Highbeams staying on even after car is off

[doncigma]

Hey people, this is my first post!

I've been having this issue where my highbeams are staying on. I've replaced the multifunction switch to no avail. Turning the car off keeps the "highbeams" on (they are much dimmer than actual highbeams but I'm not sure if thats just the limited power draw when off). I've unplugged the bulbs and turned the car off and the highbeam indicator stays on. All this leads me to believe this is some intricate wiring problem. I have not checked the highbeam relay under the steering column but thats my next target. I am really not trying to bring her in, as I'm tight on money right now. Any other ideas, as for some reason I doubt it'll be that easy, haha.

Thanks in advance!

 

[cobrajeff96]

Sounds like the relay coil in the engine compartment fuse box got stuck in the energized position, or possibly there is a short somewhere which in turn backfeeds the high beam indicator in the gauge cluster. Easy to track down and test for.

 

[ttocs]

the switch or the harness going to it is known to get hot and cause problems.

 

[doncigma]

Sounds like the relay coil in the engine compartment fuse box got stuck in the energized position, or possibly there is a short somewhere which in turn backfeeds the high beam indicator in the gauge cluster. Easy to track down and test for.

I just checked all the fuses and they were all fine. It has to be a short, then, like you said. Can I get some advice for first steps I can take to start tracking this down? I haven't had any electrical problems since I got the car some 6 years ago and I am not very experienced with the electrical side of things. Thanks for the help!

 

[ttocs]

take the dash apart and inspect the switch and the harness that plugs into it. Look for signs of heat and if the pins have moved. It only takes a couple of 9/32" screws to remove and the shroud comes off. There is a small slot on the back of the headlight knob, stick a small flat head in it and then move it towards you and you will pull the spring up that releases it from the shaft

 

[doncigma]

take the dash apart and inspect the switch and the harness that plugs into it. Look for signs of heat and if the pins have moved. It only takes a couple of 9/32" screws to remove and the shroud comes off. There is a small slot on the back of the headlight knob, stick a small flat head in it and then move it towards you and you will pull the spring up that releases it from the shaft

you mean the multifunction switch/turn signal stalk? I have already replaced it and everything seemed fine, but I'll give the harness a closer look tomorrow. Any other leads to look for besides that?

 

[ttocs]

no the headlight switch, the knob you pull out to turn them on

 

[doncigma]

no the headlight switch, the knob you pull out to turn them on

Ah, I see. Could that be messing with the highbeam circuit? I assumed they were separate since the multifunction switch controls the highbeams. I'll take a look tomorrow, though.

 

[cobrajeff96]

I just checked all the fuses and they were all fine. It has to be a short, then, like you said. Can I get some advice for first steps I can take to start tracking this down? I haven't had any electrical problems since I got the car some 6 years ago and I am not very experienced with the electrical side of things. Thanks for the help!

Well, not necessarily a short but maybe. We already know the fuse for this circuit is functioning just fine. As of now (without seeing it for myself) I think it's just the relay on its way out. If I get time today I'll check out my high current fuse block, it's been a while.

 

[doncigma]

Well, not necessarily a short but maybe. We already know the fuse for this circuit is functioning just fine. As of now (without seeing it for myself) I think it's just the relay on its way out. If I get time today I'll check out my high current fuse block, it's been a while.

Where is the relay located? I could not find any reference to it in the manual and I only saw two relays (starter and some other i cant remember) in the engine fuse box.

 

[ttocs]

high beams only, that could be the multifunction switch even if it has been replaced, or the switch is keeping it powered.

 

[cobrajeff96]

Yea I'll set a reminder to look for it tomorrow. Toady was hella overloaded.

 

[doncigma]

Yea I'll set a reminder to look for it tomorrow. Toady was hella overloaded.

Ok thank you so much!

 

[doncigma]

high beams only, that could be the multifunction switch even if it has been replaced, or the switch is keeping it powered.

Just checked the headlight knob and all the wires I can see from behind the guage cluster seem fine, nothing missing or frayed. When the knob is unplugged, the headlights still stay on, as well. Weirdly, though, when the knob is pulled all the way out, the highbeam indicator goes off. I also noticed while driving that when activating the highbeams, not much changes in brightness, they stay relatively the same. Could damaged bulbs themselves be causing all this (perhaps because of water damage or something)?

 

[cobrajeff96]

Possible, though not likely at all. Inspect the back side of that headlight knob harness (the back of the cube connector that plugs into the plunger knob switch thingy). Looks for browning or burn marks. Like I said, I'll check out my own car here in a bit and reply back and perhaps this can be narrowed down to a single point of failure.

 

[doncigma]

Possible, though not likely at all. Inspect the back side of that headlight knob harness (the back of the cube connector that plugs into the plunger knob switch thingy). Looks for browning or burn marks. Like I said, I'll check out my own car here in a bit and reply back and perhaps this can be narrowed down to a single point of failure.

Yep, that's what I was saying I looked at. It seemed fine though and unplugging it did not resolve anything. I did some research and I am now suspecting it might be the DRL module since my car was made in Canada and the laws there require it. I'll give that a look tomorrow (currently 11pm for me). Thank you for all the help in narrowing this down! As of right now I am just disconnecting the battery every time I leave the car to sit haha, not ideal

 

[ttocs]

all signs are pointing me towards the multifunction switch even it if has been replaced already but being a yankee I am not familiar with the DRL module.

 

[doncigma]

all signs are pointing me towards the multifunction switch even it if has been replaced already but being a yankee I am not familiar with the DRL module.

What could I do to confirm this or test the switches? I bought the new switch a week ago so I was planning on returning it if it isnt the problem or to just get another one if I can confirm that it is

 

[ttocs]

if you know how to use a meter and can figure out the wiring schematic you should be able to test it out of the car to see if the high beams stay on no matter what setting it is set for. If you don't have the schematic you could plug it in and test to see which wire is the high beams and then test to see if switching high/low makes any difference in the output.

 

[cobrajeff96]

I spotted something today but overlooked it because I didn't know until I saw your last post that this was a Canadian DRL car. Nevertheless, there is no high beam relay in any fuse/relay box. It's triggered entirely by pulling back on the wand or pushing it forward. And though my car's fuse/relay position document (owner's manual) is for an American spec, it nonetheless does mention that DRL position so I'll check that out next time I'm at the car tomorrow morning.