Headlights blinking off/on; any idea whats up?

[Bilgamesh]

I have not driven at night before, but did just before dark tonight. The headlights started blinking after a couple minutes. Any idea what is going on? - Thanks

 

[d.c.parris]

the headlight switch has a automatic circuit breaker built into it, you either have a short circuit or a bad switch, it will cause the lights to go off until it resets then they will come back on until it gets hot again then it will go off again good luck Don

 

[Broncobowsher]

Ford headlight swiches are known for that when they get old. Pick up a new one at a parts store. If that doesn't fix it, then you have a short. But bad headlight switches are so common I replace the witch before I look for shorts. New switch should be good for another 20 years or so.

 

[TBP]

bilgamesh,

The dimmer switch can also cause the same problem. Can be either bad connections at the the dimmer or a bad switch. Probably a headlight switch though.

Good luck,

TBP

 

[thegreatjustino]

I had the same problem several years ago. As others have said, swapped the switch and it hasn't happened again.

 

[Pa PITT]

Mine Just DId it last night ....It was raining Running Buddy and I went down to Bronco row to look at one for parts we took the 4x4 ( mine) well I left it running and the head lamps on ....there started flashing, He had a cow ..oh my GOD what do we do ...."drive on mc'duff." ....Give it a rest ......it'll flush cowboy..........Man I just drove on letting them flash on and off not an issue just Bronco stuff ....today they still flashed and I noticed that the switch seemed loose ....So I guess it's time for a new switch .......

 

[Dave St]

I used to have that problem when running brights even with a new switch. As I understand it, the full load is drawn through the switch in the stock wiring. I put in a headlight harness with relays from Jegs (around $30 or so) and the problem went away. I also converted over to H4 headlights and the improvement is fantastic; I highly recommend the upgrade. I found the headlights for less than $10 each ( on a VW site ), so for around $50 total my headlights are VASTLY improved! Here is a link to the headlights in case I have you convinced...

http://www.bfyobsoleteparts.com/Beetle-H-4-Headlight-12-Volt-Halogen-ca-0-pr-1035-pg-1.html

 

[Bilgamesh]

I was feeling pretty cool driving across the dam by my house when this nonsense started. It was just beginning to get dark and I had several cars coming toward me in the opposite direction. All of a sudden, my lights started blinking every few seconds. I expect on the first couple blinks the oncoming cars were thinking, "Thanks for warning us about the highway patrol up ahead!", but after a half dozen blinks they had to be thinking, "OK dude we got it, there's a cop up ahead!" NOT COOL! I ended up just shutting them off and limping home with my tail between my legs and fiddled with the wiring. Anyway thanks for the input; I guess I will throw a couple parts at it.

 

[TBP]

The best thing to do is go to a relay setup. It really is a much more robust system and can be done very inexpensively.

Good luck,

TBP

 

[MattM]

I put in new headlights (Sylvania halogens from Wal-mart) and the same thing happened. After a few minutes on high beams, they would turn on and off.

I installed West Coast Bronco’s headlight relay kit and it fixed the problem. The relay kit was an easy install with no wire cutting.

 

[HotWheels]

Try replacing with a new switch. Common prob.

 

[Bilgamesh]

New switch fixed the blinking headlights and the panel lights. - Thanks