Headlights won't turn on????
01-17-2009, 10:39 PM
#42
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: colorado
Posts: 1,308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had the same problem and it was my headlights both of them blew... I had no brights and no low beams I tinkered with my switch and wires and fuses/relays but it was the bulbs... I found out by testing both bulbs on my other yota
02-19-2009, 04:13 AM
#43
Registered User
Well I can say on mine which this problem just started there is a delay between switching to high beams.
It works fine in low but there is like a 2 second delay which seems like a eternity when driving and all of the sudden it's pitch black when you hit your high beams.
I am thinking it's the high beam relay most likely.
It works fine in low but there is like a 2 second delay which seems like a eternity when driving and all of the sudden it's pitch black when you hit your high beams.
I am thinking it's the high beam relay most likely.
02-19-2009, 05:31 AM
#44
Well I can say on mine which this problem just started there is a delay between switching to high beams.
It works fine in low but there is like a 2 second delay which seems like a eternity when driving and all of the sudden it's pitch black when you hit your high beams.
I am thinking it's the high beam relay most likely.
It works fine in low but there is like a 2 second delay which seems like a eternity when driving and all of the sudden it's pitch black when you hit your high beams.
I am thinking it's the high beam relay most likely.
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...eadlight_Combo
01-26-2016, 09:23 PM
#46
Not sure about the earlier pickups, but likely similar with the switched ground setup. Check for 12V at the headlight connector common pin (measured to the chassis):
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...l#HarnessTypes
If not present, it may be the factory headlight relay has stopped working or the combo switch "lights on" switch is not turning that relay on.
If there's 12V on the common pin, check for 12V between common and low beam contact. If that's not reading battery voltage, could be the headlight combo switch is not making a good connection to ground. Quick test is to pull back on the dimmer switch (flash mode) and see if the lights come on. If so, check the combo switch contacts:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...eadlight_Combo
Reason this is a good test is it uses a separate set of contacts to turn on the headlights than normal low or high beam mode.
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...l#HarnessTypes
If not present, it may be the factory headlight relay has stopped working or the combo switch "lights on" switch is not turning that relay on.
If there's 12V on the common pin, check for 12V between common and low beam contact. If that's not reading battery voltage, could be the headlight combo switch is not making a good connection to ground. Quick test is to pull back on the dimmer switch (flash mode) and see if the lights come on. If so, check the combo switch contacts:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...eadlight_Combo
Reason this is a good test is it uses a separate set of contacts to turn on the headlights than normal low or high beam mode.
01-26-2016, 09:27 PM
#47
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not sure about the earlier pickups, but likely similar with the switched ground setup. Check for 12V at the headlight connector common pin (measured to the chassis):
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...l#HarnessTypes
If not present, it may be the factory headlight relay has stopped working or the combo switch "lights on" switch is not turning that relay on.
If there's 12V on the common pin, check for 12V between common and low beam contact. If that's not reading battery voltage, could be the headlight combo switch is not making a good connection to ground. Quick test is to pull back on the dimmer switch (flash mode) and see if the lights come on. If so, check the combo switch contacts:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...eadlight_Combo
Reason this is a good test is it uses a separate set of contacts to turn on the headlights than normal low or high beam mode.
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...l#HarnessTypes
If not present, it may be the factory headlight relay has stopped working or the combo switch "lights on" switch is not turning that relay on.
If there's 12V on the common pin, check for 12V between common and low beam contact. If that's not reading battery voltage, could be the headlight combo switch is not making a good connection to ground. Quick test is to pull back on the dimmer switch (flash mode) and see if the lights come on. If so, check the combo switch contacts:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...eadlight_Combo
Reason this is a good test is it uses a separate set of contacts to turn on the headlights than normal low or high beam mode.
Thank you very much I will check that!!!
05-05-2016, 06:13 AM
#48
Headlight issue...
Thanks 4Crawler!!!
I now understand how it works. The lever sitting in normal (low beam) position is always supplying ground to the headlight low beam circuit, so when I jump the relay socket it doesn't matter if the switch it turned on or not, since the ground is still there from the lever position.
When I do jump the relay circuit, my high beams work whether I pull the lever back into "flash" position or whether I push it forward to the constant high beam setting. But the "flash" will not work at all unless I have the relay socket jumped, and the "flash" should work whether the headlights are on or not.
So it makes sense that in order for the constant high beam setting to work, there has to be 12v supplied to the headlights, via the combo switch being turned on, hence supplying ground to the relay, closing it and sending 12v to the headlights, since you would only need constant high beams while driving at night....OK fine.
But since the "flash" position should work even when the headlights are off, it seems like pulling back on the lever to the flash position, will/should supply both ground to the relay and ground to the high beam circuit when the headlight switch is off...say if you were just flashing someone during the daytime.
In which case the flash position would have to supply ground to the relay, the same as turning the combo switch on would do. And I would assume that this would be through the same wire/circuit for both.
So it's possible that I either have a bad connection in the switch to that ground wire, or a bad conection somewhere on that ground wire...or possibly the connection to this ground circuit is just shot inside of the combo switch....meaning I would need a new combo switch.
Does this sound correct? I hope so.
I think I will pull the steering wheel and go get myself a junkyard combo switch.
Any tips on the easiest way to pull the steering wheel off.
Also who were the guys on here that sell used parts? I'd rather order one from somebody than go to a junkyard and sift around in 15 degree weather.
Thanks for all the help....once again this board is priceless!!!
I now understand how it works. The lever sitting in normal (low beam) position is always supplying ground to the headlight low beam circuit, so when I jump the relay socket it doesn't matter if the switch it turned on or not, since the ground is still there from the lever position.
When I do jump the relay circuit, my high beams work whether I pull the lever back into "flash" position or whether I push it forward to the constant high beam setting. But the "flash" will not work at all unless I have the relay socket jumped, and the "flash" should work whether the headlights are on or not.
So it makes sense that in order for the constant high beam setting to work, there has to be 12v supplied to the headlights, via the combo switch being turned on, hence supplying ground to the relay, closing it and sending 12v to the headlights, since you would only need constant high beams while driving at night....OK fine.
But since the "flash" position should work even when the headlights are off, it seems like pulling back on the lever to the flash position, will/should supply both ground to the relay and ground to the high beam circuit when the headlight switch is off...say if you were just flashing someone during the daytime.
In which case the flash position would have to supply ground to the relay, the same as turning the combo switch on would do. And I would assume that this would be through the same wire/circuit for both.
So it's possible that I either have a bad connection in the switch to that ground wire, or a bad conection somewhere on that ground wire...or possibly the connection to this ground circuit is just shot inside of the combo switch....meaning I would need a new combo switch.
Does this sound correct? I hope so.
I think I will pull the steering wheel and go get myself a junkyard combo switch.
Any tips on the easiest way to pull the steering wheel off.
Also who were the guys on here that sell used parts? I'd rather order one from somebody than go to a junkyard and sift around in 15 degree weather.
Thanks for all the help....once again this board is priceless!!!
05-05-2016, 05:05 PM
#49
Hey guys, here i am again! To tell you the truth, i do not know where to begin... Well, as i mentioned in my previous post, "i was going to it" and i did, now i took a chance to tell you the results. I have been having this issue, headlights not working, for about 4 years or more in my 88 4runner, 22re. I rerely drive at night and if i did was for short distances using my auxiliary front bumper lights, risking to get a fine or repair order of my headlights, which i did at some point and to remedy that i did some grounding to one of the head lights and they started working but not properly, i couldn't switch from low to high only sometimes i was able to pull the switch back to blink, but just some times. Btw, when i had the lights on, i always noticed the high beam blue light indicator displayed in the panel. Well, i left them like that for a while, until a couple of months ago they completely stopped working, only the blinker. I never really found the issue. I replaced over the years the combo switch, relay, cleaned all grounds, did a few tests, etc... I never fixed the problem until today...oh yeah, you guys do not have any idea of how happy i am right now, it's like a heavy weight i have been carrying for years, it's finally off my back. Now i can upgrade my head lights, which by the way, they are very brights as they are after the simple filing and cleaning!
I said this morning i was going to it and i did. As a test before taking apart anything in my truck, i grabbed the old broken combo switch and cleaned it up, filed the connectors of the head light circuit and put it back together. Went to my truck i disconnected the existing combo switch and connected the broken one i had just cleaned and "there they were, headlights finally on" the only thing i had to do was follow the instructions and suggestions of 4crawler and voila!!!!
With that said, i took the stearing wheel off and took off the good combo switch to clean it, filed connectors and put it all back together. Everything is working as it should, the headlights are brighter than ever and ready to be upgraded to HID for now, even though i like LED lights, but i couldn't buy a good set now, but later i will. Give me some input about headlights upgrades if you can, i would appreciate that! The only things i am upgrading to midgrade/quality LED lights are all the auxiliary lights on front and rear bumpers, light bar on top of my truck and underneath the doors. This is all in combination with rocket switches, rubber insulated two and three line wires and waterproof male and female connectors. I trying to make sure i do a clean and organized job. So far is going great and now with the headlights fixed, it all came together even much better!
Anyway, thank you so much for the suggestions guys, specially you 4crawler, you know your stuff, experience can take you a long way, good luck in your projects and keep up the good work!
I said this morning i was going to it and i did. As a test before taking apart anything in my truck, i grabbed the old broken combo switch and cleaned it up, filed the connectors of the head light circuit and put it back together. Went to my truck i disconnected the existing combo switch and connected the broken one i had just cleaned and "there they were, headlights finally on" the only thing i had to do was follow the instructions and suggestions of 4crawler and voila!!!!
With that said, i took the stearing wheel off and took off the good combo switch to clean it, filed connectors and put it all back together. Everything is working as it should, the headlights are brighter than ever and ready to be upgraded to HID for now, even though i like LED lights, but i couldn't buy a good set now, but later i will. Give me some input about headlights upgrades if you can, i would appreciate that! The only things i am upgrading to midgrade/quality LED lights are all the auxiliary lights on front and rear bumpers, light bar on top of my truck and underneath the doors. This is all in combination with rocket switches, rubber insulated two and three line wires and waterproof male and female connectors. I trying to make sure i do a clean and organized job. So far is going great and now with the headlights fixed, it all came together even much better!
Anyway, thank you so much for the suggestions guys, specially you 4crawler, you know your stuff, experience can take you a long way, good luck in your projects and keep up the good work!
Last edited by Chaviator; 05-06-2016 at 04:20 AM.
06-15-2016, 03:19 PM
#50
Registered User
How interesting, and frustrating. I have no headlights unless the lever is in highbeam position but no high beam light in the dash. replaced relay,replaced the whole switch assembly in the steering column,still no lights in low beam. What did i miss?
Last edited by rainman88; 06-15-2016 at 03:21 PM.
05-03-2018, 12:59 PM
#51
Registered User
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So my headlights have been inop for about 4 months now and I’ve been tinkering with it off and on reading all the comments and suggestions and I finally figured it out. The turn signal switch is messed up. Not the inward guts of the combo switch but the turn signal switch itself when it rolls to turn on. If I rotate it slowly there’s a sweet spot where lights come on. If it goes all the way to the stop they turn back off. I figured some one on here might have the same issue and this could be one more solution to look at. It seems like it would be something easy to over look because you still hear the relay click when I rotate it and it’s not very instinctive to roll it slowly.
05-03-2018, 06:27 PM
#52
Yes, that is a bad switch.
The headlight circuit of 3rd gen USA (without DRL) and earlier trucks is poorly-designed.
I rewired mine.
Here's how to troubleshoot the headlight for 3rd-gen USA models (without DRL) and earlier morefunners.
If you can access the bad points, you can clean and build up the material with solder, AND it will work again AS LONG AS YOU REWIRE IT like I did (above) or use the H4 conversion harness. Both approaches relieve the contacts of the high current; They will now only carry milliamperes needed to energize the coil of the relay (s).
Keywords:
convoluted path 4crawler
h4conversion
The headlight circuit of 3rd gen USA (without DRL) and earlier trucks is poorly-designed.
- Wires are thin (AWG 18/20?)
- Ground circuit goes from bulbs, to cabin, to dash to dimmer switch, back to engine compartment to ground inside passenger-side fender - What 4crawler calls a convoluted path (http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...adlights.shtml) - causing a lot of resistance, a lot of voltage drops and reducing power that actually reach the bulbs.
- Dimmer (combo) stalk switch contacts carry high current (10 Amps on 60-watt high beam, 17 Amps on 100-watt high beams). This will shorten contact life.
I rewired mine.
Here's how to troubleshoot the headlight for 3rd-gen USA models (without DRL) and earlier morefunners.
If you can access the bad points, you can clean and build up the material with solder, AND it will work again AS LONG AS YOU REWIRE IT like I did (above) or use the H4 conversion harness. Both approaches relieve the contacts of the high current; They will now only carry milliamperes needed to energize the coil of the relay (s).
Keywords:
convoluted path 4crawler
h4conversion
Last edited by RAD4Runner; 05-13-2018 at 10:39 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
rushw
General Electrical & Lighting Related Topics
4
07-18-2015 01:46 PM
Hamonacracker
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
7
07-17-2015 08:33 AM
icentropy
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
7
07-14-2015 10:23 AM
