This started today. Pull the lever to flash Hi beams, no light at all, except the blue indicator in the cluster. Vehicle on or off, same.

Lows on, pull and they go out. No Hi or lo.
Lows on, push to hi, working.

While testing this, the flash worked correctly twice in-between fault condition. I was holding the lever in pull position, then wiggling, twice it lit, but went out shortly after while i held it. I couldn't force it to light this way. (Wiggle and light on/off did not seem in sync at all) so this only confirmed its intermittence, not the source of fault.

Column switch or relay?
Thanks!

 

How many miles it could be either dirty contacts

You can jumper out pins 4 and 5 which is the contacts in the relay if this is your 88 4Runner

That eliminates the relay.

The switch or a loose ground but if it is the ground more circuits would be effected.

 

Bump for checking anybody here have this exact condition before?

Buellllller?

 

Where is that relay under hood or by my left foot? Going to have to investigate this this weekend.

It's possible it may be cooked, or something else. I now have reason to believe my son tried to jump start the lawn mower with my truck, and may have touched the cables backwards. Trying to squeeze a full confession out of him now. (Not literally but I'm thinking about it)

Going to have to start looking for other burnt stuff now. Argh. Suggestions on where else to look are welcome.

 

It is in the fuse block under the hood

Don`t be to hard on him we all had little mishaps when younger helps prepare you for the big ones

 

Might try cleaning the contacts https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199...l#post51724567

 

That looks like pulling the steering wheel to clean the contacts in the column.

Is there a place i can test with a meter, BEFORE pulling the wheel, to confirm its these contacts at issue? Does jumping the relay as described do exactly that?

Or - is it that there can't BE another location for the fault, since lows and highs each work correctly on their own??

I haven't messed with it at all yet, in fact i only remember it's needed when i stop by here and see I'm subscribed to my own thread.

Not like i flash to pass much in this truck!! Ha

 

Sorry sometimes work get in the way of life.

The only place the flash option is are the contacts in the switch.

As long as low and high beams work the rest of things are working.

This is a lot of work to mess with trying to fix this part of the switch I never use mine.

The way my luck goes I would break something and need to replace the whole combination switch.

If I sat down and looked at the EWD for your year I could tell you just what wires to test at the harness plug .

They would be the same as the high beams which work.

You would need to hold the switch in the flash position and check for voltage back probing the plug

checking for continuity a very poor contact can ring out

this is where having another set of arms comes in handy

Myself I would not mess with it if that is the only problem.

Kinda like pulling the oil pan for one drop of oil leaking overnight.

 

Holding the lever and giving a little wiggle is making the lights work again. But i can't seem to find a sweet spot to keep them on.

I'm considering blasting some CRC electrical parts cleaner in there and hoping for a miracle.

No i don't want to disassemble and risk breaking something. I agree completely. Since it sorta works, I'll leave it.

 

I had disassembled and clean mine to fix this problem. It's actually very easy; HOWEVER, there is a spring and detent ball in there that you don't want to loose so be careful

 

See these would be the parts that would go flying never to be seen again.

Always something small the renders the part unfit to use !!!

 

It is easy to disassemble. On things like the combo switch, front hubs or anything that might have a part to go flying, disassemble in a 5 gallon bucket.

 

yeah, you should have seen me working in a 5 gallon bucket around my steering column... LOL Sorry Terry, had to take a little jab there.

But seriously, a clean floor, white paper or something to catch tiny falling parts doesn't hurt

 

Does not help I lose things in a clean room .

I have people that can not understand how something can just vanish .

It happens to me all the time .

Some have said I am a walking Bermuda Triangle

 

Omg that is totally me. I once lost a TV remote that i had just been using. It never turned up even after i moved out of that apt. I took the couch apart even. Really weird that one was.

Funny thing is i just replaced headlight bulbs yesterday and was using the switch a bunch. Seems to be improving. Maybe it just needs some more frequent use.

Balls on springs launching on the floor of the truck are most likely MIA candidates if i don't see them as they land. I'm going to leave this can of worms alone for now. But glad i know it's in the switch itself, thanks guys.

 

Sometimes just using the switch is enough to get it working again.

 

Send to be the case, so I'm flashing more than ever. Gotta love self healing electrical issues!

Happy new year!