Driving home last night, about 3 miles from my house in the dark of course, my headlights just quit! I had to drive home the rest of the way with my two Surefires in my hand hangin' out the window

A few hours earlier, when the sun had first gone down, the headlights quit for about 3 seconds then came on again.

Im not much of an electrical person, so anyone have any tips as to where to start?

Im thinking its the switch because once in a blue moon I would pull the headlight switch and no lights at all, I would have to wiggle the switch a bit and they would come on.

Any objections to just throwing a new switch at it and hope it works?


Any tips are appreciated.
Thanks!

 

Very possibly the switch. Throw one at it then put the lights on relays and quit worrying about them anymore.

 

Are your headlights relayed?? IF not Ill bet money its melting your switch. Mine did the same thing your talking about......quit for a sec then back on. I found out that it was heating the switch to the point where the contacts were loosing connection within the switch. I relayed the lights and havent had a problem since........even have the same light switch..........

The best thing is your lights will be SUPER BRIGHT!! Good for deer-spotting on those long roadtrips down in the valley....................

 

I recommend you look in our "sticky" and read all the information on the head-light relay modification.

As you admit to not being very "electrical", it will all seem like chinese arithmetic, but it is not at all hard to accomplish.


What it amounts to is, as factory delivered, ALL of the current to ALL of the head-lights and running-lights is being carried through a much-too-wimpy head-light switch.

What the relays do is take the head-light switch out of the loop, with it's only purpose being to trigger the relays; ALL of the current to the lights is carried through the relays.





One other thing, every vehicle should have a dependable pair of front-mounted fog/driving lights that can be counted on to ALWAYS work; then, when something goes north with the head-lights, the simple flip of a switch will immediately turn on the fog/driving lights.

 

Defiantly need to relay the head lights. I bet the wires are melted on the switch. Id get a new switch and spend the 30 dollars to relay the headlights so that you don't have this problem again.

 

Well, I slapped a new switch in there and sure enough it works. But I do see what ya'll are talking about when referring to overheating the switch.
At one of the connection points there is a little bit of melted plastic seeping out in one area...

I guess this realy setup will be my project this week.

Thanks ya'll very much.

 

here is a diagram that may help

 

Well, I went part hunting today and I got all of the parts that I need to do the job......except the relays and circuit breaker.

I didnt expect to find much being Sunday and all but I got all my wire and connectors and such.

I can find plenty of cheap relays but finding Bosch relays has been my challenge.

I went into one of my local AutoZones to see if they had any. There were none on the shelf so I asked the guy at the counter...

"Da ya'll carry BOSCH 30 amp relays?"

"Bosch? No, Sir, we do not carry Bosch products"

Directly behind the guy is AN ENTIRE WALL of BOSCH spark plugs and plug wires............

Upon hearing those words I felt compelled to turn around and walk out.

At least he was polite and addressed me as "Sir."

I found some luck at Pep-Boys. They said if I go back tomorrow they can call the warehouse and see if they cant order some.

 

This is what I use :


http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=330-073


I buy them by the sack-full and, so far, I have never had one fail.

Also, get the pre-wired pig-tails.

You will want to remove the red-87A wire, as it isn't used in this application and is all-the-time-HOT.



I know, I know, I know, they aren't genuine Bosch; which, by the way, are actually no longer Bosch, but TYCO..............remember the toy-train/race-car people.






Also, a relay is a simple plug/un-plug job to swap, should one fail; they are considered an expendable, same as fuses, and on factory systems, are made to simply push in.


It is also a good idea to make up a short U-shaped heavy-gauge "jumper"-wire, with spade terminals on both ends, and keep it in the vehicle, where you can quickly find it; then, should a relay fail on something necessary, the HOT and LOAD can be "jumped" DIRECT, and the light or whatever will have current; the "jumper" will need be removed to turn things OFF.