Headlight problem please help

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dan33klein

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Aug 29, 2010
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all of a sudden my headlights quit. they wont come on with the switch. when i pull black on the high beam lever on the column my high beams willl light up. i just dont have lights off the switch. i replaced the switch still doesnt work. please help i need lights
 
I know on my 12v and Dakota if u just pull the brights switch half way the lights go out so try it. It's probably the brights switch tho I think it does that.
 
my headlight switch wont turn anything on at all. but my bright switch pulled back will turn on the brights
 
I'd say your headlight switch and possibly the connector for it have melted. Common problem. I've seen it several times and it happened to me.

Easy to tell, just remove the dash bezel. You'll need to remove the ashtray and the two bolts holding the ash tray frame in. Remove the cupholder and the screws holding it's frame in. Then pull the bezel away from the dash starting at the top. It helps to tilt your wheel all the way down. Two screws hold the headlight switch in. Take those out and pull the switch out and inspect the back of it and the connector. Also seems like you may have to remove the headlight switch handle. There is a button on the side of the switch you push and then just pull the knob and stem out of the switch.

I know you can still get the headlight switch but I'm not sure on the connector. May have to visit the junk yard.

Scott
 
i got a new switch. and the connector is melted. shoild i get a new connector? should that fix it?
 
get a new connector with new terminals and a wires (im not sure if dodge or anyone else sellls connectors this way but i know gm does for thier a/c blower motors) you dont want to reuse terminals that are already burnt. If the terminals are burnt the wires them selfs are likely to be burnt in that same area. I would cut the connector off leaving about an inch of wire after the connector just to be certain that Im away from the burned area of the wire and so Ican easilly tell which color goes back in which spot in the connector. Then id but-connector (heat shrinkable ones) the new wire with the old ones (you may have to cut the new wire a bit down to the right length), take some electrical tape and wrap it around that area (not a whole bunch) just to add a bit more protection, put the new terminals in the right spot on the new connector and be done with it
 
Standard makes a part that includes new switch WITH the connector and 7-8 inches of color-coded wiring for Dodge.

Remove both battery plus or minus terminals, cut the existing connector with some 2-3 inches of wiring with it and solder in the new wires and put it back together. Worked for me. I also had the melted connector and at first I replaced only the switch and it repeated to shut down the lights.

After I put in new connector and wiring with the new switch it has not occurred any more.

Inside the switch there's an overheat circuit that engages due to too high current that will heat up the terminals in the switch and melt the connector. I opened my old switch to take a look inside. If you work carefully and clean everything up and glass-media blast it throughly you can re-use the switch unles the heat has caused any of the terminals to become loose.
 
You should consider wiring your headlights to run off of relays to take some of the load off the switch, especially if your running higher wattage bulbs.
 
im also having the same problem with my lights, they will work fine for a few mins and then they flicker on and off and if i use the brights it happens even faster, which wires are for the high and low beams so that i can wire up some relays? also wheres as a ggod spot to put the relay? no tryin to highjack the thread but no sense in starting a new one for the same problem
 
Here is some links that explain it better. I placed my relays by the fuse panel in the engine compartment. Disconnect your left headlight and turn your lights on low beam. Put a voltmeter in each of the pins till you show voltage, be sure to ground on the body. Then turn lights on high beam and check the other 2 pins. The last wire is the ground. The last link I post is for converting to the quad lights but it shows how the relays are wired better. It might be best to get a premade relay harness if your not too electrically inclined. LMC truck appears to have a decent harness, but I've never used it myself.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html
headlight relay diagram question? - Dodge Diesel - Diesel Truck Resource Forums
94-02 Sport Headlamp Conversion wiring. - Competition Diesel.Com - Bringing The BEST Together
 
well i wired them up the other night, i have used relays for my tranny cooler fans and off road lights so im pretty fimilar with them, i cut into the wires in the harness under the driver battery and wired up one relay for low and one for highs, the lights work great now and are even brighter
 
I'm glad it worked out for you. I have no idea why they never wired in relays from the factory.
 
thats what im wondering, when the whole problem start happening i looked everywhere on the truck for a relay to replace
 
I think very few oems use headlight relays. I has the same problem in my ford as well
 
the reason why they dont have relays is to eliminate a failure point.. if a relay fails while your driving with lets say a fuel pump your engine dies but you can pull over and stop. if a headlight relay fails when your on a road with no street lights and you crash because you cant see or someone crashes into you because they couldnt see you its very easy for a manufactuar to have a lawsuit on thier hands
 
The same goes with the headlight switches and wiring. Both Ford and Dodge has had recalls on the headlight switches either buring up or catching fire. A relay is designed for switching a high amp load, where as a switch is less efficient.
 
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