head lights on... then off.. then smell... then off...
#1
12-13-2006, 03:00 PM
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head lights on... then off.. then smell... then off...
My head lights have been on and off for a while now... acting like it had a short in the switch... I changed the switch out and it worked great for a while... but then they started to sporadically act up... and smell...
anyone else had this issue?
96 ram sport
anyone else had this issue?
96 ram sport
#2
12-13-2006, 03:19 PM
RE: head lights on... then off.. then smell... then off...
No tin the Dodge, I did have the same issue in an old ford truck I had. It wasn't the switch, it was the wiring harness to the switch. Got so hot it melted the plug. It was such a comman problem in the ford that the sell an after market plug for the harness. Don't know if that is what is going on with yours, but it is a place to start. another spot to check is the body to frame ground or the ground wire at the headlight it self that might be causing the short.
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12-13-2006, 05:08 PM
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#4
12-13-2006, 05:14 PM
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RE: head lights on... then off.. then smell... then off...
another thought is maybe one of your bulbs has a problem. years back I had a brake light bulb shorted to the running light, whenever the bulb was installed and the lights were on, the brake lights came on. maybe you have a bulb that is shorted to the high beam...
#5
12-13-2006, 07:28 PM
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RE: head lights on... then off.. then smell... then off...
Yeah I had the exact same problem and this worked for me:
Here is for the headlight switch....see if this is what you want
Here it is incase anyone else wants to do it: (remember this is from DieselDemon and he deserves the credit)
Ok Brad, according to my 95' sm, your headlight wires may be violet w/white stripe for lowbeams....and red w/orange stripe.
You can check the wire colors where the harness plugs into the bulb itself. Now you will have to find these wires in the large bundle as it exits thru the firewall. Try to stay somewhere between the center of the wheel well, and the firewall as the place to dig into the wires to find the two you need.
After you located these two wires, BEFORE you cut them, double check they are correct. Get a 12 test that has the sharp point on it. Clamp the other end to a good ground. Now, take the lowbeam wire, and stick the tester point thru the insulation. Trun the healights on low, and stick the wire again. You should have a lit tester with the headlights on low. Click to highbeam and that tester should go out.
Now find the highbeam wire. Turn the highbeams on, stick the wire, the tester should light up. Now click back to low beams and the tester should go dark.
Ok, you should now have the correct wires. You will have to cut each one. And here we go on the wiring....lol.
Take the LOW BEAM wire coming from the headlight switch in the cab, and hook it to #86 on your relay. Take the HIGH BEAM wire, and hook that to #86 on the second relay. Hook a ground wire to # 85 on BOTH relays, and then attach the other ends to a good ground. You can crimp both grounds together.
Take the LOW BEAM wire going to the headlights, and attach that to #87, on the relay that is being used for low beams.
Take the HIGH BEAM wire going to the headlights and attach that to #87 on the relay being used for high beams.
We're almost done.lol.
Now take 2 seperate lengths of wire. Use 14 gauge or larger. 14 is fine, 12 is better, etc. 10 would be the largest. Hook 2 seperate, FUSED wires from the battery POS, to the #30 on each relay. One wire to each relay.
Install a new headlight switch behind the dash and you're finished.
You're done my man.....lol.
Please let me know if anything confuses you. The trick is good crimps, shrink tubing, and many wraps of GOOD electrical tape. I use Scotch 33 Tartan. Great all wether tape. Use that convoluted wire loom where you can, and make sure the relays are mounted securely. You can even buy a relay "base" with long pigtails on it. Then all you ever have to do is pull out the relay if it goes bad.
And remember, nothing is forever so make sure you carry a spare relay or two. And a few fuses.
Good luck.
Here is for the headlight switch....see if this is what you want
Here it is incase anyone else wants to do it: (remember this is from DieselDemon and he deserves the credit)
Ok Brad, according to my 95' sm, your headlight wires may be violet w/white stripe for lowbeams....and red w/orange stripe.
You can check the wire colors where the harness plugs into the bulb itself. Now you will have to find these wires in the large bundle as it exits thru the firewall. Try to stay somewhere between the center of the wheel well, and the firewall as the place to dig into the wires to find the two you need.
After you located these two wires, BEFORE you cut them, double check they are correct. Get a 12 test that has the sharp point on it. Clamp the other end to a good ground. Now, take the lowbeam wire, and stick the tester point thru the insulation. Trun the healights on low, and stick the wire again. You should have a lit tester with the headlights on low. Click to highbeam and that tester should go out.
Now find the highbeam wire. Turn the highbeams on, stick the wire, the tester should light up. Now click back to low beams and the tester should go dark.
Ok, you should now have the correct wires. You will have to cut each one. And here we go on the wiring....lol.
Take the LOW BEAM wire coming from the headlight switch in the cab, and hook it to #86 on your relay. Take the HIGH BEAM wire, and hook that to #86 on the second relay. Hook a ground wire to # 85 on BOTH relays, and then attach the other ends to a good ground. You can crimp both grounds together.
Take the LOW BEAM wire going to the headlights, and attach that to #87, on the relay that is being used for low beams.
Take the HIGH BEAM wire going to the headlights and attach that to #87 on the relay being used for high beams.
We're almost done.lol.
Now take 2 seperate lengths of wire. Use 14 gauge or larger. 14 is fine, 12 is better, etc. 10 would be the largest. Hook 2 seperate, FUSED wires from the battery POS, to the #30 on each relay. One wire to each relay.
Install a new headlight switch behind the dash and you're finished.
You're done my man.....lol.
Please let me know if anything confuses you. The trick is good crimps, shrink tubing, and many wraps of GOOD electrical tape. I use Scotch 33 Tartan. Great all wether tape. Use that convoluted wire loom where you can, and make sure the relays are mounted securely. You can even buy a relay "base" with long pigtails on it. Then all you ever have to do is pull out the relay if it goes bad.
And remember, nothing is forever so make sure you carry a spare relay or two. And a few fuses.
Good luck.
#6
12-13-2006, 11:03 PM
RE: head lights on... then off.. then smell... then off...
Also LMC sells a premade harness for about $29 for all the lazy people out there(that includes me!)
http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/de/t12.html
http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/de/t12.html
#7
12-14-2006, 07:32 PM
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RE: head lights on... then off.. then smell... then off...
ORIGINAL: BradBeyer
Yeah I had the exact same problem and this worked for me:
Here is for the headlight switch....see if this is what you want
Here it is incase anyone else wants to do it: (remember this is from DieselDemon and he deserves the credit)
Ok Brad, according to my 95' sm, your headlight wires may be violet w/white stripe for lowbeams....and red w/orange stripe.
You can check the wire colors where the harness plugs into the bulb itself. Now you will have to find these wires in the large bundle as it exits thru the firewall. Try to stay somewhere between the center of the wheel well, and the firewall as the place to dig into the wires to find the two you need.
After you located these two wires, BEFORE you cut them, double check they are correct. Get a 12 test that has the sharp point on it. Clamp the other end to a good ground. Now, take the lowbeam wire, and stick the tester point thru the insulation. Trun the healights on low, and stick the wire again. You should have a lit tester with the headlights on low. Click to highbeam and that tester should go out.
Now find the highbeam wire. Turn the highbeams on, stick the wire, the tester should light up. Now click back to low beams and the tester should go dark.
Ok, you should now have the correct wires. You will have to cut each one. And here we go on the wiring....lol.
Take the LOW BEAM wire coming from the headlight switch in the cab, and hook it to #86 on your relay. Take the HIGH BEAM wire, and hook that to #86 on the second relay. Hook a ground wire to # 85 on BOTH relays, and then attach the other ends to a good ground. You can crimp both grounds together.
Take the LOW BEAM wire going to the headlights, and attach that to #87, on the relay that is being used for low beams.
Take the HIGH BEAM wire going to the headlights and attach that to #87 on the relay being used for high beams.
We're almost done.lol.
Now take 2 seperate lengths of wire. Use 14 gauge or larger. 14 is fine, 12 is better, etc. 10 would be the largest. Hook 2 seperate, FUSED wires from the battery POS, to the #30 on each relay. One wire to each relay.
Install a new headlight switch behind the dash and you're finished.
You're done my man.....lol.
Please let me know if anything confuses you. The trick is good crimps, shrink tubing, and many wraps of GOOD electrical tape. I use Scotch 33 Tartan. Great all wether tape. Use that convoluted wire loom where you can, and make sure the relays are mounted securely. You can even buy a relay "base" with long pigtails on it. Then all you ever have to do is pull out the relay if it goes bad.
And remember, nothing is forever so make sure you carry a spare relay or two. And a few fuses.
Good luck.
Yeah I had the exact same problem and this worked for me:
Here is for the headlight switch....see if this is what you want
Here it is incase anyone else wants to do it: (remember this is from DieselDemon and he deserves the credit)
Ok Brad, according to my 95' sm, your headlight wires may be violet w/white stripe for lowbeams....and red w/orange stripe.
You can check the wire colors where the harness plugs into the bulb itself. Now you will have to find these wires in the large bundle as it exits thru the firewall. Try to stay somewhere between the center of the wheel well, and the firewall as the place to dig into the wires to find the two you need.
After you located these two wires, BEFORE you cut them, double check they are correct. Get a 12 test that has the sharp point on it. Clamp the other end to a good ground. Now, take the lowbeam wire, and stick the tester point thru the insulation. Trun the healights on low, and stick the wire again. You should have a lit tester with the headlights on low. Click to highbeam and that tester should go out.
Now find the highbeam wire. Turn the highbeams on, stick the wire, the tester should light up. Now click back to low beams and the tester should go dark.
Ok, you should now have the correct wires. You will have to cut each one. And here we go on the wiring....lol.
Take the LOW BEAM wire coming from the headlight switch in the cab, and hook it to #86 on your relay. Take the HIGH BEAM wire, and hook that to #86 on the second relay. Hook a ground wire to # 85 on BOTH relays, and then attach the other ends to a good ground. You can crimp both grounds together.
Take the LOW BEAM wire going to the headlights, and attach that to #87, on the relay that is being used for low beams.
Take the HIGH BEAM wire going to the headlights and attach that to #87 on the relay being used for high beams.
We're almost done.lol.
Now take 2 seperate lengths of wire. Use 14 gauge or larger. 14 is fine, 12 is better, etc. 10 would be the largest. Hook 2 seperate, FUSED wires from the battery POS, to the #30 on each relay. One wire to each relay.
Install a new headlight switch behind the dash and you're finished.
You're done my man.....lol.
Please let me know if anything confuses you. The trick is good crimps, shrink tubing, and many wraps of GOOD electrical tape. I use Scotch 33 Tartan. Great all wether tape. Use that convoluted wire loom where you can, and make sure the relays are mounted securely. You can even buy a relay "base" with long pigtails on it. Then all you ever have to do is pull out the relay if it goes bad.
And remember, nothing is forever so make sure you carry a spare relay or two. And a few fuses.
Good luck.
thanks