1978 fairmont headlight flashing

[Jfleg]

Good evening! First off I am new here so let me introduce myself, I’m jake. I have an 07 mustang base I am working on, diehard ford guy. I just picked up a 1978 fairmont boxtop. (2.3na, auto)I have been running down quite a few issues with it, fixing it up little by little. The most recent issue I have ru into is my headlights. I was driving around for a few hours this evening, and for probably the first hour and a half hey worked fine. After about an hour and a half however, the headlights started to flash on and off, which is obviously a safety hazard at night. At first I thought it was random flickering, possibly a bad ground that kept getting jostled when we drove over bumps, but after pulling over it was still doing it stationary. I noticed that they seemed to flash, not erratically, but almost as if they were timed. Sure enough after pulling out a stopwatch, they are on for 5 seconds, then off for five seconds, and it just keeps going. Turning the lights off and back on doesn’t help, neither does shutting down the car. To me the rhythmic flashing indicates that something is going on with a relay, but I am not sure why the headlights would be affected by a relay (then again I am new to the fox chassis, and don’t know the quirks yet)

Does it sound like a relay is going bad? What else do you guys think would cause that? And if it is a relay, where would that be located in my car? I didn’t see any relays in the fuse box.

thanks in advance for your help!

(p.s. I know this is in the wrong section, and I will be making a post soon about this, if anyone has any leads on a drivers side door for a 78 box too, let me know)

[4-barrel Mike]

First thing I would do would be to replace the 40-year-headlight switch. Standard Motor Products DS195. Maybe $20.

Welcome! Post some pics of your Fairmont.

Mike

[darkd0r]

Lights flashing is caused by circuit breaker tripping and resetting, then tripping again, over and over. Circuit breaker is part of light switch, so replace it like 4-barrel Mike says.

[Jfleg]

Thank you for the help! I’ll get on that and then on to the next step to making it like new

[ZephyrEFI]

It would be funny if it wasn't so inconvenient! I would like to see pics as well.

[4-barrel Mike]

It would be funny if it wasn't so inconvenient! I would like to see pics as well.

Actually, a video of the flashing headlights would be cool.

Mike