98 corolla headlights dont work - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

briankmizell · 05-14-2010, 07:08 AM

I have searched till I am blue in the face about how to fix the head lights, but yet have I found anyone else with a similar problem.

I posted quite some time ago describing my issue and no one has replied, so I will try again.

This car has some very light damage to the right front (passenger side) the left headlight would work then, but after a while it would go off and then I could hear a flickering noise from under the dash behind the headlight switch. Also the running lights and the dash lights would flicker on and off while i heard this noise.

When it made this noise, it would keep doing it even if I turned the lights off. The only way it would stop at that time was to shut the ignition off.

Months have went by with me hoping someone would have an answer to my question in the other thread.

So I went out the other day and was fiddling with the car, (its for my daughter when she gets her drivers license) that time is coming near and I need to get this fixed.

So while I was messing around with it. I was checking the A/C and while it was running with the A/C on I turned on the head lights, still no light (dang it they didn't fix themselves lol) but when I turned them on the flickering sound came back.

What was different this time was that after a while the flickering noise started becoming more faint. It finally quit, but when it did quit the A/C also quit. The blower motor and everything associated with the A/C stopped working.

I shut the car off and waited a while, I started it back up and the A/C worked again. I tried to recreate this to see if it happened again.

When I turned the headlights on it started flickering again (the noise was there, the running lights flickered, and so did the dash lights).

When I would turn the headlights to brite, this noise would quit. when I turned the lights off (note they are not actually coming on and off I am just turning the switch) the noise and the flickering of the dash lights and running lights would continue.

There is only two ways to make the flickering noise, the dash lights, and the running lights to go off.

That is to either push the headlight switch fwd to make the high been lights come on (which they actually don't) or to shut the ignitions off for more than 1 minute. And whats odd is even if the headlight switch is turned off, if you push it fwd to act as if the brite's were on the flickering will stop.

I tore the dash apart and found the relay that was making the noise.

There are two of them that are Identical, only one is making the noise. its the one closest to the drivers side kick panel.

Its a factory Toyota relay, its made by denso with the numbers

90084-98031
TN156700-1070

I am assuming the relay is good because when I switched them, it still made the flickering noise.

My next assumption would be that there is a wire that is loose some where.

If any one has had this kind of trouble before, and might have any idea of what to check, Please let me know by PM or send an email to briankmizell@aol.com

Thanks in advance,
Brian

ExDream · 05-14-2010, 07:11 AM

check fuses, and check if your harnesses burned out.

briankmizell · 05-14-2010, 07:15 AM

All of the headlight fuses under the hook are good, I will have to check the fuses in the dash.

Where would I look for a fuse-able link that might be burned?

briankmizell · 05-30-2011, 03:58 AM

In reply to ExDream:

Where or what part of the harness would be burned out, is it possible that my turn signal switch is bad (could that be causing any of these issues)

Kyle Hamelin · 05-30-2011, 07:44 AM

Kinda sounds like corrosion damage to the connects possibley. Might need to buy new ones. Did you try unplugging the light asembley and checking inside all of the connections to see if any metal has been rusted. If it has been in an accident their is a possibilty that moisture is getting in now and wrecking the connection. That happened to one of my corner lights after the seal broke when I hit a poll.

briankmizell · 05-30-2011, 02:31 PM

I have replaced all the turn signals, marker lights & head lights. I will double check the connections to the head lights to see if there is any corossion.

I am beginning to wonder if the turn signal switch has any thing to do with the headlights and turn signals flickering like they do. I wonder if its bad?

I have been told from someone that if the turn signal switch goes bad that it could cause problems with the head lights.

I have taken a bunch of my dash out to check the relays, the one relay that makes the clicking noise in my car is on the back side of the fuse panel. Its the black one closest to the drivers side door.

Mine only clicks when the ignition is on, if I dont turn on the ignition I can leave the running lights on for a long time and the flickering of the running lights, dash lights, and used to be head lights (they dont even come on any more) doesnt happen.

The flickering of lights and the relay clicking only starts a minute or so after the ignition is turned on.

briankmizell · 06-01-2011, 04:35 AM

I found this info to be somewhat helpful. http://www.justanswer.com/toyota/3ks...ht-switch.html

I have yet to replace the DLR or DRL which ever it is. Does anyone know the part number for the main DLR that is under the dash on the passenger side?

briankmizell · 06-01-2011, 07:16 PM

I went to the junk yard today, I got three DLR for $25 thats $8.33 each. (and they all work)

The combination of the burnt and corroded ground wires near the drivers side kick panel and the replacing the bad DLR fixed my problem.

Now I can move on to getting the interior dyed black and then painting the car.

Kyle Hamelin · 06-02-2011, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by briankmizell

I went to the junk yard today, I got three DLR for $25 thats $8.33 each. (and they all work)

The combination of the burnt and corroded ground wires near the drivers side kick panel and the replacing the bad DLR fixed my problem.

Now I can move on to getting the interior dyed black and then painting the car.

Nice job! It's always good to see jobs get solved. One down bring on the next! haha.

I had my exterior re painted and my what a difference. Your corolla will be one of the better looking ones on the road after that. Also waxing it after a month of the new paint on is so much easier.