Headlight switch problems

[firemedicmonkey]

I am in the process of doing the whiter whites, brighter brights, and the running light mods, but i am waiting on some parts and in the mean time. I have run into this problem.

When I pull the knob out to the parking lights position i don't get anylight, then when i pull it out to turn on the headlights, i get headlights, but no running lights or interior dash lights. Last time this happened I got a new headlight switch from autozone and it fixed the problem.

it was at that time i discovered the fried headlight switch plug. so today i installed a new(used) plug and replaced the switch with one from autozone, and no change. i jumped the connectors on the plug and i can get all the lights working with jumper wires, but could i really have 3 bad switches?

any ideas, cause even when i do the upgrade, i need the headlight switch to work right.

 

[subway]

if you can jumper the connecter (assuming no wires were crossed) and it works, but does not work with the switch i would say you have a bad one. i have gone through several switches before i got a good one (multiple occasions) before from a-zone and advanced.

personally i wont buy them from there any more because of this. do you have allot of extra accesories running off of your dash lights?

 

[firemedicmonkey]

where do you recommend getting them from then, not the stealership, i hope and i was looking at rockauto but there shipping seams to out of control

 

[Agnem]

I get mine from Ford.

 

[subway]

since i have switched to NAPA parts i have had much better luck, they are a bit more expensive but seem cheeper than the dealer. i havent used them but Fisher Auto seems to be in line with NAPA if you have one in your area.

another cheep place would be a junk yard......

 

[adrianspeeder]

Fuses good?

 

[Russ]

Been there done that, got the shirt to prove it. I went to ferd and bought a switch and light plug. The plug had about 6" of wire to make the spice. No problems after that.

 

[firemedicmonkey]

5 switches from 2 different autozones, and an advance autoparts, and the same result. so i completely disconnected all of my plow lighting wiring from the loop and still the same result. the lights work great with my jumper wires but no luck with the switches. any ideas?

 

[Russ]

Is it possible the "new " plug is screwed up? Not making a connection with the switch? How did you replace the plug? cut the wires or pull the terminals out of the plug? Are the wires in the correct location?

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Connectors are probably bad on the truck end. They will work if you jam a wire in there, but are not connecting tightly on a quick connect.

I find a lot of times quick connects stretch out over time and I close them up a little with pliars.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

STOCK STUFF IS USUALLY LIGHT DUTY


The absolute best way to cure headlight-switch woes is to toss the factory style switch in the trash and re-wire through good stout toggles.

One for the interior light, one for auxilliary markers, one for headlights, and one for parking lights.

A DPDT can be used for headlights/parking lights, with DOWN being parking lights, and UP being both headlights and parking lights.

Every big truck I ever drove used big toggle switches for all lighting functions.

The next time my headlight switch melts, this is what I am doing, unless I take time to do it anyway.

 

[TLBREWER]

I am in the process of doing the whiter whites, brighter brights, and the running light mods, but i am waiting on some parts and in the mean time. I have run into this problem.

When I pull the knob out to the parking lights position i don't get anylight, then when i pull it out to turn on the headlights, i get headlights, but no running lights or interior dash lights. Last time this happened I got a new headlight switch from autozone and it fixed the problem.

it was at that time i discovered the fried headlight switch plug. so today i installed a new(used) plug and replaced the switch with one from autozone, and no change. i jumped the connectors on the plug and i can get all the lights working with jumper wires, but could i really have 3 bad switches?

any ideas, cause even when i do the upgrade, i need the headlight switch to work right.

I had the same problem when I recently re-did the light switch and plug on
my daughter's truck. Get the plug from Ford. It's pricey...about $38. Get the switch from Ford as well if you can. I ordered one from LMC as part of a bulk order just to save time. It fell apart on install. Didn't have time to wait for Ford to get one. Second one from Napa has held for about 6 months now. I need to do the relay mod too before the new plug is fried as well.

Tom

 

[towcat]

I had the same problem when I recently re-did the light switch and plug on
my daughter's truck. Get the plug from Ford. It's pricey...about $38. Get the switch from Ford as well if you can. I ordered one from LMC as part of a bulk order just to save time. It fell apart on install. Didn't have time to wait for Ford to get one. Second one from Napa has held for about 6 months now. I need to do the relay mod too before the new plug is fried as well.

Tom

tom-
locate the power drain and do it soon. this is the biggest cause for electrical fires in Fords. the ignition slider switch is #2. If you do need to rewire the dash electrical, PM me. I may have an extra harness.

 

[adrianspeeder]

My money is on the connector, and get on doin' the relay rewire.

Adrianspeeder

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

tom-
locate the power drain and do it soon. this is the biggest cause for electrical fires in Fords. the ignition slider switch is #2.

Just yesterday, one of the shop flunkies was driving the crappy old 91 F-150 with a tumble-bug and roll of hay in tow.

About halfway between destinations, underneath the dash caught fire, BIG TIME.

He possessed enough sense to ******** the battery-cable and the fire then went out of it's own accord.

He then proceeded to cut nearly every wire under there in two.

Somehow, the thing started and made it to the field where he was headed.

This is the second wiring fire this year in that truck; but, it will be the last for us as it now has a new owner.

The other time, it was sitting un-attended, parked right in the middle of a big shop full of tires, and managed to catch fire all by it's lonesome.

If someone hadn't went in the shop, looking for someone else, the building, most likely, would have burned to the ground.

After that escapade, we always removed the battery cable, when leaving it alone for any more than a few minutes.