High Beams 1994 Pick Up

I have a 1994 Toyota Pick Up. The headlights work fine accept when I go to put the high beams on. The high beam light comes on in the dash but the headlights go out completely, leaving just the running lights. If I pull back on the switch and hold it, the high beams will come on. Wondering if anyone has any ideas or has had a similar issue. Possibly a mis-wiring or faulty switch? Thanks for the help.

Scott

1994 4x4 xtra cab pickup
Reply to
Scott
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Sounds like a dirty/bad relay --- did you reseat them all and swap like ones around?

Reply to
Wolfgang

It sounds like a faulty combination switch to me.

You could have faulty headlamps, but the odds of both of them going out at the same time are remote. Of course, you could have one that was out for a ong time, and now the other one has failed too. Since the lamps cost aobut $20 each, or less, and the Combo Switch runs to about $100, I'd be replacing the lamps first.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

But his high beams work when he pulls back on switch so NOT the bulbs - either $15 relay or the switch. The switch can be cleaned too.

Reply to
Wolfgang

The bulbs are fine, I cleaned the contact on the combo switch and also just replaced the relay, neither worked. I have not tried cleaning the wire contacts on the combo switch. Will try that tomorrow, if that does not work, I think I'll need to get a new combo switch.

Reply to
Scott

Sorry, I missed that part.

If the lights work when he holds the switch back, then the target of my search would be the switch itself. The relay won't work any differently if the switch is held or not, that is, if it fires and powers the High Beams properly, then the relay works but it may or may not fire depending on how the switch is operated. This points to the combo switch, not the relay.

And, yes the switch can be cleaned, but it has to be removed to find out if it needs to be cleaned. At a minimun, the steering wheel has to come off in preparation to get to the switch, it is possible that it can be cleaned from there ...

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

The turn signal contacts generally respond to cleaning, the high beam switch usually needs to be replaced.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

I actually removed the steering wheel and cleaned the contacts on the switch already. What I did not do, and in retrospect should have when I had the truck apart, was clean the contacts of the wires that run from the switch. This will be done tomorrow and I will report the results.

Reply to
Scott

The switch works in two directions, pull to flash the brights, push to light them steady. I assume the flast works properly, but the steady does not.

There are different sets of contacts inside the switch, I'm thinking one of them has worn out. I understand that you attempted to clean the switch in place, but I think it's time to remove the switch for closer inspection.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Contacts in the switch ended up being shot. Had to replace the switch, my truck is happy now.

Thanks to all who offered suggestions.

Reply to
Scott

You're welcome.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

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