ok, last week my headlight switch burned out, and would only let the p-lights turn on. i replaced it, but today it did it again. i have read the posts from others, but i dont know where exactly to begin. when i pull the witch, the dash looses light and power. HELP!!!

tx

-steve[8D]

 

I understand the loosing light part, but what do you mean by "looses power"?
Reading in my 1996 shop manual, apparently the headlamp switch has an internal circuit breaker (which appears to protect the switch when it is powering the headlights only, not the parking lamps only).
How many times did you use the headlights between when you replaced the switch and the switch burned out? This time, does it only work with the parking lamps and not the headlights, or does nothing work?

 

i had the same prob with mine a while back. luckily i caught it in time though. the harness wasnt too burned up. you may check your harness end and see if it too burned up and making a bad connection.

 

I seem to be having the same problem with my 94 3.9L, headlights don't work but all the other lights do. Also, when I try to switch between hi and lo beams the blue indicator in the instrument cluster doesn't come on for the hi beams. I disconnected the connector from the headlight switch to check for voltages and discovered the connection with the red/white wire (B1?) was burnt and the prong on the switch shows some burn marks. I plan on replacing the connector and possibly the switch also. My question is this: Is this a common occurance for the connector/harness to burn like that or is it an indication of another problem I need to fix? Thanks for your help. This forum has helped me alot with my Dakota.


Rajah86

 

It's common in the sense that it has happened far more than on just 1 or 2 vehicles, but not common in the sense that every vehicle is going to blow up.
Knowing that "this could happen to me too," I simply installed relays for the low and high beams, so hardly any current is flowing through the headlamp switch to power the headlights (most likely the cause of the problem), just the very small amount needed to switch the relay on. (Please note, don't splice into the wires coming off the headlight switch, splice into the wires coming off the multi-fucntion switch [used to go between high/low beam]. The reason being, there is always 12V going thru the headlamp switch that gets turned into the "high beam" power, so, if you relay that, your high beams will always be on)
Coming off the multi-function switch, violet/white is low beam, red/orange is high beam.

Another plus, with the relay mod, and a simple switch, I can have the high and low beams on at the same time, and not worry about a thing. The extra light sure does help.

 

Well seems I fixed it after all without replacing the switch or connector (at least for now). I cleaned up the switch and connector before putting everything back together. I checked to see if the other lights still worked after taking everything apart and surprise the headlights work now! Unfortunately now my steering column doesn't tilt. I had lowered it down while trying to get the dash bezel back in place. If anyone has any ideas what the problem could be please let me know. I think it might be just that the clearance between the column and the bezel is so tight it won't let it move. I will check it out tomorrow after work.

 

I had the same problem after I put xenon bulbs in... i went through 3 switches before i got fed up and changed the bulbs back to the sylvania cool blues. after i put my old bulbs back in i havent had any problems again. it seems that the bulbs are drawing too much power for the switch can handle... hope that helps

 

I had a similiar problem I had no headlights and it turned out to be the wiring harnes in the steering column. One of the clips holding in the wire in the blockbroke. I siliconed it in its been fine for 4 months. I only found the harness problem by fluke. When my tilt steering was all the way down it was fine. When I tilted it up, it pulled on the harness and disconected the wire again.Good Luck:

 

lol hate to say but mine does a similiar I pull the switch on the dash and only parking lightsand dash lightscome on. But if i pull the switch on the steering colum and hold it, the high beams stay on if I hold the switch. Looked in the factory shop manul i think it the multi switch so i need to test the continunity. But im rebuilding engine right so i worry bought later.