt always happen and for a while it stopped. But the other day I turned them on and my gauge lights didnt turn on as well as my rear night time lights. So now my headlights and brake lights work but my gauge lights, yellow corners, and rear night time lights dont turn on. Are these on the same fuse??? Any suggestions as to what I should do. By the way its a 91 gt.

Matt

 

[jrichker]

SEE http://www.corral.net/tech/maintenance/foglights.html to fix the problem. The stock wiring isn't up to the job and is overheating. The headlight switch & turn/multifuntion switch are affected by Ford's wiring problem. Somtimes it overheats so badly that the plastic shells of the wiring connectors start to melt.

 

[mdisalvo55]

Alright so I did all that stuff today to my headlights and when I got done I went to turn the lights on and the only thing that went on was the headlights...just like before. So I checked my fuses and the number 4 fuse was blown. There was a 15 amp fuse in it and I replaced it with another and went to turn on the lights and it blew again, so I put a 30 amp in and went to turn on the headlights and everything was working again EXCEPT my rear taillights. I was happy to be making progress on this problem until I saw smoke coming from the headlight wiring harness. I unplugged it and the two brown wires and the light brown wires were the ones that were melting. Does anybody know what the heck is going on and what can I do. Please respond if you have any clue to what the problem is.

Thanks


Matt

 

[HISSIN50]

the brown wire is the output for all of the marker/tail lights, IIRC. sounds like there is a short. never, ever use a higher rated fuse than what the circuit calls for. you know that now. esp with the thin margins ford used with AWG choice.

you can check the switch for a short......
JR will probably have some ideas for you. good luck.

 

[stangbear427]

That link is a good one for fixing this problem, but it leaves out one important thing- the headlight switch. You didn't say if you'd changed it too or not, and it doesn't spell it out for you that you should, although it's implied. If you are having these problems, the odds are good that your switch is already fried. Due to this very problem, Ford did start making a heavy duty headlight switch. if you order one, this is the one you'll get. Pull it out and check the terminals inside, if any of them are loose then there's some more of your problem... don't ask how I know (or how many fried switches it took to figure out)