High Beam Stalk Electrical Glitch

[ARCHINSTL]

On the way home last night, I was on the usual twisty-part of my local road. Since it's drawing near to the time when the big forest rats (aka deer) appear suddenly, I thought it prudent to flick on the high beams.
Darkness! No light whatsoever!
I flicked back to the low beams and everything worked. I tried moving the stalk back a tad and both beams were on (as usually happens).
When I got home, I tried flicking on the highs again; sometimes they worked and sometimes not. Turning the steering wheel to various angles had no effect, as anticipated. Putting pressure "up" and "down" on the stalk when flicked forward produced no repeatable results. It was just that "sometimes they worked and sometimes they did not." This testing was carried out while stationary, motor on and motor off, so there was no road or motor vibration to affect the switching.
Has anyone else had this occurrence? I don't recall it ever being mentioned before.
I'm presuming something is only making secure contact sporadically, and it will involve removing the wheel and shroud to investigate.
Ideas?
Tom M.

[rer233]

Most likely bad or dirty switch contacts. Had a similar problem with the wiper switch on my '87. The car sat for 9 years, and the wiper operation was erratic-sometimes they'd work, sometimes not. Seemed the more i fiddled with the switch, the more reliable the operation became. Since it was a DX it didn't have the intermittent position i swapped it with the switch from my totalled '88 SR5. No more problems!

'Course it could always be 2 burned-out high beam bulb filaments (unlikely-but still possible.) My '88 wiring diag also shows a headlight relay, but i think that would kill both high and low beams.

Good luck- let us know how it works out.

[rer233]

Just re-read your post- you said that both filaments illuminate with stalk in one position- that eliminates All the other variables- has to be bad switch.

[ARCHINSTL]

Thanks - will work on it over the weekend and advise.
Tom M.

[Petros]

My nissan pathfinder had this problem, since a replacement multi switch was big bucks I just took it apart first to see if I can fix it. I was able to file and fine sand paper the contacts and put it back together. It worked perfectly. It reminded me of the ancient days of filing and sanding the old points in the distributor on old cars, you are old enough to remember doing that, this should not be a problem for you Tom.

When mine went out, I was having intermittent problems with the lights, but either one or the other low beam worked. Than of course I was working late at my office and when I went to go home at 1 am, none of the lights would come on. Neither high or low beam, I considered driving home anyway but I had to drive 20 miles though both city and county roads, I would almost certainly get stopped without my head lights. I considered sleeping in my office but I really wanted to get home and sleep in my own bed, I felt stuck there with a running vehicle, but no way to get home!. I considered what to do since I did not have a lot of tools or even a volt meter with me. An idea occurred to me, I just needed to make one headlight come on to get home. I took an old length of extra phone line I had in my office, cut it open and pulled out a wire and jumped it directly from the positive on the battery to one of the contacts on the head light. It turned one head light on, so I drove it home. I had to open the hood and yank the wire when I got home. next morning I pulled off the steering wheel and removed the multi switch to inspect it, it was a relatively easy fix that cost nothing.

[dlb]

or you could use this as an excuse to upgrade to the adjustable intermittent wipers from the trucks and 4runners!

[irowiki]

Interesting, dlb, what years for this adjustable wipers madness?

[dlb]

very few tercels came stock with adjustable intermittent wipers (i think it was only on tercs with cruise control) but lots of '84-'89 toyota trucks and 4runners had them, and the only mod required is trimming the steering column trim a little bit. you can see it in my post here:

https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7& ... =15#p47951

[irowiki]

Hey Tom, what was the final solution on this? Pokey is doing the same thing.

[ARCHINSTL]

I replaced the whole "cluster," including the wiper switch/lever I got from another member.
I saved the old one, intending one day (right...) to resolve it. It turned out the little ball bearing in the switch was "out of place."
Well, at least now I have working intermittent wipers as well!

Sorry on not getting back on the resolution - I thought I had.
Tom M.

[irowiki]

Ah ha! So it ended up being the switch! Good to know. So it was an easy fix?

I know right, two years later? It's all good though, the amazing power of search.