leperboy

I recently removed the pod in my 86.5 to clean contacts, replace bulbs and try to refurbish the reflective material on the diffusers that light up the gauge cluster. I removed the switches on either side of the pod to replace the bulbs and clean the contacts. When I put it all back together and turned on my headlights they cycled up and down, not staying up, not staying down. Before I did my "improvements" all was fine.

A search here indicate most people fixed this problem with a new headlight relay. But before I try that I'm wondering if it's something I did to the headlight switch. I disconnected it, replaced the bulb, separated the switch from its connector, cleaned the contacts and put it back together. The pin-out configuration makes it so there is only one way to connect the switch and connector. Still, I wonder if the problem is there since that is what I last touched.

Any thoughts, experience with a similar issue?

Thanks, guys,
Matt

Mrmerlin

Hi Matt did you disconnect the battery before working on the pod
if not the switch can ground out on the pod when it is pushed through the pod this will short out
look for a burned ground wire drop the CE panel and look for melted wires on the back
make sure the switch wire bundle is not twisted or it could cause a problem

Jason89s4

I had same issue on an '82. Like you, I tried everything (cleaned switch, then substituted in another good switch, cleaned inside relay, checked and cleaned path of everything in the circuit). In the end, the only fix was to swap in another relay.
I will add this...in tracking down the circuit I discovered that the ground wire for the headlight relay joins in with the fuel pump relay and goes inside the harness all the way to the back to the ground point at the passenger side rear hatch area! (Behind the panel, near the back of the taillight. Why they took that long path, who knows?)
The contacts there looked really bad. I cleaned (Deoxit and CRC) everything and hoped that was the headlight issue. It did not fix the headlights, but my sometimes-odd-acting fuel pump and odd-acting fuel gauge cleared right up! Probably helped some other things too. It was that one ground point that "I will get to it later" since it is not easily seen or accessed.
Jason

leperboy

Thanks, guys, and Hi Stan! I did disconnect the battery, but I cannot remember the sequence when reconnecting everything if I might have disconnected and reconnected the light switch again after reattaching the battery. I will take a look in the passenger footwell and see what's going on. Sounds like I may have to bite the bullet for a new relay.

By the way, if my idea for refurbishing the light diffusers for the headlights works out, I will post a write up and pics. If you don't see a write up, then you will know it didn't work.

Matt