[00xj36s]

hey all,

I bought a 90 two door 4runner a few days ago, I have a problem with the head lights.

I have tried tons of different things...
control switch on the steering wheel.
relay and fuzes.

there is power to all the fuzes and to two posts of the relay. and all the way out to the headlights.

can anyone help me answer why the lights do work when the switch is pulled back (momentary, all the way back to dim lights) but do not work on dim or bright?

dim-no
bright-no
all the way back-yes

it is confusing me and a few others who have looked at it.


thanks for your help
mitch

 

[85dhor]

You probably have an issue with the control arm on the column my trucks lights will randomly not work and I wiggle the shit out of the lever and switch it on off then It works. I pulled my tilt column out and this problem has occurred ever since new column. So I'd double check the wires in the arm.

 

[88runnasr5]

It is probably your light switch..

 

[00xj36s]

i went to the junk yard and grabbed another column switch and it does the same thing, i just want to make sure that would be the only thing. So i have tried that, maybe i just grabbed a bad one

 

[85dhor]

i went to the junk yard and grabbed another column switch and it does the same thing, i just want to make sure that would be the only thing. So i have tried that, maybe i just grabbed a bad one

Possibly those things tend to go bad, at least out of the people I know they have problems with them

 

[RcBro]

With a meter you should be able to answer your own question. Have someone hold the light switch back and check your turn on connection for 12V. If it turns off and on when you pull back, but doesn't in the other two modes then odds are your switch is bad.

However, if you still can get 12V then you should be checking for a missing ground connection. I'm not familiar on how the 90's are wired. But if the signal goes from the switch, to a relay, to the light. You need to be testing these at the relay.

 

[00xj36s]

So I am pretty sure that it is a ground problem, the ground wire also comes up as a hot wire. So is it ok to run a new ground wire straight to the frame behind the grille? Do I need to ground them together or can I ground each separate?

 

[RcBro]

I'm not sure what you mean by saying your ground is also a hot?

Some automobile wires rest at 12v and ground when switched, but this is usually always a horn, hood or door trigger. I don't believe that is what you have.

The frame or body is fine to ground on, you can connect them all or just the one, a ground is a ground. However I wouldn't band aide fix your issue.

If it is a ground issue you have something wrong between what your testing and the ground itself. Follow the wire.

I always recommend going to a factory ground stud, your truck has many available and you won't question yourself wether you have a good ground.