Headlight question

[blok2400]

this may sound stupid. But today i was driving and i flicked my headlights on and off (not sure why) and when it became dark i noteiced my headlights werent working. I checked the fuses and they are all intact i guess i need a new bulb right? heh i hope thats all it is i keep having problem after problem with my poor 3g

[Vinny]

weren't working as in??????/ did they pop-up????? Both Not comming on? If only one comes on more than likely its a bulb. Try to put yer high beams on and see what happens. If you've checked ALL your fuses and both lights don't come on but come up it may be that your combo switch is going bad. Mine does that sometimes when I turn the light on....thry come up but neither one comes on. Hit the hight beams and there they are, then go back to low beam and 9 outta 10 times they come on and stay on in low beam

[Mac]

Are both your headlights out or just one?

[blok2400]

Both lights dont work but come up. Neither high or low beam works i checked all fueses in the inside of car but not in engine compartment if that matters

[MrBen]

Well if worse comes to worse, the switch itself is known to go bad.

[Mac]

Check fuse #19 under the hood.

[blok2400]

ill check 19 but also if it is my switch are they avaliable in stores or will i need a junkyard to go to? is it hard to install?

thanks for the help given.

[Mac]

Not sure if you can get in store. It might be either a dealer item or junkyard. Someone else here might know if you can get it at a store.

[MrBen]

If you don't ever want to deal with this problem again... go to Honda, and it will be around 300 dollars installed (was for me anyway). If you don't care about it happening again, just go to the junkyard and get one from there. Just to clarify, the switch is the lever on the left side of the steering wheel.

[blok2400]

:eek: :eek: 300 dollers for a switch? AHHH! man i hope thats not it. its just a little switch thogh

[MrBen]

I still have the receipt, let me go look.

[blok2400]

ok thanks man maybe it was cheaper lol it is just that if i pay 300 ive already spent more on this damn car than i bought it for 1500! and i maintain it all the time. i have bad luck i think

[MrBen]

Yeah, keep in mind this was several years ago, but it was 155.00 for labor, 176.00 for the switch, with tax, coupon, and everything it was $322.63.

At Honda, btw.

:eek: a loooottta money!

[blok2400]

:wtf: the switch is just that little thing isnt it? ahh well maybe i can install it my self i think its in the haynes manual that i bought.

[MrBen]

Yeah maybe. Buy it new though... don't waste your time doing something you'll do again (provided you keep the car lol).

The switch is the entire arm, and it's one whole mechanism. The arm for the wipers is part of it.

Also, be sure that this switch is in fact what is wrong! Check everything. Fuses, bulbs, the wire harnesses etc. You never know.

[blok2400]

heh damn well thanks for the info. id hate to sell it but it wants to take every dime i have. Looks like im workin over time. thanks guys.

[Mac]

Check that fuse before you spend any money. It's quick and easy to check. It might save you time and money.

[blok2400]

i checked # 19 and it was intact :( ummm i think i checked fuses i didnt need to. crap! i wonder if my lights went out at the same time heh. no they didnt because my low beams never came on before i just used high beams untill this happen

[MrBen]

I dunno what else you need to check, but someone else probably will. Just wait and see if anyone else has some input

Also, if you're in a bind, and it IS the switch, just go to the junkyard and get the switch... it will be dirt cheap and probably last a little while. Try to find one off a car with low miles, or is newer (in your case an 89).

[Vinny]

Like I said right after your page, if its just the low beams not working and all the fuses are good its more than likely the switch. You can probably milk it out for a while still. Just try to go from hi to low beams a few times and see if they will come on. Yes the switch is expensive as hell from the dealership, 160-200 bucks dependin on who you go to. There was someone selling them on ebay for a 5 buck starting bid, that'd be my first choice As far as none of the lights comming on thats more than likely a fuse somewhere, normally when I've seen combo switches fail its one side or the other(hi or low) but rarely both

[blok2400]

yeah the junkyard here in gainesville blows. i only found 2 accords last time i went and they were striped bare. I may travel to ocala i guess. but before that ill wait for replys

[Vinny]

each beam, from what chilton's and haynes say has its own fuse a 10 amp for the L low, a 10 for the R low, a 15 for the R high and a 15 for the L high so if all are good,to me that only leaves 1 thing

[blok2400]

they are all good so your right.

[Vinny]

well call Ocala in the AM and let me Know what they want for the switch, I can see what they run here in Valdosta. I need to go to Gainesville either one day this week or weekend, maybe I can bring ya one down

[blok2400]

if that was possible that would be great. ill call tommrow and see and if not that is always an option heh yeah valdosta problay has more junkyards than us in gainesville

[Mac]

If you can get to the connector to the switch, raise your lights, then jumper the white wire to the red/white wire and the low beams should come on. Then jumper the white wire to the red/blue wire and the high beams should come on. Be careful there is voltage on this wire and the lights draw some current.

You might want to pull fuse 19 under the hood before you jumper wires then put the fuse in and see if the lights work. Again be careful.

This will bypass the switch.

[Mac]

Sorry, by the time I researched and re posted didn't realize you guys already had it worked out. Thought we were still troubleshooting the switch. I'm a little slow at times.

Hey Vinny, that's pretty cool that you made that offer.

[blok2400]

yes i dont know if you went yet but that has to be the problem. if you can contact someone at a junk yard and get it cheap (let me know the price) id be greatful i am not hard to find in Gville. well my cable connection went down for a while so i havent been on for a day or two i hope you havent already left because ocala has not got much.


Also, i dont know if this makes a diffrence but it was always like my lights and stuff needed more power like when i turn on my turn signal the D4 on the dash gose out then back in inbetween turn signal blinks. And when i try turning my headlights on now my clock power gose out and is very dim could that be the problem or the switch is still the problem?

[Vinny]

Ok Lemme see what I can find, shepard said he can get one for I think 20 bucks shipped. Don't know what yard you got in Gainesville, I was just out there last night to visit a few members. I'll also check with John(anchovies) and see wher he goes. He just picked up struts from somewhere around there. so either way I'll try and hook ya up

[blok2400]

20 bucks that would be great please let me know man i cant drive at night and this really sucks lol. not to mention that i still have to replace\rebuild my carb eventually and get a new boot for my left side of my car. Anyway i would be very thankful if somone can let me know. thanks for the help vinny

[Vinny]

Did you happen to take Mac's advice and jumper to bypass the switch???????? Might try that as a quick attempt. This is kinda weird, my 3rd 3G and I've never heard of loosing the high and low beams but it happens I guess. The on for 20 was from Shep, I'll have him PM ya with details

[Vinny]

Originally posted by Mac

Hey Vinny, that's pretty cool that you made that offer.

What to bring him a switch???? Naw not cool was just gonna charge extra for it and then tack Mileage on :D

The way I lok at it is if a person needs help and you can help 'em out then go for it. you never know when you might need something, kinda a Karma deal ya know what I mean

[MrBen]

There is a switch on ebay right now for $1.99

Check it out quick!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42612&item=2432287132

[Vinny]

I saw that, the same guy had like 8 of them a week and a half ago, good find Ghetto, I forgot all about those, heck I was even watching a few of em

[Mac]

blok 2400, you might want to look at another thread here. Headlight-Problem by 88 LXi-sedan. He repaired his combo switch. If you are handy and feel confident you might also be able to repair yours. He has pictures and short write up on the fix.

[86AccordLxi]

My combo switch went out and I bought another from the j/y for like $55...after 3 days, the new one started burning out :mad: so I, thinking it's a serious problem, take my car to my mechanic only to find out the "new" combo switch is also dead. $270 later, I have a brand new combo switch from Honda, installed. It's shitty, but headlights are important. I went the used route and got burned (at least my switch did :P ).

Alex

[MrBen]

Wow check ou tthe other thread!

[blok2400]

Where is it?

[Mac]

about 9 threads down