Lights going out

jermy82 · Jan 12, 2004

So I've got a '93 T-bird for my winter beater car. 5.0, LX, top model that pretty much looks like **** at this point but runs surprisingly well. Anyway, I was driving in Chicago this weekend and my lights went out just randomly, then came back on. This happened a few times, and has continued happening. Actually, the parking lights stay on, but actual functional lights go off. Anyone have a clue on here or is this just one of those things where I'm screwed and should just have somebody that knows what they're doing take a look at?

BlackFox5.0 · Jan 12, 2004

Sounds similar to the Fox GT's

http://www.corral.net/tech/maintenance/foglights.html

KnRs88 · Jan 12, 2004

jermy82 said:
So I've got a '93 T-bird for my winter beater car. 5.0, LX, top model that pretty much looks like **** at this point but runs surprisingly well. Anyway, I was driving in Chicago this weekend and my lights went out just randomly, then came back on. This happened a few times, and has continued happening. Actually, the parking lights stay on, but actual functional lights go off. Anyone have a clue on here or is this just one of those things where I'm screwed and should just have somebody that knows what they're doing take a look at?

I used to have a 90' T-Bird SC that did the same thing. We drove it back from Panama City to Chicago for Spring Break 93' or 94' (ah the good old days) , lights flickering most of the way. It was the switch, at least thats what the dealer told me.(waranty).

jermy82 · Jan 12, 2004

BlackFox5.0 said:
Sounds similar to the Fox GT's

http://www.corral.net/tech/maintenance/foglights.html

You might be right, and I appreciate the link, but that kind of sounds like it has more to do with the fog lights being used at the same time. This is happening when I don't use the fog lights. Actually, come to think of it, I don't use the fog lights because the lights did flicker when I used to turn them on, but that happened months ago when I first got the car. That just seems pretty complicated if it's not really necessary. Anyone else got any suggestions? If not, I'll try the method it said on the link, I just don't want to go through that and not fix the problem for sure. Thanks a lot regardless though.

BlackGT89 · Jan 12, 2004

Once the headlight switch is weakened it just seems to get worse and worse from the ones I've seen. Yours may be to the point that it will do it with just the headlights alone. Does the switch get hot to the touch or start to smell hot ? Is is worse on high beams ? Are you using higher wattage bulbs than stock ? At this point you might need to replace the switch anyway, but if you run with fogs on and they don't have a relay system setup, it's a matter of time until the switch goes, or worse - maybe the wiring.

jermy82 · Jan 12, 2004

BlackGT89 said:
Once the headlight switch is weakened it just seems to get worse and worse from the ones I've seen. Yours may be to the point that it will do it with just the headlights alone. Does the switch get hot to the touch or start to smell hot ? Is is worse on high beams ? Are you using higher wattage bulbs than stock ? At this point you might need to replace the switch anyway, but if you run with fogs on and they don't have a relay system setup, it's a matter of time until the switch goes, or worse - maybe the wiring.

I hope it is the switch actually. I had to have it replaced in my old '94 GT and I found one for pretty cheap (used from a junkyard so God knows how long it would last). I haven't noticed the switch getting hot, but maybe that's because I wasn't paying attention for it. I'll check and see tomorrow though. I tried driving with just the brights on tonight (sorry every car I brighted) and they didn't flicker at all. I'm gonna try that again tomorrow to see if it was just a fluke or not. Seeing as I don't use the fog lights, I'll probably replace the switch first and then see if that fixes the problem if we can't get it figured out for sure. Thanks for the help so far guys.

HISSIN50 · Jan 13, 2004

as far as i know, whether the high beams are on or not (or even flash to pass), does not matter. i believe the multi function switch (turn signal switch) controls all the low or high beam switching, not the headlight switch. headlight switch gives the multi function switch the juice to switch between the two.

i do like the idea about the switch getting weaker. the contacts start to go more every time they are overloaded. if not that, check the wire from the headlight switch to the turn signal switch. those are the ones that overload and catch on fire on the GT's. i bet ford used the same engineering margins for all the cars.
good luck.

CobraGT87 · Jan 13, 2004

has the same exact prob on my GT. ran 80w low beam bulbs for about 1 yr, then 1 headlight wouldn't come on all the way. finally about 100 miles away from home, both headlights just quit, had to drive home pulling back on the turn signal lever to run the high beams. (talk about a pain to do with a 5spd thru the mountains), replaced the turn signal switch, and all was fine again.. took out those high watt bulbs and went back to stock.. no probs in many years now.. the stock elec system in the fox's can't take more than 55 watts on low beam or the plastic inside the switch will melt causing a short.. cheap wiring.

re-route your fog lights thru a diff setup. I did and now run 100 watt bulbs in mine with no probs at all. other drives give off funny looks when their entire interior is lit up so brightly LOL, but I only run them when foggy out or up thru the mountains, otherwise their covered so stones don't break em.

Scott

BlackGT89 · Jan 13, 2004

Could possibly be two different problems, but when I'd run with my GT foglights on, my headlight/foglight switch would get physically hot, and if you put your nose near it, you could smell a hot electrical odor. Then after a while the lights would start to flicker off and on. I replaced my headlight/foglight switch with a new one and it was good, but I decided to do the foglight fix and use a relay. That way I could run with just the foglights and parking lights on when I wanted to, and not about the wiring. Did the same thing with our 95 SHO. There's just no reason for all that high amperage to go through the switch.

jermy82 · Jan 14, 2004

CobraGT87 said:
has the same exact prob on my GT. ran 80w low beam bulbs for about 1 yr, then 1 headlight wouldn't come on all the way. finally about 100 miles away from home, both headlights just quit, had to drive home pulling back on the turn signal lever to run the high beams. (talk about a pain to do with a 5spd thru the mountains), replaced the turn signal switch, and all was fine again.. took out those high watt bulbs and went back to stock.. no probs in many years now.. the stock elec system in the fox's can't take more than 55 watts on low beam or the plastic inside the switch will melt causing a short.. cheap wiring.

re-route your fog lights thru a diff setup. I did and now run 100 watt bulbs in mine with no probs at all. other drives give off funny looks when their entire interior is lit up so brightly LOL, but I only run them when foggy out or up thru the mountains, otherwise their covered so stones don't break em.

Scott

Thanks for the help guys. I think I'm gonna go ahead and replace the switch, and hopefully that will work. If that is to no avail, I'll do the rewiring thing, but I don't really want to put any more time/money than I have to into a car that only cost me 500 bucks. I'm sure you can understand that. I actually talked to the guy I bought the car from and he said he used to have that problem a while back and had to run the high beams whenever it happened (thanks for telling me in advance). Oh well, we'll see how the switch goes and I'll let you know if that works.

CobraGT87 · Jan 14, 2004

jermy82 said:
Thanks for the help guys. I think I'm gonna go ahead and replace the switch, and hopefully that will work. If that is to no avail, I'll do the rewiring thing, but I don't really want to put any more time/money than I have to into a car that only cost me 500 bucks. I'm sure you can understand that. I actually talked to the guy I bought the car from and he said he used to have that problem a while back and had to run the high beams whenever it happened (thanks for telling me in advance). Oh well, we'll see how the switch goes and I'll let you know if that works.

Glad to help ya. I tried to run the high beams with the signal lever forward which keeps them on all the time, but even that position wouldn't work. Only way for them to work was to pull back on it. If your running high watt bulbs, get rid of em. the sylvania silver stars are the only ones that will work yet give your much better lighting and wont burn up the switch. Back when mine went out, new signal lever switches were outrageuos in price, so I found one at a JY off a low mileage GT. that was 7 yrs ago and still is working perfectly.

Changing the fogs to their own line allows the use of high watt bulbs with no I'll effects and can also run em without needing the headlights on which is a nice feature.

It should take maybe 45 min to do the job. it's simple, just a bit time consuming. Good luck to ya

Scott

jermy82 · Feb 10, 2004

Ahhhhhh.... The damn lights are finally fixed. And it only took me a few weeks. Ended up buying a switch off of ebay for 20 bucks, and installed it, but when I took the three wiring harnesses out while changing them, I noticed that the smallest, flat harness looked kind of melted in places. After I got the new switch in, the same problem occured, so I concluded that it was the wiring harness. So I went to the junkyard and ripped one off of an '89 T-bird for 5 bucks, rewired it to my original wires, and it works like a charm. Just thought I'd let anyone who had subscribed to this thread know how it turned out...that and I'm pretty excited I don't have to drive around with my high beams on anymore .

Lights going out

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