On my 80, my Low and High Beams went out last night but the running lights still work. The bulbs and fuses are fine, changed the relay and still no light. All I can think to do is get a new headlight switch. Please let me know if there's something I may have missed or troubleshoot you have dealt with. Thanks! Brad..
Headlights (1 Viewer)
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Hi Brad,
Same thing just happened to me. I'm thinking it is the headlight switch for me too. Exact same symptoms. And I noticed that the switch was a bit finicky. How did you end up solving the problem?
Best,
John
Same thing just happened to me. I'm thinking it is the headlight switch for me too. Exact same symptoms. And I noticed that the switch was a bit finicky. How did you end up solving the problem?
Best,
John
Try this before going to the switch.
The dim relay may get very hot, and in the process it heats the wires leading to the fuses. In turn, the plastic fuse socket heats up and distorts. As a result, the contact with the fuse becomes unreliable. After checking that all the fuses are well, connect the headlights and fiddle the fuses laterally. If the contact is intermittent, it should be apparent in the headlights.
I was there. My fuse box had become useless to hold the lights' fuses, and I had to install a second hand wire loom from another wrecked car (the fuse box is not sold separately). Only to burn it again shortly after, as I did not replace the dim relay, which was heating the whole thing. In the end, I did major surgery and installed the complete headlights system separately, with commercial relays:
The dim relay may get very hot, and in the process it heats the wires leading to the fuses. In turn, the plastic fuse socket heats up and distorts. As a result, the contact with the fuse becomes unreliable. After checking that all the fuses are well, connect the headlights and fiddle the fuses laterally. If the contact is intermittent, it should be apparent in the headlights.
I was there. My fuse box had become useless to hold the lights' fuses, and I had to install a second hand wire loom from another wrecked car (the fuse box is not sold separately). Only to burn it again shortly after, as I did not replace the dim relay, which was heating the whole thing. In the end, I did major surgery and installed the complete headlights system separately, with commercial relays:
You got a schematics on this?
Yep! Here is the wire diagram. It is made on page 'W/G 8, ‘Headlight (LHD in Europe w/o Daytime Running Light)', of the ‘Repair Manual Supplement For Chassis & Body, Land Cruiser Hardtop/Canvas Top/StationWagon’ (RM-315E, August 1992).
The shaded rectangle corresponds to the parts substituted by the system shown in the previous post. Some keys to the diagram:
- Greenish labels show the color of the cable in the car that must be cut and connected to the external wiring. The same color are identified in the original diagram (e.g. 'ROJO-AMARILLO' = 'R-Y').
- Hash labels identify the external cable number, as labelled in the system.
- Note that cables #8 (S_FOG) and #9 (S_AUX) are intended to take signal to the relays of supplementary fog and auxiliary lamps respectively.
Further, it may be helpful to have a key to identify those cables in the original fuse box. Here it is (again in Spanish, sorry):
The shaded rectangle corresponds to the parts substituted by the system shown in the previous post. Some keys to the diagram:
- Greenish labels show the color of the cable in the car that must be cut and connected to the external wiring. The same color are identified in the original diagram (e.g. 'ROJO-AMARILLO' = 'R-Y').
- Hash labels identify the external cable number, as labelled in the system.
- Note that cables #8 (S_FOG) and #9 (S_AUX) are intended to take signal to the relays of supplementary fog and auxiliary lamps respectively.
Further, it may be helpful to have a key to identify those cables in the original fuse box. Here it is (again in Spanish, sorry):
Very elegantly done, Cut!.
Mine is a Middle East diesel 12/1997 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER (HZJ80L-GCMNSV) GX GCC LHD 1HZ DSL MTM 5F SOB and I think the lighting may be a little simpler.
I went down to see what I could see:
The 50 and 60 amp fuses do look a little dodgy. Particularly the 60 amp.
But they still do look intact. I also had a look at the fuseable link:
Again, looking ugly.
Unfortunately, my multimeter is not with me.
I do appreciate the reply to my post and it did get me to take a closer look at all this. The HZJ80 is my only 'functional' vehicle at the moment. I will get new 50 and 60 amp fuses and check the relay when I get my hands on a multimeter. I think I also have a spare relay from a 91 scrap 80 I can try swapping in.
If anything looks obvious to anyone from the pictures above I would be, as always, grateful for comments.
Mine is a Middle East diesel 12/1997 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER (HZJ80L-GCMNSV) GX GCC LHD 1HZ DSL MTM 5F SOB and I think the lighting may be a little simpler.
I went down to see what I could see:
The 50 and 60 amp fuses do look a little dodgy. Particularly the 60 amp.
But they still do look intact. I also had a look at the fuseable link:
Again, looking ugly.
Unfortunately, my multimeter is not with me.
I do appreciate the reply to my post and it did get me to take a closer look at all this. The HZJ80 is my only 'functional' vehicle at the moment. I will get new 50 and 60 amp fuses and check the relay when I get my hands on a multimeter. I think I also have a spare relay from a 91 scrap 80 I can try swapping in.
If anything looks obvious to anyone from the pictures above I would be, as always, grateful for comments.
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Now of course, after, I look at the fuse chart and realize that the 50 and 60 amp fuses have nothing to do with the headlights.
All the rest of the fuses, including 5 and 6 looked fine.
So it looks like the relay or the switch on the stalk.
At the moment I am completely jet lagged after going back and forth from the US 2 times in 2 weeks because of a family emergency. A little discouraged about our little hobby at the moment. I mean... headlights?!! Really? Can't my f'ing truck be driven at night?
| 5 | HEAD (RH) | 15A | Right-hand headlights |
| 6 | HEAD (LH) | 15A | Left-hand headlights |
All the rest of the fuses, including 5 and 6 looked fine.
So it looks like the relay or the switch on the stalk.
At the moment I am completely jet lagged after going back and forth from the US 2 times in 2 weeks because of a family emergency. A little discouraged about our little hobby at the moment. I mean... headlights?!! Really? Can't my f'ing truck be driven at night?
Good luck! An HZJ 80 is the mother of all 80s
Well I'm a dope.
It was the R5 relay. I've just never had a relay actually fail on me. I took it out; knocked it a bit and put it back in. Gave up and asked the guys in the garage for help and 5 minutes later they walked up and asked if I had another of these orange/red relays. I pulled one from another 80 and that was that.
It was the R5 relay. I've just never had a relay actually fail on me. I took it out; knocked it a bit and put it back in. Gave up and asked the guys in the garage for help and 5 minutes later they walked up and asked if I had another of these orange/red relays. I pulled one from another 80 and that was that.
Sometimes simple things stump us. Glad you got it fixed and can focus back on the family.
