Headlights dancing, parking lights on...

[rachwalj]

I have done as much research on this topic as I could and unfortunately, as many have had this and similar type issues, no one has responded/posted the fix.

I shut the car off and get out yesterday and the headlights are going round and round and the parking lights are on. Keys are in my hand. OK, not good.

I unplugged the headlight motor relay, and that shut the headlight motor off, but now I can't get the parking lights to go off. I pulled the light switch out and that didn't help either.

What causes the parking lights to stay on? The switch seems to work, except for not shutting off the parking lights (headlights turn on and off).

Here is the kicker (and where most of you tell me I am in deep doodoo). The light in/under the hood (lights up the engine bay when you open the hood) is suddenly working. This light has NEVER worked!! What the f???

Oh the electrical gremlins in these cars.... Please help...

[SoCal Driver]

Pull the relay for the emergency flashers and/or the turn signals. Could also be a bad steering shaft turn signal headlight dimmer switch housing.

[rachwalj]

I'll check those items.

Is this relay (flashers) in the fusebox or under the dash? How would the steering shaft turn signal keep the parking lights on? Is it common for the switch itself to be faulty?

[ronin]

Originally posted by SoCal Driver
steering shaft turn signal headlight dimmer switch housing.

now there's a mouthful! learning German would be easy for you

[rachwalj]

Thank god there is only one!!!

[SoCal Driver]

Originally posted by ronin
now there's a mouthful! learning German would be easy for you

Did stuble over that one!!!

[rachwalj]

Checked the steering wheel column, et all and no luck. Any other suggestions?

Surely someone else has had this issue happen and figured it out.

Need help.

[SoCal Driver]

Not many complexities with the head light system. There is the light switch, the steering column switch, the relay on the headlight motor and the contacts inside the motors gear reduction that tell it where to stop both closed and open.

I would have to go hands on with your problem. You could start by pulling the motor and cleaning the contacts under the cover for the gear reduction. Raising and parking of the headlights is between these contacts and the relay on the outside.

[rachwalj]

Let me ask you this:

What would keep the parking lights on? Is there a relay waiting for the lights to properly retract and then shut the parking lights off?

I think the parking lights problem is the core of the issue.

I will take apart the motor and clean (I saw the writeup online) and see if that helps.

Could the switch cause this? Even if it is unplugged?

[SoCal Driver]

The lights are supposed to be seperate from the control voltage to the headlight motor.

If it's not the light switch then there may be a short in the wires some where.