headlights always on

rob_liss_lms10 · 31-05-2008, 10:31 AM

I had a broken weld on the pedal box on the clutch arm, so pedal box was removed, welded up and put back into the car. Now everything works ok, all electrics working, how-ever the headlights are on low beam all the time, even with the key removed. The only way I can stop the lights is by removing either the circuit breaker or the low-beam relay.With the low beam relay removed the lights turn on and off ok, the high beam works on all 4 lights (xr) and parkers work. I swapped a like for like relay into the low beam and still stays on. Have I bumped something or forgot to hook some wires up or an earth for the lights? The dash wasn't removed to get the pedal box out, so the only wires disconnected were the white and orange connectors attached to the pedal box, the cruise control and the brake connectors. When I disconnect the white connecter the lcd dash goes out, the car wont start and the lead lights go out, when reconnect the white connecter everything works and the lights come on. I have also disconnected the light switch to see if that made a difference but it didn't. The only thing I haven't done is check the parkers relay, because I cant find it......any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

T3man · 31-05-2008, 05:34 PM

I haven't actually come across this problem so I'm hazarding a bit of a guess here. If the lights all work as they should when the low beam relay is taken out of the circuit the problem is in the "switching" to that relay. I believe the BEM carries out this function so it leads me to think the problem could be in the BEM. All I can suggest is to disconnect your battery overnight and see if the BEM does a "reset". Other than that I expect you might have to get the Ford diagnostics unit onto the job.

NC1183 · 31-05-2008, 05:38 PM

If thats the case T3man, could he have pinched a wire with the pedal box as he put it back in. The BEM is above the pedal isn't it? Just a suggestion that you check you haven't done that rob.

**Stav** · 31-05-2008, 06:05 PM

From memory..the low beams are activated by a negative trigger.Maybe the wire is jammed to the body somewhere under there.

rob_liss_lms10 · 31-05-2008, 06:06 PM

Thanks for the reply guys, I will do as suggested and leave the battery disconnected overnight and see if that helps. Possibly have pinched a wire, everything looks ok though. I read else where that someone else has had the same prob and they left the key in the on position for 30mins, unfortunately there was no follow up reply...I tried this but no luck.
Stav...Was thinking the same except the reverse..thought I may have left an earth off. I may have to remove the pedal box and start from scratch and check it as I go.
Thanks

T3man · 31-05-2008, 06:08 PM

Yes I suppose that is possible - the switching wire from the BEM would bean earthing one, and if it is pinched that would definitely cause it. However I expect it would be pretty hard to pinch just one wire out of the whole harness - but stranger things have happened LOL.

rob_liss_lms10 · 31-05-2008, 06:12 PM

You have to disconnect the wire junction/connector to the bem when removing the pedal box...each time I disconnect the junction the lights go out..but so does the lcd screen and the engine wont start. The car is not my daily so I have time to potter about and try different things and if worse comes to worse will install a toggle switch directly to the power supply for the lights so I can turn on and off before it goes anywhere.

**Stav** · 31-05-2008, 06:27 PM

The wire comes down from the light switch .I think it would head to the relays at your right knee. A relay requires power,earth to switch.The parker lights are integrated witht the interior dash illumination.One question? Does your clock illuminate bright when it happens.

rob_liss_lms10 · 31-05-2008, 06:36 PM

not sure stav, but when I use the indicators the low beams flas in sync with them. When I turn the lights on I can use high beam no probs, just cant stop low from working. When I pull either the circuit breaker or the low beam relay the indicators work fine as does the high beam and parkers.

rob_liss_lms10 · 31-05-2008, 07:31 PM

was just thinking, if the power wires for the low beam,parkers and high beam all go to the light switch, if I have dislodged the wire for the low beam in the connector before it gets to the switch then it is not making a circuit to the switch, hence there is no way of turning it off? so if I can figure out which wire controls low beam to the switch, I can make sure that it actually gets to the switch in order to turn it off. Does that make any sense or seem logical?

rob_liss_lms10 · 01-06-2008, 08:36 AM

Thanks for the help on this guys, I have now fixed the problem, it was a bent pin in the white connector junction, some how I managed to miss align the 2 sides when I re-connected the plug and bent the low beam pin against another pin. After straightening it out and re-connecting all is working correctly.
Once again, thank-you for your help.
Rob

NC1183 · 01-06-2008, 05:02 PM

Oh, thats good. Thanks for taking the time to let us know what it was for future referance. Thats actually something i'd thought of late last night but wasn't sure if you'd had to unplug an connectors