Blinking high-beam light on dashboard

[mactoph]

This morning the high-beam light indicator on my light started blinking- it's not blinking on and off, but a regular on-off-on-off, does anyone have any idea as to what might be causing this?
Any help or ideas are greatly appreciated.

[johnholl]

That's an odd one.

I'll check the schematic. Go outside the car, are the actual highbeams blinking on an off as well? Does the indicator blink in park and drive?

[mactoph]

Thanks John-
The high beams aren't actually going on an off- and since I have posted the message the problem is now happening sporadically, and yes- it has happened in both park and drive.
I'm starting to wonder if there is just some kind of connection loose- I did replace one of the front headlights a month or so ago, maybe something didn't get connected all of the way back correctly- do you think that could be it?

Thanks

Originally Posted by johnholl

Go outside the car, are the actual highbeams blinking on an off as well? Does the indicator blink in park and drive?

[Midwestchopshop]

i have the same problem with my wifes car. Did you ever find out what the problem was???

[mactoph]

Yeah- sorry I should have posted back- it was a problem with one of the ground wires (does that make sense?), I took it into a mechanic and that's what he said the problem was- at least that was part of the problem, after the light blinked on and off for a few days it actually quit working completely. Replacing the wire helped to fix it, but my high-beam indicator still blinks at me occasionally- if you find anything else out about your car, I would appreciate it as well-
Thanks

Originally Posted by Midwestchopshop

i have the same problem with my wifes car. Did you ever find out what the problem was???

[Midwestchopshop]

Originally Posted by mactoph

Yeah- sorry I should have posted back- it was a problem with one of the ground wires (does that make sense?), I took it into a mechanic and that's what he said the problem was- at least that was part of the problem, after the light blinked on and off for a few days it actually quit working completely. Replacing the wire helped to fix it, but my high-beam indicator still blinks at me occasionally- if you find anything else out about your car, I would appreciate it as well-
Thanks

the thing is with my wifes car, the day time running lights stay on and DO NOT shut off, which in turn drains the battery.

[johnholl]

Originally Posted by Midwestchopshop

the thing is with my wifes car, the day time running lights stay on and DO NOT shut off, which in turn drains the battery.

The lights stay on with the engine off and the key out?

Has to be a shorted headlight relay or shorted head light "on off" switch [located on the steering column]

[Midwestchopshop]

Originally Posted by johnholl

The lights stay on with the engine off and the key out?

Has to be a shorted headlight relay or shorted head light "on off" switch [located on the steering column]

yes they stay on with the headlight switch off and the key out of the ignition.
I talked to a shop today and he said that its probly a bad daytime running light module. Im going to disconnect that tonite and see what happens.

[n1ckml007]

I have the same issue (as the earlier post) on a 1999 Prizm. High beam indicator light flashing, but it doesn't correlate to the headlights flashing. This starts after starting the car. Totally weird

[n1ckml007]

Update: Last night my headlights went out completely, parking lights still work. I took the 1999 Prizm into the shop today. The mechanic was able to get the headlights to turn on giving them ground. So he thinks that it may be the switch in the steering column that is the issue.

On monday I will be taking it back to the shop on monday(I just got charged an hr of labor to diag the issue )

He said he'll need to disco the airbags and take apart the steering column, hr of labor aprox, no estimate on part yet.

[n1ckml007]

Update: Monday I took the car in, I got the Daytime running light module replaced (not the switch), the module is behind the glove box apparently. When I left the mechanic's I should have known all was not well when the day time running lights were not working.

When I parked the car I realized that the parking lights were stuck on, I disconnected the positive terminal of the battery so my battery wouldn't drain. I took the car back to the shop today.

The mechanic thought that it was a grounding issue (mentioned earlier by in people's posts), he made a seperate ground for the day time running light module. Everything is working at the momemt.

He thinks the issue lies behind the kick panel near the driver's side floor, there is a common grounding point he described as a "grounding bar", which sounds like a bus to me. He said a bunch of the ground wires which are white/black are
brown from heat (not good).

He said the schematic he had didn't give the pin out for the "grounding bar" so he said this likely something I need to go to the dealer to get the grounding wires cleaned up.

So the mechanic didn't even try to charge me today, which is good. I would have not have been happy.

[mlipenk]

Not so weird. I just recently purchased a 1999 Chevy Prizm (Toyota Corolla really). Two days after I bought it the high-beam light on the dash-board annoyingly starts flashing on and off, whether I have the headlamp switch on, off, on high-beam or not.

It did not do this the day I test drove it. However, the individual I purchased from replaced the tail-lights before I picked it up. Did he not connect the tail-light wires correctly? Would incorrectly installed tail-light wiring cause the high-beam dash-board light to flash???

Also, this is my first Toyota (Pseudo-Chevy). I find it just a bit ironic that two days after I own it problems start to arise... Hmmm. I thought Toyotas were supposely so reliable. I thought Toyotas weren't supposed to have ANY problems, according to the former Ford/Chevy/Chrysler owners I talk to. I've found both the Prizm and Corolla forums riddled problems, particularily electrical in nature. Sorry, I'm just venting.

[n1ckml007]

Based on my experiences I would take the car to a Chevy dealer or someone who is familiar with this particular issue with Prizm's.

I would have them look at the grounding for the DRL (daytime running lights) control module.

[imatkel]

I know this is an old thread.... but I spent a ton of time tracing a headlight problem on my 1999 prizm and have posted what I found in hopes that it will help someone else.
I found headlight questions all over the internet but none of them had a real solution ... I guess when people get it fixed they have no reason to pass on what they found. what I did and found is here --->
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=771841



http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=771841