What the duece is wrong with my @#&% car now? (kinda long)

repoman27

Registered User
Ok, when I first got my SC running about a year ago the headlights would flicker on and off. When I would switch from high to low beams I had nothing. It was always worse when using the fog lamps so I stopped using them and the problem seemed to cease. Then my wipers went out and wouldnt work at all. I got to thinking maybe the multifunction switch was bad so I replaced it but to no avail. When I checked the power going to the wiper motor it was getting what it should have so I couldnt understand why they didnt work. I took the wiper motor off and noticed the paint and what not has been melted where it was getting so hot. I replaced the wiper motor and they work again just fine. Now my headlights are up to their old tricks. In fact coming home tonight they started and I kept going between high and low beams ironically following my sister in law. She was unaware it was me or that I was having a problem and thought she was being pulled over. That part was kinda funny! Could my multi switch be bad again. It was just replaced with a new unit in December of last year. I know my foglights arent the cause as both the switch and lights are unplugged. It doesnt look like its meant for me to get the damn motor in the car. Everytime I turn around its giving me more problems and as Im sure most of you know the feeling, I cant seem to go to Autozone without spending at least $50 and its really starting to add up. I know I'll catch hell for this one but not including the purchase price of the car I added up $2786.67 in reciepts for crap I have bought for this car in the past year. That doesnt even include most of the labor I've spent or the reciepts that Ive lost or not gotten. I keep telling myself if I fix this problem the car should be ok for a while but truth be told, its proving to be cheaper to drive my 00 F-250 diesel at 11mph and a $700+ truck payment that this t-bird. If I didnt love driving the car so much I wouldnt keep fixing it but at what point should I cut my losses and give up on it. The repairs made to the car since last August that I can think of are, new brakes all around including abs master cylinder, new battery, alternator, clutch, slave cylinder, synchros, shifter, harmonic balancer, tires, belts, DIS, crank and cam sensors, mufflers, fuel pump, u-joints, driver seat motor, multi switch, wiper motor, and misc body work. I know a lot of them are maintenance issues that would need to be addressed with any car but for the love of God Im sick of it. My Discover card is maxed out and over 75% is just from the SC. Now the headlights are on the fritz again and Im sure a headgaskets gone or about there. I just bought a 36K mile engine to put in it but havent been able to start working on it. Im just at my wits end with this car. You would think Id have one of the nicest SC's around with all the cash Ive spent on it but its a real piece of crap compaired to many Ive seen and it still has a lot to go to be where Id like it to be. The think that really chaps my ~~~ is the one option I really wanted was the sunroof which mine doesnt have. Sorry about the rant! What should I do about the headlights?


Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I bought the car from a yackoff who forced probe wheels on it so I had to replace the spindles due to bent and broken studs, and wheels. I now have late model SC wheels and a 145mph speedo that I just had to have not that I'll ever be able to get the car that fast. The fastest Ive ever had it was about 88 and then it started shaking like a dog ~~~~ razor blades sittin in a pool of alcohol.
 
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Headlight switch, It was recalled, go to Ford and see if they ever did yours!

Recall Date:
OCT 12, 1999
Summary:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FOG LIGHTS, IN WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS MAY GO OUT FOR VARIOUS INTERVALS AND WHICH MAY BE PRECEDED BY FLICKERING OR BLINKING AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING.
Consequence:
DRIVER'S COULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLIGHT SWITCH WHICH INCORPORATES A CIRCUIT BREAKER OF REVISED DESIGN, AND INSTALL A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR, IF NEEDED.
Potential Units Affected:
164731
Notes:
FORD MOTOR COMPANY 99S30
 
Headlight switch recall

Ford doesn't keep records past 10 years for this sort of stuff, or so I was told. I bought a '92 Sport new, and after 3 or 4 ($$$) switch replacements for lights shutting out, they finally came out with the recall and a new design. Bought a '92 SC end of May this year and wanted to find out if recall had been done. Also wanted to find out the key code(s), since there was no trunk key. No VIN # info in the computer, so was out of luck for recall info or key codes. Service dept. says they might be able to look at the headlight switch to see if it might have been replaced, but says there were a couple of different recall switches. (???) Haven't driven the SC too much in the dark yet, but guess I will find out this winter. Love the look of the foglights on, but don't want to mess w/ potential electrical problems if the lights start flickering.
Good luck!
 
You can eliminate the chance of a problem by making the headlight switch control a separate relay to switch the actual power. That way the headlight switch just turns on the relay (very low amperage) which then controls power to the actual lights (head or fog).

I've read postings that compltd.com has a complete kit, harness connectors and relays for just this problem. I got a single 30 amp relay by "painless" (if it were only true) to use to hook up an intercooler fan from jegs.com. I would imagine summit would also have something for sale.
 
Even if the headlight switch has been replaced it doesn't mean that it isn't the problem.

FWIW, the symptom described is classic headlight switch. Or more specifically, an overheated circuit breaker in the headlight switch. Frequently this is the result of a poor connection at the switch on either the power supply side, or the headlight wire side. This is usually easy to see because the connector plastic is melted and the connector terminals are blackened from heat.

If there is damage from a poor connection, then replacing the switch will not solve the issue. The connection problem will have to be addressed, frequently by replacement of the connector, although sometimes just the terminal will suffice. Then, after this is corrected, adding in a relay to power the headlights would be a good upgrade.
 
just a quick question, i realize this thread died a while ago, was hoping someone might be able to answer. With the blinking headlight problem, if you get one of these competition ltd harness kits, will i still have to replace the multifunction/signal assembly and the headlight switch, or does this fix the problem completely without replacing the other 2 bits. thanks for any replies.
 
just a quick question, i realize this thread died a while ago, was hoping someone might be able to answer. With the blinking headlight problem, if you get one of these competition ltd harness kits, will i still have to replace the multifunction/signal assembly and the headlight switch, or does this fix the problem completely without replacing the other 2 bits. thanks for any replies.


I had this problem, not with a headlight switch but with the multifuction switch/lever. In my case I replaced the harness because it was burnt and the multifuntion switch as well. The harness was shorting out my switches every year. On any harness you see that is burnt just replace it before it takes out your switches. In my case, I would play with the multi-function switch and be able to get the headlights to work again, but the problem got worse and worse until that "trick" would not work anymore.

I do not believe that repoman27's wiper problem had anything to do with a headlight or multifunction switch

good luck,

chris
 
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I don't think the multifunction switch has anything to do with this.

Headlights blink it's because of the head light switch. Rewire the fog light switch and replace the headlight switch and you should be fine.

I cut the power wire to my fog lights and ran a new wire from the battery to the fog light switch. Now my fogs can be ran anytime with the head lights on or off, high beam or low beam.
 
I don't think the multifunction switch has anything to do with this.

Headlights blink it's because of the head light switch. Rewire the fog light switch and replace the headlight switch and you should be fine.

I cut the power wire to my fog lights and ran a new wire from the battery to the fog light switch. Now my fogs can be ran anytime with the head lights on or off, high beam or low beam.

My situation was more like a problem with the headlights flickering on/off rather than blinking.

If I remember correctly, I never lost my bright lights but in losing my low beams I lost foglights as well. With a switch problem your bright lights should act goofy also, I would think.
 
The problem is that my headlights just cut out and then the running lights come on, and then they cut in and out like this randomly for the rest of the trip. I seem to remember having the same problem on my 84 turbo coupe which I was able to fix by cleaning up the contacts on the multifunction switch so I thought perhaps this could be a similar issue.
 
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