elecrical snafu
03-14-2004, 07:58 PM
#1
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elecrical snafu
Hi all. Am brand-new to the site. Wish I'd known about it longer!! I bought my 1989 Max 7 years ago, and the only real problems I have experienced have been of an electrical nature. And I am having one right now.: My lights are all malfunctioning. Started with a brake light that malfunctioned occasionally despite change of bulb and wires being hot. Then the cruise control wouldn't work if the headlights were on. Then the brights wouldn't come on at all. And now one dim is gone and the brights will sometimes work if I jiggle the switch. This has all happened in a matter of weeks. Any help would be appreciated. Not to make excuses, but I am a girl with limited mechanical abilities. Always ready to learn, though! And of course my dad is a whiz, but needs someplace to start. He thinks it is possibly a sensor in the steering column. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for any advice!
03-14-2004, 08:47 PM
#2
the headlight switch is known to malfunction (i didn't have brights for a while). you can take it out and try to fix it. start by removing the plastic around the steering column (4 screws from the bottom). then unplug the harness and remove the screws holding it in place.
i was able to fix my brights by taking the switch apart and cleaning the metal contacts inside. just be very gentle since it's pretty easy to crack the plastic. also, it took me a little while to get it back together because some parts spilled out...
good luck. maybe others have suggestions too. oh and welcome to the Org, it's a great place to learn about our cars.
i was able to fix my brights by taking the switch apart and cleaning the metal contacts inside. just be very gentle since it's pretty easy to crack the plastic. also, it took me a little while to get it back together because some parts spilled out...
good luck. maybe others have suggestions too. oh and welcome to the Org, it's a great place to learn about our cars.
03-14-2004, 08:50 PM
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2004
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Originally Posted by ghostmax
the headlight switch is known to malfunction (i didn't have brights for a while). you can take it out and try to fix it. start by removing the plastic around the steering column (4 screws from the bottom). then unplug the harness and remove the screws holding it in place.
i was able to fix my brights by taking the switch apart and cleaning the metal contacts inside. just be very gentle since it's pretty easy to crack the plastic. also, it took me a little while to get it back together because some parts spilled out...
good luck. maybe others have suggestions too. oh and welcome to the Org, it's a great place to learn about our cars.
i was able to fix my brights by taking the switch apart and cleaning the metal contacts inside. just be very gentle since it's pretty easy to crack the plastic. also, it took me a little while to get it back together because some parts spilled out...
good luck. maybe others have suggestions too. oh and welcome to the Org, it's a great place to learn about our cars.
03-16-2004, 09:06 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,105
Originally Posted by browngirl
Hi all. Am brand-new to the site. Wish I'd known about it longer!! I bought my 1989 Max 7 years ago, and the only real problems I have experienced have been of an electrical nature. And I am having one right now.: My lights are all malfunctioning. Started with a brake light that malfunctioned occasionally despite change of bulb and wires being hot. Then the cruise control wouldn't work if the headlights were on. Then the brights wouldn't come on at all. And now one dim is gone and the brights will sometimes work if I jiggle the switch. This has all happened in a matter of weeks. Any help would be appreciated. Not to make excuses, but I am a girl with limited mechanical abilities. Always ready to learn, though! And of course my dad is a whiz, but needs someplace to start. He thinks it is possibly a sensor in the steering column. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for any advice!
i agree with everyone else in saying your headlight switch is probably dead (but i've never known it to be a problem). also check your relays. as far as your brake lights, check all of your grounds and clean them, thats the only reason i could see the wires getting hot.
good luck with it.
03-16-2004, 04:20 PM
#6
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Join Date: Mar 2004
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Thanks everybody! I hope to work on the headlight switch tomorrow, weather permitting. I will let you know if it works. I hope so, because now I only have headlights if I pull back on the switch. Which means I can't drink coffee while driving to work at 5 in the a.m.! 
03-29-2004, 07:22 PM
#7
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Join Date: Mar 2004
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I have lights!!! The weather finally cleared up long enough to work on my headlight switch. With ghostmax's instructions, I was able to take apart the casing around steering column and get to the switch. My brother then helped me clean the contacts and I put it back together on my own!! And the brake light turned out to be bad grounding, so with some help again from my brother, I am back on the road with my two true loves: my Maxima and my coffee! Thanks for the help to all those who replied, especially ghostmax!
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