TeamCapri
Tech, Repairs, Upgrades => Capri N/A 89-94 => Topic started by: nucapri on June 26, 2016, 08:22:37 PM
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Hi,
I have just purchased a 94 Capri non turbo, and I cannot get the headlights to illuminate. The motors bring them up, the switch turns on every other necessary light, but do not turn the headlights on. I've swapped a total of 3 headlight switches, and checked the power and it seems to be getting 12v.
I am completely lost, if you have any advice, let me know
Thanks!
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Just checking here, but have you tried to apply 12V to the sealed beams' prongs directly to see if they come on?
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No, I have not. Originally when I got the car, they worked fine, but then two days later they did not work. I bought 2 new sealed beams and put them in, and still nothing. So I m not sure how much that will help. Thank you for the advice !
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If it helps, the "Flash-to-pass" switch does not bring up my lights (obviously the lights do not work but does not even go through the motion). Also, the Instrument panel back light for speed & tach do not light up. Dim switch, then, does not work either. The clock and radio lights do turn on with the first stage of light switch.
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You've gone through the two fuse boxes and made sure they're all solid as well?
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Yes, I.e the box under dash, and the under the hood. All are good and not blown. I guess I'm going to replace the combo switch and dimmer, since these seem to be in line with the headlight harness. (Please correct me if I am wrong)
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There are two separate 12V circuits that go to the headlight switch. A red wire(headlights) and white/red wire(park/dash lights).
The headlights not working and flash-to-pass not working too strongly hints that you don’t have 12V on the red wire going to the headlight switch or to the combination switch for flash-to-pass.
You’ll need to check the fuse “HEAD” located in the fuse box in the engine bay.
If the fuse tests good, then check the electrical connector of the red wire coming out of that fuse box (electrical connector only has the single red wire) and it runs into the driver side fender going directly to the headlight switch & combo switch.
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Ahh ok! That's the issue. I'm only reading 3-5volts from the head fuse connector. Would this mean that the connector box would be bad (I'm receiving 12 volts to the other male blades in the box) or the red wire connected to it?
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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9y88bJEZpB8TDFKSVBOT3NzREk/view?usp=drivesdk.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9y88bJEZpB8WktDSUN3dmdyR28/view?usp=drivesdk
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Ok. I'm getting 57mv from the solid red wire. Do I need to cut open the harness and trace back this wire to figure out where it is leaking?
Thanks again!
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The red wire coming out of the bottom of the fuse box in your pics is the correct wire, and should have 12V. If you don’t then either the fuse is bad or the fuse may just be making a poor electrical connection.
Have you tried pulling the fuse and reinserting it a few times? You might get lucky.
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Yes, tried re-inserting it multiple times. I took the wire out of the box to be sure of a clean connection and found the connector to be half broke/corroded. Although I am hoping this connection was the only issue, when I tested the wire itself without he connector, I was still receiving very little power. Also, I am now in search of another blade/wire connector.
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Ok. I have cleaned up the fuse box, chopped off some of the old red wire and have tied in a new one. I am now receiving 12v from that wire.
The issue is still there. I do not have headlights. Good thing is, I have fixed the red wire. ha.. ha...
So, the next thing in the schematic is the flash to pass switch and dimmer. Which should I replace first? I think it may be the flash to pass.
Thank you all for the help! :)
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The headlight dimmer switch and flash to pass switch are the same part (combination/turn signal switch).
To check the combination switch
Measure the voltage of the solid red wire going into the combination switch, it should be 12V
Continue to measure the solid red wire while activating flash to pass, it should remain at 12V
With flash to pass still activated, check the red/white striped wire(hi beam) it should be 12v
Or
With the headlight switch turned on, check for 12v at the red/green striped wire going into the combination switch. If 12v is present, then check for 12v on the red/black wire for low beams and 12v on the red/white wire for hi beams.
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Ok, well I guess I have to take a step back. Testing the 3 way light switch:when turned off, I m receiving close to 12 v on both red and r/w wire. Parking lights, I am reading 12 v on both. Low beam (switch full on) my red wire drops to 5.2mv and r/w is obviously still at 12.
Also, when switch is on , I am still receiving 12v at fuse, just not at switch. Does this mean I'm screwed and the wire from fuse to switch is corroded just enough that when the circuit is open, there ks too much stress and not enough power making it through, meaning I have to run another red wire?
What is causing this issue?
Thanks again.
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Also, when switch is on , I am still receiving 12v at fuse, just not at switch. Does this mean I'm screwed and the wire from fuse to switch is corroded just enough that when the circuit is open, there ks too much stress and not enough power making it through, meaning I have to run another red wire?
Sorry to tell you this, but it looks like this is probably going to be the case.
There is one electrical connector about 6 inches from the engine fuse box (it only has the one red wire going through it) then it goes into the fender wall. If you have 12V there while the headlights are turned on and the circuit is loaded and not at the headlight switch, then it looks like the wire is bad.
The larger the load is on a circuit, the more noticeable poor wiring and connections become via voltage drops.
If that is the case, then go and get some 12 gauge wire and try jumpering from the “head” fuse to the red wire going into the headlight switch and see if the headlights work.
I had a similar issue last year with the driverside corner marker light. I tried putting a new bulb in but it still didn’t work. I measured the voltage with the bulb out and had 12V but with the bulb in I only had 1.3V. I was able to get it to work with a led bulb though because it didn’t place a large enough load on it to cause the voltage to drop very much. But that is only a temp fix cuz it will get worse as the bad spot in the wire continues to deteriorate.
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Alrighty. Can I just jump from the fuse right to the headlight switch? Or is there another branch that needs power from this wire.?
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The wire should provide power to the headlight switch and to the combo switch.
You may be able to just splice the new wire to the existing wire at the headlight switch and use the old existing wire to send power to the combo switch for flash to pass depending on where the bad spot was.
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Ok. So, I kept the old wire and connected it together with the new wire. I ran the new wire through, and up to headlight switch. I cut the old wire here, and attached the new wire to the switch. Now I have running low and high, headlights. But still do not have a dimmer or speedometer light. Flash to pass doesn't work, but the high beams do. So, I am at the point where Id rather have the headlights over a flash to pass, but I do need a light for the gauges. I am not sure whats up with this.
And then another issue, is the alt/water pump belt. squealin' and broke 2.. but thats another thread.
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Sorry for the delay, I'm finally sobering up from holiday/Summerfest...LOL
If you want the flash to pass to work, just run a piece of wire from the headlight switch to the combo switch, the wire at both locations is solid red.
As for the interior lighting, I’m going to need a little more info.
Do any of the interior lights work when you turn on the park lights and the ignition switch is in the off position? Clock, cigar lighter, Dash switches, HVAC controls, and radio?
When the ignition switch is in the ACC or RUN position, do the clock and radio illuminate? If they do, do they dim when the park lights are turned on or do they stay at full brightness?
The clock and radio should illuminate to full brightness when the ignition is turned to the ACC or Run position and the park lights are turned off. When the park lights are turned on, the radio relay is engaged and the this switches the source power for the clock and radio illumination from the ignition switch to the dimmer control module.
As for the broken alternator belts, I upgraded mine to the 91-96 Escort GT’s alternator belt, It’s a 1/8 wider and is considerably stonger.
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... have you cleaned up the four ground wire connection directly behind the right headlight...there is a four wire ground combo that connects into a single ground wire that goes to the engine block..clean up all these contacts including the main wire to the engine block...these are ground wires for your headlights and wipers..