A while back, my head unit was stolen from my car. Just after that happened, everytime I turn on my headlights, only the headlights work. The interior lights/parking lights do not work.

I had someone look into it but they said it caused a short either on the headlight switch itself or the wiring to the headlights. So what they did was, they by-passed the headlight switch with a relay switch so that I could utilize the interior lights/parking lights.

I hate switching the headlights and the relay switch everytime I drive at night. Does anyone know what I should do in this situation? Appreciate your comments!

 

If the switch is in fact fried, just get a new switch with the small harness that goes to it. These switches are known to melt your wiring harness when they are bad. You can also find one if you post in the classifieds section or go to a junk yard.

http://mazdatrix.com/86-92Electrical-Chassis.htm

 

I don't think it's fried because when I turn the headlight signal all the way up, I just get the headlights working. Also, I don't see how the headlights can be fried just because someone steals a stereo unit.

Please help, thanks for your help!

 

Besides, $360 to replace a headlight switch, $120 to replace the wires is ridiculous to pay for a 20 year car.

 

"""A while back, my head unit was stolen from my car. Just after that happened, everytime I turn on my headlights, only the headlights work. The interior lights/parking lights do not work."""

By interior lights does that include the overhead lights or rather does it refer to the dash lights only?

I had someone look into it but they said it caused a short either on the headlight switch itself or the wiring to the headlights. So what they did was, they by-passed the headlight switch with a relay switch so that I could utilize the interior lights/parking lights.

When you say parking lights are you referring to the front and rear sidemarkers, license plate, tail lights, and front parking lights?

A different relay switch could be used but it would turn on the lights that I mentioned only when the headlights are turned on.

 

Satch - I don't know what you mean by "overhead lights" but yes, just the dash lights appear to be the lights which do not work.

When you say parking lights are you referring to the front and rear sidemarkers, license plate, tail lights, and front parking lights? (yes, that is what I mean)

What relay are you referring to?

 

the "upper lights" are the interior lights you push to turn on, look right above your rear view mirror. and yeah, i doubt anyone buys headlight switches and harnesses new, they can be hard for cheap in the for sale forum. There are also people who rebuild/refurb the switches, idk about the headlight switch but the wiper switches wear out and cease to function which is why Pele offers a rebuild service

 

I'm referring to the twin lights located by the sunroof buttons/rearview mirror.

It sounds like you have a cut off switch installed as opposed to a relay. There are many types of relays to choose from. A simple automotive relay should suffice. You would need to tap the White/Blue wire (which is a ground) of the headlight switch and connect it to one side of the relay coil while connecting the other side to a wire which has constant voltage , the Red/Black wire that powers the affected lights would be connected to the relay as well such that when you turn the **** full turn the other necessary lights would turn on.

 

Satch - you make it sound so easy. Do you have any recommendation(s) to take my car and get it checked out or rewired so that I could use just the headlight switch to turn on the lights instead of using a relay switch? Thanks a whole lot!

FSTBKGT - I did get the rear wiper switch rebuild, I don't mind rebuilding the headlight switch if that's the problem, how can I get that checked out?

 

Once the relay switch is wired in you won't know it's there and all the necessary lights will come on all at once as opposed to the parking lights and so on coming on before the headlights. You can do this yourself or have those who bypassed the switch in the first place do it for you and it should take no more than 30 to 40 minutes to do so. Your light switch harness has a R/B wire that has voltage on it when working properly (it should receive voltage from a White/Green wire when the **** is turned to the first position if the switch internals were up to par) and would "normally"turn your parking lights etc. A fellow member named "Pele" repairs these switches so you may want to send him a pm.

 

i have the exact same problem. been trying to figure out what went out for weeks now.. im gonna replace the headlight switch from a junk yard

 

Additionallyyou would use the Red/Green wire from the headlight harness as well to turn the gauge, dash lights on.

 

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help! Pele - where are you?

 

please post how you fixed your issue bro.. thanks

 

Which aspect of your switch doesn't work? There are basically four aspects to the switch. Headlights, parking lights, dash lights and dimming of the dash lights.

 

head lights work when switching them on. no tail light or brake lights. no lights in cluster but the clock works and as well as the the lights that tell me my hatch is open or hand brake is up. i never had working cockpit lights (overhead dome light i guess you could call it)

 

If you were to remove the wiring harness from the light switch you would check for voltage on the White/Green wire with no key necessary. If you do have voltage then the switch is not passing it onto both the Red/Black and Red/Green wires. If you wanted to bypass the switch and rig up something then you have two choices essentially. You could wire in a cutoff switch or a relay switch. The relay switch would be triggered by the light switch to turn the dash and other lights affected on at the same time as the head lights while the cutoff alternative requires a manual flip of the switch to activate the lights previously inoperable.

The brake lights are independent of the light switch and if not working properly then it is for differing reasons. One thing you could do is first check if your stop light switch (brake) is working properly. It's located on the brake pedal and has two wires. The Green/White wire should have constant voltage on it so no key necessary. And the White/Green wire should only have voltage when the brake pedal is depressed enough to engage the switch.

 

For everyone having this issue (no back light in the dash and no tail/marker lights), please tell me you've all checked the fuse. These all run off the same fuse, which off the top of my head I think is the fuse in the top row of the fuse block in the drivers side kick panel, closest to the firewall. Always start with the obvious.