1997 Taurus Headlight Problem

[jmskms9]

I have a 1997 Taurus that is having electrical problems. When I hit a bump the headlights go off and then click back on, any ideas??

[shorod]

The first thing I'd suggest checking is the electrical connection at the headlamp switch. There is no relay in the headlight system of your car so all the current goes through the headlamp switch and multifunction switch. An intermittent connection could be generating a lot of heat, leading to corrosion, which causes more heat and eventually melts connectors and wiring, hopefully blowing a fuse before starting a fire.

If the connections are good at the headlamp switch, then the problem could be with the multifunction switch, and if that checks out fine, then you might be looking at an issue with the fuse sockets or headlight connections/grounds.

-Rod

[jmskms9]

I will check that and see if it clears up my problem. Seem to have another one that I cannot figure out. The front left side of the car is bottoming out. I just put new tires on it and when hitting bumps you can here a scrape from the front left, ANY IDEAS??

[shorod]

Is it actually bottoming out or just making a loud clunk noise? First thing to check for that would be to make sure the front end is tight and you don't have worn suspension or steering joints. Also make sure the wheel bearing is not loose. If everything seems tight, then you might simply have a (common) anti-sway bar end link that is failing or anti-sway bar bushings that are worn. It could be a worn strut plate/mount as well but I've seen a lot of these get replaced only to find the problem was the end links. The strut plates are more difficult to change out too. End links and worn strut plates are not as much of a safety concern as they are a noisy nuisance. You certainly want to inspect the safety items first though.

-Rod