headlight switch/electrical issue

[lylega]

On my 83 Monte, the headlight switch quit working. It must have shorted because it was very hot and melted some of the plastic. I installed a new switch, which only worked for a few minutes. Now, there is no power coming to the red wire that powers the switch, and the right rear turn signal wont flash. All fuses. bulbs, and related connections are good as far as i can tell. Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[87GP]

Check the fuse and relay. I think the r/r signal is probably a bad bulb. Check both the tail light bulb and side marker bulb.

 

[chev malibu]

If the short in the switch got hot enough to melt plastic, I wonder if you have a dead short somewhere in the system. Is there a fusible link on the headlights, maybe it melted out?

 

[elementoleflows]

i have the same problem with my 81 monte carlo. but all my other lights work, just not the headlights.

 

[gman]

As I recall the headlight switches of that era and older have a circuit breaker built into them. Not sure what it takes to trip it but it is there. It is reset by turniing the headlights off/pushing the knob in and then turning them on again. If your running halogen headlights you might be overheating the breaker and the switch. Problably not tripping the breaker because you are melting the switch. I would think a defective switch/breaker. Should cure that part of the problem. Getting that hot in the first place is a overheating problem from halogen? headlights or a short.

 

[pontiacgp]

I have conversion headlights with H4 bulbs. The low beams would work ok but if I hit the high beams the lights would go out for few seconds and then kick back in on their own. I put a relay in for the low and another for the highs and never had a problem again. It's not worth buying the package with the relays for the money they sell it. The relays are cheap and the wiring is simple.

 

[elementoleflows]

i have stock headlights changed the switch and nothing happened. checked all my fuses and there ok. still no headlights it sucks the times i want to be driving i cant because it gets dark at 5pm in sacramento. were can i find those relays and how do i wire them in?

 

[pontiacgp]

the only fusable limks I am aware of is on two wires that are connected to the stater....you'll see them in the wires a few inches from the end thats connected to the starter...