Headlights flashing off

[Crai-zy horse]

Last night, as I was driving home from college for the winter break, I found I had a slightly disturbing problem. I was commenting to my friend about the truckers around me who on occasion, turned off their lights for a second. We figured it was some signal to each other, we assumed of courtesy. Convieniently, it was about this point in time when my car decided to imitate the big rigs and flash the lights off and on. This kept happening every 5-15 seconds or so for the next 2 miles until I could pull off at a rest station. Right after I stopped, they flicked off again for a second. I popped the hood and looked around a bit, not that I could really see much of anything, and only succeeded in making my hands very cold.

I had left the lights on and for about five minutes, they were fine, so, we hit the road again. Soon after I merged back on the highway, they flicked off again. I pushed the lights off and then pulled thm back on. After that, they didn't give me a problem for the next 80-100 miles until I got to my friend's house.

I dropped him off and left his neighborhood, and headed home, finally, which was only about 5 or 6 miles away, tops. Well, I was almost home when it did it again. I turned off the lights and turned them back on and they stayed on for almost a minute, before going off a couple more times. Then, the last half mile or so they were fine.

I'm not sure what it could be that is causing this. All the gauges were pretty much in the dead middle. I had been driving for probably a little over an hour scince our last stop, which was only a quick bathroom break of no more than five minutes. The only sizable stop was around 6:30-7:00 when we got food. It was around 9:00 when it happened first. It was a little over 20 degrees out, and otherwise good weather. Though I'm not sure this would possibly affect it, this was the first long distance drive at night scince I installed my CAI.

Any ideas would be helpful. I'm probably taking it into the shop at some point while I'm home for a bit of a checkup and the like, as well as another shop to get duals on it, but it would be nice to have a good idea of what was causing it.

 

[n0v8or]

I'm not sure if your '95 has a thermal circuit breaker or fuses to protect the head light wiring. Most US cars typically use a circuit breaker (CB). Sounds like you have an overload that is tripping the CB. Once it cools, it resets and turns the lights on again. Turning off the lights with the switch also allows it to cool.

Did you recently install extra-bright high wattage headlights? Some of these draw twice the current of the stock bulbs.

 

[Skymarshal]

I'd check the plug on the back of the headlight switch, and the headlight relay. Make sure both are tight. It's probably a loose connector somewhere, since both headlights are affected and there aren't any other voltage problems.

It's not any kind of circuit breaker if the lights flicker for just a second or two. I'm not even sure if there is a circuit breaker protecting the headlights- I think it's just a fuse.

 

[SpectorV]

check the plugs of course you cal also pop off the gauge cover and remove the switch and inspect the wires you may have a short on the switch, is it the head lights AND parking ambers or JUST the head lights? and the parking ambers stay on?

 

[Tru_Blue_104]

I had this same problem, it's just the headlight switch. It costs like $25 and its a 15 minute repair. Also, while youre in there check the harness that connects to the switch, it may also be faulty.

 

[marvinmycat]

It does sound like a connection issue somewhere as the lights flicker when he's driving (vibration).

 

[NM_Mustang]

Hmmmmm!

You said it is just the headlights. You confirmed that it just the headlights, did you notice if the interior lights went as well. It does sound like a lose connection. I suppose you checked the obivious and your battery terminal connections are good and tight. After all that can you get the lights to flick out by moving,jiggling,ect the headlight switch. That might tell you if the lose wire is at the switch or elsewhere. Have been in the fuse box lately did you pull any fuses? Checdk the fuses make sure they are all seated correctly.
Could be a pain to find unless you can get the problem to duplicate.