HELP - car sold - now having problem

[Tinkerer]

My wifes old car ( FORD 97 Explorer V8 eddy bauer)

two weeks ago the left low beam goes out - I change the bulb and it works great untill last night. I bought two bulbs two weeks ago. The new buyer is on his way to pick the car up. I go out and change the bulb again but it still won't work ( high beam works great - passenger side works great)
I have checked fuses.

HELP - any ideas???

It isn't the plug that goes on the bulb.

[tommymonza]

Do you have a test light ? Can you backprobe the connections on the plug to be certain you have voltage ?

[Tinkerer]

I have traced down what wire does what (low and high beam)
The plug is OK, I have checked all of the fuses. I have power at the fuses.
someone suggested the headlight control module up behind the dash is bad.
NAPA doesn't show this part.
I will have to call the FORD dealer tomarrow.

[Ted]

Worse comes to worse, grab about 5 feet of 12 gauge wire and take a feed from the rt headlight.

[tommymonza]

How do you know the plug is ok?

[Tinkerer]

This car has the check headlight feature.
This car tells you when anything goes wrong.
No way to shut that off.

[Ted]

There is no control unit in the system between the two lights you either have a bad wire or a bad plug, if the plug is okay then you have a wiring issue, easiest way is to bypass it from the other light, here is the wiring diagram and you can see the junction of the wires before the lights.

[Tinkerer]

How do you know the plug is ok?

I cut a piece off of the insulation 3 inches up from the plug just to expose the wire.

[Ted]

This car has the check headlight feature.
This car tells you when anything goes wrong.
No way to shut that off.

All it will need to see is the proper amperage/resistance in the circuit from 2 bulbs so it should work with the second wire.

[tommymonza]

And did you get a voltage reading?

[tommymonza]

I wiil backout Ted knows more than me on this.

[tommymonza]

I like Teds idea get a couple of the blue saddle connecters and some wire and if the plug is not bad that should bypass your problem.

[Tinkerer]

The headlights have seperate power feeds ( seperate fuses for left and right)
I am reading about 50 ohms between the center ( common ) lead and ground.
I get proper voltage depending on high or low on the passenger side but only get voltage for the high beam on the drivers side.

[Ted]

No, you're on the right track Tommy, ideally you need to check for power and ground and supply whichever one is not working on the left side. Since the high beam works that should mean the ground is good so there will be no 12V at the low beam connection.

[Ted]

Okay just looked at the schematic again and saw the feed from the fuses. So you have power on both sides of the left headlamp fuse? But no power on the wire at the plug?

[JupiterSunsation]

tell the buyer that the car is 13 years old and things break............then go enjoy your new BMW! :D

[Tinkerer]

Ted - thanks for the wireing diagram. I can trace it down now.

Have to go on a service call (HVAC) - Back in an hour or so.

[Tinkerer]

Yeah I have power on both sides of fuse 4 and 8
I will check more when I get back but right now I have to go earn some $

Only bad thing about being a sole proprieter in the HVAC business - when the phone rings you go.

[Ted]

Alright, good luck, I am off to a Superbowl party, but I'll try and check back when I get home and see where you're at.

[imco offshore]

how about a ground by the light being loose ??

[Tinkerer]

I grounded right at the plug - no diff.

TED - I don't think that is the right diagram. It doesn't have any thing that would sence that the light is burnt out.
I checked the wire at the back of the fuse panel - all ok
Is there a different diagram for the EDDIE Bauer version?

[Rush]

Might be the dimmer switch. Was the bulb burned out when you replaced it this time?
Try jiggleing the light switch and dimmer switch see if its blinks on.

[fund razor]

I didn't read where the wire from the fuse panel to the low beam has been checked out.
I only read "ok AT fuse panel.
It sounds like (from these posts) that your ground is ok, but low beam voltage has been interrupted.

[Airpacker]

if it has DRL, the module is toasted. Happens often in ferds.

[Tinkerer]

AIR - what is DRL???

there is voltage at the fuse but nothing at the light. There has to either a bad connection or broken wire or the Eddie Bauer has something between the fuse and the light.

[fund razor]

daytime running lights

other subject....highly unlikely that the eddie bauer trim package would be wired differently.

[Airpacker]

DRL = daytime running lights. Both high beams are on at reduced voltage during all running conditions unles the headlights are turned on by the switch or the auto lamp module.

If equipped, the diagram ted posted is way off. The grounds and powers are routed through the DRL module.

Does the vehicle have "auto lamps" as an option? It will be wired differently than standard. It will use headlamp relays controlled by the Auto lamp module.

[fund razor]

Sounds like the daytime running light module could be the thing between your fuse and the light?

Edit: Sean is all over it. Cool. :)

[Airpacker]

My wifes old car ( FORD 97 Explorer V8 eddy bauer)

two weeks ago the left low beam goes out - I change the bulb and it works great untill last night. I bought two bulbs two weeks ago. The new buyer is on his way to pick the car up. I go out and change the bulb again but it still won't work ( high beam works great - passenger side works great)
I have checked fuses.

HELP - any ideas???

It isn't the plug that goes on the bulb.

check your pm's

[Tinkerer]

The car has autolamp but not the DRL

[MacGyver]

Move the good lamp from the other side to the bad side. You might just have a bad replacement lamp.

[Tinkerer]

IT ISN"T a bad bulb.
I lose power between the fuse ( fuse doesn't get power untill light is turned on ) and the bulb socket.
I don't think the wiring diagram posted is the right version.

[mrv8outboard]

Here are the factory diagrams.

[Tinkerer]

It doesn't have DRL

[Tinkerer]

Found where the lamp out module is and removed it and sure enough - bad solder joints.
I will solder them tomarrow and see how it does.

[fund razor]

Found where the lamp out module is and removed it and sure enough - bad solder joints.
I will solder them tomarrow and see how it does.

Glad you found it.

[Airpacker]

After looking at the diagrams this am, the warning module was going to be where I sent you looking. Hope that takes care of it for you.

[Ted]

Found where the lamp out module is and removed it and sure enough - bad solder joints.
I will solder them tomarrow and see how it does.

Sounds like that may be it. Sorry about the diagram, it was the only one my reference showed.

[LaughingCat]

This may sounds crazy, but sell it AS IS during the day. That's the American Way!

Good luck

[fund razor]

This may sounds crazy, but sell it AS IS during the day. That's the American Way!

Good luck

I prefer to think that the American way is the fact that a bunch of guys are interested in helping him do the right thing. My guess is that he sleeps at night really good.

Meanwhile... note to self: never, ever buy anything from you. ;)

[LaughingCat]

Ha. You should know by now I'm a kidder.

[LaughingCat]

My comment goes along the lines of this:

NASA spent over $1 billion dollars developing a ball point pen that would reliably write in a zero gravity environment. On the other hand, Russia just used a pencil.

[fund razor]

Ha. You should know by now I'm a kidder.

Sounded at least half serious. :D

[phragle]

check the relays... I failed to do that with another issue, ugh. my explorer started acting up, thought it was a bad fuel pump. dropped the tank in the driveway, replaced a like $200 pump. still wouldn't start. my friend (mechanic) came over, opened the relay cover, tapped on the relay, fired right up. 2 days work, $200 in parts for 2 seconds and $12 worth of repair.

[MarylandMark]

I admit, I thought of the day time sale thing also...

[Tinkerer]

Found bad solder connections on the lamp out module - soldered them and everything works - they come back tomarrow to pick up the car.

Thanks everyone.

Steve

[rschap1]

Congrats!

[Sea-Dated]

check the relays... I failed to do that with another issue, ugh. my explorer started acting up, thought it was a bad fuel pump. dropped the tank in the driveway, replaced a like $200 pump. still wouldn't start. my friend (mechanic) came over, opened the relay cover, tapped on the relay, fired right up. 2 days work, $200 in parts for 2 seconds and $12 worth of repair.

Did a similar thing on my Jeep. Replaced pump, had to drop tank, filter and relay and still no go. Turned out I was only getting like 6 volts to the pump and just had a bad connector. .25 cent part fixed it after I had spent a weekend and a couple hundred bucks.

Now I check voltage first. Hard way to learn an valuable lesson.

[Sea-Dated]

Found bad solder connections on the lamp out module - soldered them and everything works - they come back tomarrow to pick up the car.

Thanks everyone.

Steve

Glad you got it fxed and I am sure the seller feels much better buying the Explorer knowing that you did all of that to make sure the car was the way you told him it would be when you sold it. :cheers2:

[Tinkerer]

They came and picked it up tonight.