2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission No Headlights

[dseabaugh]

gOT IN THE PICKUP TONIGHT AND NO HEADLIGHTS. No high beam No low beam. Dash lights, parking lights, and tail lights work/ High beam indicator works which makes me think it is not the " multi function switch on the the steering column. No blown fuses. I pulled out the dash and the headlight switch and all the wires are hot except the light blue wire at the very rear of the switch. I just checked the lights last week and found a bad brake light bulb and replaced it. Everything was fine then. ANY IDEAS? anyone know which wires at the firewall under the hood I can check to see that the juice is heading in the right direction?

 

[dseabaugh]

FOUND IT. My sport headlights get their power through relays who get their power from the side terminals on the left battery. IT IS ANOTHER BAD SAM'S battery. the side terminals are DEAD. the top terminals are Ok , but the side terminals are DEAD!. This bATTERY WAS NEW 02/05 with nine year warranty. both batteries have been replaced 3 times so far.

 

[Arctic Taco]

The old time versus money thing. Sometimes the low price isn't a real deal, been there done that

 

[RLHannink]

Similar problems with headlamps

I had pretty close to the same thing happen, the headlamps wouldn't turn on, everything checked out ok. Happened earlier, but they came on when I flicked the high/low beam switch a few times. The other night when it happened that didn't fix the problem. I had to get somewhere so I used the aux lamps I have. An hour later, after shutting it down for a while to eat, they came on and have been fine since. I'd like to fix it so this won't happen again, but it's hard to track down the problem when it's not screwing up. I'll check my batteries. But has anyone else had the headlight ghost and figured it out?



BTW, that wasn't too long after I put new Walmart batteries in, but they have been treating me well, many cold starts with no block heater.

 

[dseabaugh]

What really stinks is they do not make a dual post battery any more. I guess they hate people that add accessories. The only dual post battery they have now is the Optima which I have heard good things about but I noticed from the wrapper they were "Interstate" brand. I never had a good interstate battery. besides that they were $140. 00 each. I really didn't want to mix a dry cell and a lead acid battery. Maybe it is Ok , don't know. Just paid them the $45. 00 difference on the warranty. rewired my accessories so they go to the side posts on the old dual post battery that hasn't died yet. Guy tells me they see failed side post batteries all the time. The new group 34 is 2 inches less in length and 2 inches less in height than the old one. I had to cut tubing spacers for the hold down bolts. Looks like a group 24 in the hole. ( I actually thought it was a 24 till I double checked the tag. ) After 2 downsizes in battery size I now have about 3 1/2" extra in the battery box. The trucks need an ammeter instead of a volt meter so you can see if the alternator is charging extra for a crap battery. They said the top posts only tested 48 amps rather than the rated 850, of course the side pos. post was dead.

 

[JBodenhamer]

I just had the same sort of thing happen to my 2001. 5 2500 sport model(it has the 2 bulb headlights). I was driving back late at night from Houston after helping folks with hurricane Ike cleanup. Since I drove down the night of the hurricane, right after it passed, I had been driving with High Beams on for many hours. About an hour from Austin, lost headlights. Fogs still worked so I went slow, drank lots of coffee, and got back no problem. I checked relays, and all were good. Checked batteries, same, no problems. Strange symptom was that while I had no low beams, I could bull the stalk back like I was engaging the high beams, which would go on as long as I held the stalk back, but would not stay on permanently. Went to Advance auto and bought a new turn signal switch as this was suggested after I confirmed that the actual headlight switch was fine, and in testing that, found that the green with white stripe wire had totally overheated at the factory plug that leads to the switch assembly, and broken off at the pin connector. It clearly had happened a few times as the white connector body was melted some too and the wire insulation was brown for an inch and a half or so back from the connector. I tested to see if I had a short, found nothing(no blown fuses either), and used some tools I have to remove the pin from the harness connector, cleaned it up, soldered a new section of wire to it and spliced into the harness back where the wire was good with no charring or corrosion from the heat, and have had no problems since.
This might be a place for you to look too.