low beam headlights problem(solved bad stalk)
heraldhamster
Wagonist
here's the deal;
wife's car, '88 US version wagovan (gawd, I hate that name), 170K+ miles, I think it's non-CA version as well.
for the last few months, sometimes both low beams wouldn't come on via the twist knob switch on the turn signal stalk/stem. high beams work fine. jiggle/twist the knob a bit or off & back on, they work fine.
then noticed, sometimes when turn signal is used, headlights go off. startling, to say the least. jiggle/twist off & on, problem solved.
lately, wife says she's had to sit for several minutes in the driveway trying to get them to come on at all. I've had similar problems as well. last week, found out turning knob a little harder "on" would work. now, even that won't. found this morning that at times, the in-between spot from parking lights to headlights would light them up. no more worky with that. low beams won't come on, but are not burnt out.
as mentioned, high beams work normally. checked both fuses. OK, but I'm thinking if a fuse was somehow bad it would only affect one headlight, not both.
I'm leaning toward the knob switch on the stem/stalk being worn/loose inside itself. I've got the contact cleaner out & going in this morning to see if that helps.
anybody ever had the knob switch disassembled?
I'm figuring it's not a "rebuildable" part. but then, I've rebuilt non-rebuildable parts before. 90 second epoxy is good stuff.
thanks for any & all help,
...jm.
wife's car, '88 US version wagovan (gawd, I hate that name), 170K+ miles, I think it's non-CA version as well.
for the last few months, sometimes both low beams wouldn't come on via the twist knob switch on the turn signal stalk/stem. high beams work fine. jiggle/twist the knob a bit or off & back on, they work fine.
then noticed, sometimes when turn signal is used, headlights go off. startling, to say the least. jiggle/twist off & on, problem solved.
lately, wife says she's had to sit for several minutes in the driveway trying to get them to come on at all. I've had similar problems as well. last week, found out turning knob a little harder "on" would work. now, even that won't. found this morning that at times, the in-between spot from parking lights to headlights would light them up. no more worky with that. low beams won't come on, but are not burnt out.
as mentioned, high beams work normally. checked both fuses. OK, but I'm thinking if a fuse was somehow bad it would only affect one headlight, not both.
I'm leaning toward the knob switch on the stem/stalk being worn/loose inside itself. I've got the contact cleaner out & going in this morning to see if that helps.
anybody ever had the knob switch disassembled?
I'm figuring it's not a "rebuildable" part. but then, I've rebuilt non-rebuildable parts before. 90 second epoxy is good stuff.
thanks for any & all help,
...jm.
Comments
if I could find bits available around here I'd gladly swap over a whole unit. I'd get the contact switch behind the ignition key to go with... little loose with 20 years & pushing 200K miles.
as it is, I slipped the spade connector out of the multi-socket connector and wired a lighted spare toggle back through a keyed hot on the fuse box. works like a charm and nothing gets warm & smoky. plus the low beams now go off w/the key.
I have a bad habit of leaving the lights on repeatedly and ruining batteries. that's what happens in your old age guys. ya ferget stuph.