Weird Cold Weather Headlight Problem

[97civicexsedan]

Whenever I explain the problem to anyone, including my local Honda Dealer!), they say they've never heard of that before!

Whenever it's REALLY cold ... say below 15 degrees, when I start the car up in the morning (still dark), the headlights won't come on right away. The dash lights, taillights and parking lights all come on, but not the headlights.

I noticed this a couple of times last winter, and now it's doing it again. It took five minutes for the lights to come on! It was about 2 degrees this morning.

In regular above freezing winter weather, it only takes a second or two for the headlights to come on, after the other lights come on.

I don't think it's related, but a few months ago, I had a switch replaced that controls the high-beams. The old one (or something related in the steering column) melted ... I had smelled hot plastic for a couple of months.

This headlight thing was going on last winter as well as this winter, so I wouldn't think it's related to the new switch, but ??

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[bluevp00]

Have you tried changing your bulbs?

[lorunner]

Maybe the connector to the back of the headlight switch melted and since its cold out they don't make proper contact. I would have that looked at again. and take a good lok at the connector and its wires going into it.

[casper_sears]

Just a piece of information for you. I know that when computers get real cold it takes them a while to respond such as a cell phone or a PDA, that could be causeing your problem, The computer gets so cold that it takes a while for it to respond to you turning the headlight switch on.

[lorunner]

Originally Posted by casper_sears

Just a piece of information for you. I know that when computers get real cold it takes them a while to respond such as a cell phone or a PDA, that could be causeing your problem, The computer gets so cold that it takes a while for it to respond to you turning the headlight switch on.

There is no computer that controls the lights. Its just a straight shot to the relay and thats it. usually relays don't have slow response times

[topnoss]

where you live? below 15 degree, thats very cold. check the wiring from the relate thats runs to the lights. check if theres any power runing through, cause when it's that cold your wire froze (do to a bad wire or shorted wire.) when start up the car and switched the light on, it wont go through and what it does is short out your wire (backfire,build up electric shock) until the wire is warm up for it to go through. make all change on fuse. make sure all fuse box placer are not melt or rust out. if so get a new box. if you don't fix these stuff soon your car can go ka BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! sky high into the air(do to a negitive electric shock into your gas tank). j/k what i'm tryinig to say that if you don't change it all your fuse some time your car fuse will short out some time soon. if you did check and change thats good. i had the same problem too. few more thing check your battery, power wire, and negitive wire. make sure theres no white stuff (white chalking flacking thing) around the negitive or power wire, and the battery.