Driving along, just minding my own business at night, sometimes, the low beams will shut off. I can flick the high beams on, but that's pretty hard on the oncoming drivers. Needless to say, I don't drive the 4runner at night very often!!

1989 4runner with 22re.

The high beams always work, but the low beams sometimes work. Sometimes I can get the low beams back on by cycling the high/low switch.

Why does this do this? Thanks.

vmax84

http://rides.webshots.com/album/550490468xzfUYN

 

May need to replace your low/high beam switch. Had a problem like that in my 76 Nova. Replaced the switch and everything worked great.

 

It could be the headlight switch or the headlight relay.

 

Another area I have found trouble in my first gen: battery acid eating splices in the harness... after the HI and LO wires leave the fuse box on the fenderwell, they "split" for L & R in the harness right there near the battery. These crimps are succeptable to being corroded... you have to do open-gut surgery on the harness to clean and solder and tape it back up.
and X2, it could be your HI-LO switch aka "combination switch"....

 

I had a pontiac sunfire that did the same thing....bad news is, it turned out to be something in the harness, the lights would turn off while cornering, or hard braking, I hope for your sake it's the relay.

 

I had the same problem with my 95 4runner and it was the light switch on the column. unfortunately for me it was all one piece and it cost me over $250 just for the part. I bought it new.

 

my high beam does this from time to time, but usually its an engagement problem, not a turning off problem. but it does occasionally turn back off once they are on. the nice thing with it being high beams is I was able to confirm it is the switch, not the relay, by simply pulling back and holding on the flash cycle.

I'd say its a wearable part, such as the combo switch or the relay. both are easily fixed. I hope its not the battery acid problem, but I'm not the most familiar with the 1st gen engine bay and their woes.

 

I actually did a little write up and posted the harness repair here, but I'm not sure where to find it LOL (( lame lame ))

By the way, same principle applies to the many problems with tailgate electronics on first gens... there is a section of harness that exits the fenderwell, and is exposed to the tailpipe before entering the tailgate... this wiring gets COOKED and is usually the reason for problems with the rear window, etc etc.

 

oh great...I know what I'm doing next weekend....wiring repairs...my window intermittently quits working...lol

 

I found the headlight harness repair...
https://www.yotatech.com/989073-post19.html

 

Thanks for the responses. I've never been into a steering column before, so it sounds a little intimidating.

vmax84

 

check your ground

 

Which ground? Thanks.

vmax84

 

i vote for headlight relay personally

i think it is getitng hot and losing contact,
contacts inside of it burned up


eliminate components before wiring

relays dont last forever


switches next



good luck

 

headlight relay is another possibility. run a ground wire to your headlights and the body.if this solves your problem then there ya go.its morelikely going to be a relay though