Very useful chart for this issue
No high beam
- Thread starter BEYU
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Panda - Can you elaborate on how you replaced this? I'm having the same issue. Did you have to remove the steering wheel, etc. as outlined in the thread previously? Thanks!
yeah I don’t remember the full process but I believe there was a thread on doing it somewhere. I bought the switch and basically pulled the steering wheel (if you’ve got airbags do this part correctly) and started tearing down the front lower dash. It really was a pretty easy process but you’ll need to take out the full assembly where the steering wheel blinker switch and the rest of the steering controls are attached. And that comes out with a big connector a little lower on the dash. Once you pull that you can take the full assembly out and replace. I have to depin this connector and put in the new switch but that wasn’t too hard if you just do one by one or draw out what the colors are. Once you get the new part you’ll have a better idea of what needs to come off but try searching for the tear down thread which should help
Thought I would chime in. I has having the same issue on my 1993 HDJ80. Turned out to just be the dimmer relay. I addressed all of the contact points and ground connections to no avail... swapped the dimmer relay and everything works great!
Mine (94) only had high when held. Drove that way 6 mos and needed the highs . I disassembled hi/lo switch quickie clean and relubed. been 2+ years and not skipped a beat
Would you mind sharing more about the process to disassemble and clean the switch? I feel like I'm having the same issue but do not know where to begin. Thanks!
I had to remove the steering wheel, column surround, and underneath the steering column. Then it was just a matter of using spray on contact cleaner, brake cleaner, tooth picks, and a tips to clean everything out as best I could. Once you start taking things apart it’s pretty self explanatory.
Do the late models use the same switch? My 95 is doing this now except that my high beams come only on dimly when the switch is pushed forward and brightly when the switch is held back. (LED bulbs.)
Switch? Relay? Both? Any other ideas?
Switch? Relay? Both? Any other ideas?
There is only one relay in the headlight system that feeds +12 through the left/right fuses. This feeds +12 to all 4 bulbs when the stalk switch is on. Low beams are grounded directly to each fender, high beams are grounded through the stalk switch.
If the highs work in flash and don't work in the high position, there must be an issue with the stalk switch.
I keep forgetting that the low beams are switched one way and the high beams switch the opposite way. I found on page BE-14 in BirfMark's manual that says testing between terminals A9 and A12 in the large connector on the multifunction switch should show continuity when the high beams are on. I bet mine is showing resistance but allowing a little current through, just enough to barely illuminate the bulbs. Probably my switch has bad contacts? I'll tear into it tomorrow and see.
I wonder if I burned my switch contacts when I was using my plow lights? I think I was using the black/white high beam line as a trigger for the plow light high beam relay, maybe I got something crossed somewhere and the power was feeding back somehow. Did I mix up my grounds maybe? No, then the highs would have been on all the time. Huh. Come to think of it the dash light for the high beams has been very faintly illuminated when the low beams are on since I wired up the plow lights. I guess I better check that out and find the real problem before I replace the switch or I'll just wind up burning up the new one too...
I wonder if I burned my switch contacts when I was using my plow lights? I think I was using the black/white high beam line as a trigger for the plow light high beam relay, maybe I got something crossed somewhere and the power was feeding back somehow. Did I mix up my grounds maybe? No, then the highs would have been on all the time. Huh. Come to think of it the dash light for the high beams has been very faintly illuminated when the low beams are on since I wired up the plow lights. I guess I better check that out and find the real problem before I replace the switch or I'll just wind up burning up the new one too...
Recently had the same thing happen to my 96 model FZJ80. Noticed first that the high beams would not come on immediately (stalk pushed forward) with cold outside air temps, but if I left the stalk in the forward position the high beams would come on after a few seconds or so.
This delay (high beams not coming on with the stalk forward) got worse over a few weeks to the point that the high beams would rarely come on with the stalk forward (but always would work when pulling the stalk rearward for flash).
So just for grins I swapped in a known good headlamp relay from another 80 and the issue went away. The high beams now come on immediately every time with the stalk pushed forward.
So weak relay maybe??
This delay (high beams not coming on with the stalk forward) got worse over a few weeks to the point that the high beams would rarely come on with the stalk forward (but always would work when pulling the stalk rearward for flash).
So just for grins I swapped in a known good headlamp relay from another 80 and the issue went away. The high beams now come on immediately every time with the stalk pushed forward.
So weak relay maybe??
Not very likely. 1 relay feeds both low and high.
I had a similar delay-on situation for a while before my own high beams finally quit. According to the FSM there is only one headlight relay but there is also something called a 'headlight retainer circuit' box that looks like another relay but it has 7 terminals. No idea what it does or how it works, have to look that up in the EWD manual. Since I have to check some wire colors in the EWD to dig into my problem I'll check it out and report back. Unless someone knows off the top of their head?
EDIT- Well it appears in the EWD on page 70 that the difference between normal high beam operation and the flash operation is activating terminal #14 in the main connector, which feeds power through the retainer circuit relay and back around into the same ground for the low beams. Which should mean that if either of the the relays were not working properly that the high beams would not work at all. So the most likely problem is a bad switch. I probably hurt mine with a mistake in my plow light wiring.
Can't imagine why my switch would go bad after a mere 26 hard years of snow, ice, dust, dirt, water, bad wiring mods, and corrosion, but there it is.
EDIT- Well it appears in the EWD on page 70 that the difference between normal high beam operation and the flash operation is activating terminal #14 in the main connector, which feeds power through the retainer circuit relay and back around into the same ground for the low beams. Which should mean that if either of the the relays were not working properly that the high beams would not work at all. So the most likely problem is a bad switch. I probably hurt mine with a mistake in my plow light wiring.
Can't imagine why my switch would go bad after a mere 26 hard years of snow, ice, dust, dirt, water, bad wiring mods, and corrosion, but there it is.
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That's not exactly the way it works, but you're very close.
The light retainer relay is what enables the headlights to shut off after ignition is shut down and the driver's door opens. The FSM calls that "Light Auto Turn Off". That gets armed by the headlight relay logic circuit when the headlights are switched on. Basically it's a "one shot" that keeps the head light relay closed until the door opens.
The ground path through the stalk switch is what fires the high beams in both flash and high positions.
When the headlight switch is off, the flash position grounds the headlight relay logic and fires the relay and grounds the high beams simultaneously. The light retainer relay is essentially out of circuit in this case.
Just got done changing out the stalk switch on the column and it solved my high beam problem. However, Kernal fixed his problem by simply changing his relay out. That would seem to indicate a problem where there is a deterioration in conductivity through all the connections in the circuit to where it all stops working correctly. My switch contacts were pretty shabby looking but not burned away or anything, so possibly just cleaning them would have also fixed my problem for a while. I changed the entire unit because I had already bought a new one and was already in there anyway so...
At least it's fixed! I used the 84140-26100 part number and the only difference I could see between it and the original was that the new switch had wires that are about 2 inches longer. It went right in and works correctly.
At least it's fixed! I used the 84140-26100 part number and the only difference I could see between it and the original was that the new switch had wires that are about 2 inches longer. It went right in and works correctly.
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Well, I thought the problem was fixed when I replaced the relay (with another 25 year old relay) and things went back to normal, for a few weeks. But then in the last few days began to experience the same issue; no high beams with the stalk pushed forward for a few seconds or having to flash the HB's or move the stalk back and forth, then they would come on with the stalk forward.
Just had a similar problem this week.
Whenever I changed to high beams all lights turned off for a few seconds.
Then last weekend they wouldn't come on at all unless I held the flash on.
Anyway I checked relay and fuses they were fine.
But when I looked at the wiring under the relay a few of the wires had rubbed through to bare wire so dodged them up. After that the headlights refused to come on at all.
Took out the headlight switch and checked the wires to see if power was getting through, it was but intermittent so tried to find out how to open up the combination switch. After a few frustrating days of trying to get it all apart and working I pulled out my kids mini hacksaw to open it up properly.
Whenever I changed to high beams all lights turned off for a few seconds.
Then last weekend they wouldn't come on at all unless I held the flash on.
Anyway I checked relay and fuses they were fine.
But when I looked at the wiring under the relay a few of the wires had rubbed through to bare wire so dodged them up. After that the headlights refused to come on at all.
Took out the headlight switch and checked the wires to see if power was getting through, it was but intermittent so tried to find out how to open up the combination switch. After a few frustrating days of trying to get it all apart and working I pulled out my kids mini hacksaw to open it up properly.
After cleaning them up and bending them out it all works fine. Don't know for how long though.
I dare say I'll be buying another unit shortly
