Headlights went out!

[Breadfan]

All,

Tonight on my way home, I did a right turn onto a backroad and my lights went out. I still had fog lights, but my headlights were not working.

I pulled over, and fiddled the main headlight switch and the MF switch (going from brights to no brights) and nothing worked. I turned off the car and restarted - no help.

A few minutes later, they came back on. I drove home with no further issues.

Saturday night this happened leaving a friends house. It only lasted like 30 seconds though. I *think* at that point I had accidentally hit the turn signal switch getting out of the car, so when turning it on, the left turn signal was on.

And tonight, I was using the right turn signal.

Again though, the fog lights and park lights work fine - it's the headlights that go out.

Also, hoding the brights to "momentary" and they work. But brights on or lows on does not.

Makes me think - MF switch.

Has anyone else had these symptoms? I drive home in the dark from work so I'm gonna have to get this taken care of. I figure maybe not using my signals would help and no one in N. VA would notice anyway.

[Bradley G]

When mine acted like that, it was the LCM

[Bluerauder]

All,

Tonight on my way home, I did a right turn onto a backroad and my lights went out. I still had fog lights, but my headlights were not working.

I pulled over, and fiddled the main headlight switch and the MF switch (going from brights to no brights) and nothing worked. I turned off the car and restarted - no help.

A few minutes later, they came back on. I drove home with no further issues.

Saturday night this happened leaving a friends house. It only lasted like 30 seconds though. I *think* at that point I had accidentally hit the turn signal switch getting out of the car, so when turning it on, the left turn signal was on.

And tonight, I was using the right turn signal.

Again though, the fog lights and park lights work fine - it's the headlights that go out.

Also, hoding the brights to "momentary" and they work. But brights on or lows on does not.

Makes me think - MF switch.

Has anyone else had these symptoms? I drive home in the dark from work so I'm gonna have to get this taken care of. I figure maybe not using my signals would help and no one in N. VA would notice anyway.


If this is the MF switch can I get a Ford Part # by chance?

Were your windshield wipers working at the time? I had lights that would go off and on periodically when I had the wipers set to intermittent and headlights on auto. It was traced back to wacky wiper syndrome and never reoccurred after the last wiper motor replacement.

[Breadfan]

Wipers were not on at the time, either instance.

However...within the last year I did have wacky wiper syndrome.

Wacky as it is - it stopped 6 months ago, and the wipers have worked perfectly since then. They also worked fine tonight when my headlights didn't. (I tested them, as I thought there could be a connection.)

[Breadfan]

When mine acted like that, it was the LCM

Were there any additional symptoms or simply the headlights blinking out for a few minutes? Any other accompanying symptoms?

I found the MF switch and will get one at the dealer this week if needed, I don't really wanna do the lcm...or pay for it, I'm guessing it's pricey!

[Paul]

You can replace the bad relay in the LCM. No need to replace the entire LCM unit. Simple fix with solder and inexpensive relays. There is a thread here about my doing it: go here: http://motorcitymarauders.com/forums...***.php?t=8618. I followed the instructions on cv.net.

[DOOM]

Sounds like the LCM

[Breadfan]

Thank you! I will try that

[RF Overlord]

There's also a thread about it here.

Breadfan, Phoebe had symptoms almost exactly like yours. I bought a MFS and a headlight switch just to have on hand, but it was the LCM. I swapped out the module from The Blackbird (we don't drive her in the winter) and I got a replacement relay as per the how-to and will be doing it soon.

The LCM IS pricey at the dealer...over $400, but R&R is simple and if you have any experience at all soldering on a circuit board, replacing the relay is simple, too.

[SID210SA]

I had the same issue....it was the LCM....had it fixed at the Stealership for over 800.00 bucks for parts and labor....luckily my extended warranty covered it so I only paid 250.00 out the door....

[SC Cheesehead]

There's also a thread about it here.

Breadfan, Phoebe had symptoms almost exactly like yours. I bought a MFS and a headlight switch just to have on hand, but it was the LCM. I swapped out the module from The Blackbird (we don't drive her in the winter) and I got a replacement relay as per the how-to and will be doing it soon.

The LCM IS pricey at the dealer...over $400, but R&R is simple and if you have any experience at all soldering on a circuit board, replacing the relay is simple, too.

^^^^^ +1 ^^^^^^ to what Bob said. New relay is less than $5.00, that plus about an hour of your labor will fix the problem.

Hardest part, IMO, is getting the goofy LCM out; after that, piece of cake if you follow the instructions in Bob's linky.

Good luck, and holler if you have any questions.

[ckadiddle]

LCM, I think I posted a thread about mine somewhere too. One relay goes bad on the LCM, headlights go on and off when they feel like it.

[juno]

Some hints on the LCM rework. Buy a circuit board solder sucker at RS. Unbolt the adjustable accelerator thingy, makes life a LOT easier.
Do the direct relay mod so it won't happen again.

[2003 Merc'em]

Ok I'm new to this, what is an LCM?Thanks

[Bradley G]

light control module= headlamp switch.
They can be fixed for small parts cost!

Ok I'm new to this, what is an LCM?Thanks