Headlights will not turn off (and a few other things, too)

[SHOfear]

Like the post says, the headlights will not turn off, even when the car is not running. I had to pull the fuse to shut them off. The car has been sitting since November, and today I drove it for the first tme. Also, there is a smell from inside the car, smells like burning wires, or an electrical fire. I can't drive my SHO because I am afraid there are wires buring somewhere in the car, and the whole damn thing is going to go up in flames. What the **** is wrong with this piece of crap? Does it need to be rewired. I am not an electrician, so Ihave no idea. Please, someone help me.

Steve

 

[AutoSHO]

Sounds like you either have an electrical short or the alternator is bad. Its pretty easy to pull the alternator and have it checked. Also get the battery checked. Start with the simple (if expensive) stuff!

 

[sdpatt]

Check the autolamp control box to the lower left of the steering column. Is the delay slider set on the max position? Try sliding the **** all the way down past the detent position to see if the lights will go off. Smell around this controller and find out if it is the source of the burned wire smell. Was your car a Canadian-sourced car? Did it have daytime running lights?

 

[SHOfear]

Well, the altenator and battery are brand neww (less than 100 miles on them), and it wasn't the headlights (my mistake) it was the parking lights. I got up this morning, checked everything, and the burning smell is gone, and the lights work fine again. I dunno. i checked for cross/rubbing wires, thinking there might be a short and found nothing. Oh, well. I'll be on the lookout for future problems. Thanks a lot

Steve

 

[Joe_Cool]

Having the headlight problem...

I had my car in last week for the cruise control switch recall, just in case that's relevant.

Everything has been fine until suddenly tonight, when I went to the store. I always use the autolamp switch, so I didn't pay attention to when the lights were supposed to turn off.

When I came out, the headlamps were on. Not the whole headlight circuit with parking lights, dash lights, etc. Just the headlights. And I can't get them to turn off, and the hi-beam indicator is on, but dim. When I turn on the headlight switch or the autolamp switch, they get brighter. When I turn on the hi-beams, they get brighter. The only way I can get them to turn off is to disconnect the battery, but they come back on as soon as it makes the connection again.

Alternator is less than 1 year old. I do smell something hot, but I can't track it down.

 

[RiceeatingSHO]

We have an '86 Subaru DL that wouldn't turn off one time...that was freaking funny.

 

[Joe_Cool]

We have an '86 Subaru DL that wouldn't turn off one time...that was freaking funny.

I'm starting to get frustrated. It's just one thing after another, without a break. And it's always something urgent that needs to be handled NOW, not something that can wait a couple weeks.

I'm starting to consider cutting my losses and scrapping the car.

 

[RiceeatingSHO]

I get that way sometimes. But i have too much money in to to sell. Heck, I paid nerly book value of the car for a clutch replacement. But I love my '**

 

[Joe_Cool]

I get that way sometimes. But i have too much money in to to sell. Heck, I paid nerly book value of the car for a clutch replacement. But I love my '**

I know what you mean. Just 6 months ago I paid $2600 to get the transmission rebuilt.

 

[naval-avi8or]

Like the post says, the headlights will not turn off, even when the car is not running. I had to pull the fuse to shut them off. The car has been sitting since November, and today I drove it for the first tme. Also, there is a smell from inside the car, smells like burning wires, or an electrical fire. I can't drive my SHO because I am afraid there are wires buring somewhere in the car, and the whole damn thing is going to go up in flames. What the **** is wrong with this piece of crap? Does it need to be rewired. I am not an electrician, so Ihave no idea. Please, someone help me.

Steve

Might check the MFS. When mine went bad it smelled like burning electrical however my lights would not come on but who knows maybe it can fail and keep them on as well.

Also could be the Auto Lamps either the relay or the light sensor.

 

[Joe_Cool]

Well I found something. There was electrical smoke coming from down below the lights. I traced it to this:

which had this plugged into it:

I guess you can't tell from my crappy cell phone pics, but it appears to be a 4-wire connector with a cap on it. There were no wires going into the other end of the connector, and the main piece connects to a huge bundle of wires.

Clearly both pieces are burned up, but at least for now I can shut off my lights. The only catch is that I now have no hi-beams. At all. And the autolamp seems not to be shutting off when I shine a light onto the sensor (but I won't know for sure until the sun comes up).

So my question now is, can I cut that off and splice on the connector from my parts car? Or do I need to trace back that harness and replace the whole thing?

 

[JoesSHO]

I believe Ford had a recall for the headlight switches/harnesses or something because of this, no? Anyone?

And JC- have patience- it's a SHO, it'll get a LOT better than this problem... I know it's frustrating, but it's par for the course...

 

[firstgen89sho]

lol, yep, good old daytime running light jumper plug.......

it's been a pain in the butt for Canadians and Americans alike..... although, we have to deal with the actual module.....

 

[Storm-Chaser]

I don't recall if there was a safety-recall, but I do remember that this was a problem with the second generation of harness plugs **** made for the headlamp switch. Essentially one of the central wires to the headlamp switch overheats and melts the harness plug. The issue was to the point that **** even has a ($30+) pigtail kit if the wiring has been burned, like what happened to my first Gen II.

The newer harness plugs with the problem have engineering number F58B-14489-KA on the face of the plug, the older plugs you want to look for E6DB-14489-RA (for those of you considering a trip to the salvage yard).

Pull a couple of Gen II junkyard instrument panel bezels and you will find at least one with a partially to completely melted headlamp switch plug.


If none of the headlamp switch wiring harness has melted or burned, you can buy the headlamp switch plug separately for much less than the pigtail kit, ~$5 if I remember correctly.

I believe Ford had a recall for the headlight switches/harnesses or something because of this, no? Anyone?

And JC- have patience- it's a SHO, it'll get a LOT better than this problem... I know it's frustrating, but it's par for the course...

 

[SHORANGERBIRD]

-98S01 was the Recall # for the headlamp switch and harness.....

 

[Joe_Cool]

-98S01 was the Recall # for the headlamp switch and harness.....

That says it's for headlights going OUT. Is that a related problem?

 

[SHOZ123]

I just used a jumper wire in the plug. You only need to connect two wires. The only drawback to not having any plug in the DRL connector is the loss of the high beam indicator light. IIRC.

 

[firstgen89sho]

and lack of brake warning light while the e-brake is down....

 

[Joe_Cool]

I wish I had found it sooner. I would have like to just be able to plug in a new connector. But mine is all burned up now.

 

[SHO_DOODmorrris]

I'm starting to get frustrated. It's just one thing after another, without a break. And it's always something urgent that needs to be handled NOW, not something that can wait a couple weeks.

I'm starting to consider cutting my losses and scrapping the car.

Your kidding me right? No offence but thats Pathetic... even considering scrapping a car that is perfectly fine exept the headlights stay on.:shakehead