Will Willard

My headlights quit working right about a year ago, and I haven't been driving it. Im going to upgrade to new lights. But first I need to get them working. They only work when I hold the dimmer switch back. Where would be a good place to start? Thank you.

honobiahunter

The headlight switch..... inspect the connections on it and the pigtail for melted or burnt spots. If the harness pigtail checks out then I’d try a new headlight switch

Will Willard

You're meaning the switch on the dash then? Not the dimmer on the column?

honobiahunter

That is correct.....the headlight switch on the dash. When my headlight switch shorted out that’s how I had to make the lights work by holding the dimmer switch back. After taking it apart I found a melted connection on the headlight switch. Hopefully once you take it out it’ll be an obvious place that has burnt or melted. Take your time when removing the dash bezel or you’ll end up with a broken one because as you probably already know, the dash and bezel become brittle over time. A wide blade putty knife works good for popping the dash bezel away from the dash

b.lee

Ya I'd get a new headlight switch and swap it in.
My harness / plug was all burnt and melted, but when I plugged in my new headlight switch the headlights started working again.

texasprd

The headlight switch and wiring are a known weakness on these trucks. When I bought my truck in 2007 (used, obviously), one or two of the spade terminals on the switch itself were loose, and a couple of the "dividers" on the plug were melted and misshapen. BWD (formerly Borg Warner) makes a good replacement switch that includes the pigtail. If you replace the pigtail, use a good ratcheting crimper (not those cheap crimper/stripper combos on the parts store electrical aisle) and butt splices with heat-shrink tubing. If you can, get a "relay harness" that runs the headlights off the batteries and only uses the headlight switch to trigger the relays - take as much of the load off the headlight switch as possible.

You said you are going to upgrade the lights - what are you going to?

Will Willard

Thank you very much. It was indeed the switch. And I bought the one with new wires also and spliced it in to the harness coming up out of the dash. Now for getting the Air conditioning back working again.

AlpineRAM

While you are working on the headlights- please consider installing a relay kit.
You'll find posts about this on here. Much more light for very little money and time.
And longer lived headlight switch too.

honobiahunter

That’s good news. Glad you got her. What’s the issues with the a/c? Freon leak? Controls not working?

If it’s controls not working you might start checking all vacuum connections

Will Willard

I will look in to this relay harness. I wish I had seen this sooner. But I already had it back together. But what your saying makes perfect sense.

Will Willard

In the past is was freon. Then there was a vacuum leak. Then just recently it seams its just not blowing cold. And I was going to try to add freon and I never heard the ac clicking in or cycling. So I was afraid to add any. Is there a fuse Under the hood I need to check?

texasprd

It's not too late. Its an easy addition. You need one harness per side - each connects to the battery, the existing headlight plug, and the bulb on that side. No connection to the switch pigtail. The headlight switch and high-beam/dimmer/multifunction switch serve only to trigger the relays in the harnesses. Check Genos's Garage or LMC Truck - I don't know about Geno's, but I'm sure LMC Truck has the relay harnesses. There may be other sources as well - search this forum.


If your static refrigerant pressure is below the low-pressure cut-out limit, your compressor will never come on. You need to put gauges on it and see what your low/high pressures are before trying to add refrigerant. If the compressor is not engaged and the AC has had time to equalize between the low and high sides, your low-side and high-side pressures will be the same (static pressure). I will not be surprised if you find your pressure is too low to allow the compressor to engage. There are fuses for the AC system, so by all means check that/those, too. A vacuum leak wont keep your AC system from coming on - it will affect the duct control since that is vacuum-driven, but it won't keep the compressor from coming on.

AlpineRAM

I've posted some instructions for a DIY relay kit here- If you are shopping around it will be less than 50 US$ and less than 3 hours of your rime- and more than double your light output.
If you add a sports headlight conversion, some 80/100W bulbs you will have "weapons grade lighting" on these older trucks.