Windstar Headlights Important Read
gunner3oo6
04-08-2006, 11:02 PM
SAVE your multifunction switch before this part goes!
Windstar has a white ceramic regulator with a 2 wire push connect under the hood mounted just under/behind the pasenger headlight ( can be seen and accessed without removing any parts ). This is refered to as the DRL regulator. They are very common for breaking or wires corroding off and shorting on the chassi. Ford no longer sells this part and if broken they just bypass ( disconnect and loop together the 2 wires, don't even bother to remove the regulator. (Save yourself agravation!).
Problem is when this regulator does short against the chassi, it will take out your multifunction switch with it which is about $100.00 it's self to replace on your own. If the short isn't too bad the multi switch can be repaired by opening and cleaning up the contacts. Mine I had to also file away a bit of melted plastic on the contact guide so the springs pushing the contact out would move free again.
The symptoms my van had were no headlights except DRL's, flash to pass and parking lights. High and lows did not function. The ceramic regulator will not cause any problems untill the short gets back to the multi switch. It's only function was to slightly dim the pwr to the headlights for DRL mode.
Since instructed by Ford the regulator is simply bypassed when it does break and a replacement isn't made any more, it would make a lot of sense to disconnect and bypass before it costs you a multifunction switch even if the regulator is currently fine ( the regulator will go ). A friend of mine has the same van as I and his regulator is also broken but hadn't shorted on the chassi yet.
A simple 2 minute job and the cost of 1 piece of heat shrink tube will save a lot of money and headaches in the future!!! I am aware of this on 1995-98 but can not say if 99 and up still had the regulator or not. Anyone needing more clarity on this can message me.
Windstar has a white ceramic regulator with a 2 wire push connect under the hood mounted just under/behind the pasenger headlight ( can be seen and accessed without removing any parts ). This is refered to as the DRL regulator. They are very common for breaking or wires corroding off and shorting on the chassi. Ford no longer sells this part and if broken they just bypass ( disconnect and loop together the 2 wires, don't even bother to remove the regulator. (Save yourself agravation!).
Problem is when this regulator does short against the chassi, it will take out your multifunction switch with it which is about $100.00 it's self to replace on your own. If the short isn't too bad the multi switch can be repaired by opening and cleaning up the contacts. Mine I had to also file away a bit of melted plastic on the contact guide so the springs pushing the contact out would move free again.
The symptoms my van had were no headlights except DRL's, flash to pass and parking lights. High and lows did not function. The ceramic regulator will not cause any problems untill the short gets back to the multi switch. It's only function was to slightly dim the pwr to the headlights for DRL mode.
Since instructed by Ford the regulator is simply bypassed when it does break and a replacement isn't made any more, it would make a lot of sense to disconnect and bypass before it costs you a multifunction switch even if the regulator is currently fine ( the regulator will go ). A friend of mine has the same van as I and his regulator is also broken but hadn't shorted on the chassi yet.
A simple 2 minute job and the cost of 1 piece of heat shrink tube will save a lot of money and headaches in the future!!! I am aware of this on 1995-98 but can not say if 99 and up still had the regulator or not. Anyone needing more clarity on this can message me.
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