Hello. I was wondering if anyone can help me with a very odd problem I am having with the headlights on my 1999 Intrepid. Today I decided to run some errands despite the terrible weather conditions, it took me almost 45 min. to clean off nearly a half an inch of ice encrusting the car, and when I arrived at my first destination, shut off my car, and turned the headlights **** to the "off" position, I quickly noticed that the lights were still on. Puzzled by this, I then proceeded to turn it to the "on" position and the lights shut off for a second and went back on. I turned them to the "off" position again and they still remained lit. Once again I turned it to the "on" position, but this time they shut off. Thereafter, I alternated them a couple of times with the same result, they shut off in the "on" position and went on in the "off" position. All this time with the car off. Weird right? Well, it continues. I thought I should turn the car on and see what happens. So I did, in the "off" position, and they went off. I turned it to the "on" position, and they went on. I thought everything was alright until I put in back to the "off" position and the lights were still on. I alternated the **** a couple more times and got the same result as before, the lights on in the "off" position and off in the "on" position. I finally gave up, got into my car, and started driving home with the lights switched in the "off" position, but they were still on. While driving I noticed someone flashed their lights at me signaling my lights were off. I waited until I could tell whether they were off or on and realized they had turned off, in the "off" position, while I was driving. I switched to the "on" position and they went on. A few minutes later, I came to a dark section of road and noticed, while in the "on" position, had turned off. Then I turned them to the "off" position and they lit up. Now I got back home and wanted to get them to where they were off and forget about this until the next day. So I positioned the **** into the "off" position, to be safe, and waited for them to shut off. Well, about 20 min. went by and they were still on. I started the car and let it run a little to charge the battery, shut it off, and eventually got to where the car was shut off, the **** was in the "off" position, and the lights were off. Finally, I thought, I can relax. I went in, ate, and caught a glimpse of my car through the window. The damn lights were on. So if you are still reading and can follow, do you have any idea what I shoud do? Thank you very much for your time, Johnny

 

If you shut off the engine before shutting off the headlights then the headlights will stay on for some half minute.

If you shut off the headlights before shutting off the engine then the headlights will shut off immediately.

 

True, but that's not what he posted (not all of it). The headlight time delay is controled by the BCM (and a relay). It could be as simple as a switch going bad, the relay, or worse, the BCM. By the sound of it, I'd lean toward the BCM. A dealer could scan and verify it for you.