Headlights quit working

[85WhiteGT]

So the second time out this year, my 85's headlights quit working. The parking lights will come on, but no headlights. If I pull slightly back on the turn signal lever, all four headlights will come on, but the high beam indicator won't come on. The lights out warning isn't on either. Looking at the wiring diagrams, I'm leaning towards the multi-switch, but based upon my searches, it seems that more often than not, it's the headlight switch. I was going to check the headlight switch, but I can get a screwdriver to turn out the slots on the retaining nut. I'm hesitant to put pliers on it, because then I'm stuck replacing the headlight switch anyway.

Has anyone run into this before? Just trying to figure out which switch is bad.

Thanks.

[BoostMasterZero]

Although I didn't have this particular issue, I had a very odd problem that came with my car when I bought it. The car had aftermarket headlights, OEM style Sylvania brights and only the driver's side headlight would work unless I turned the brights on and all 4 lights would light up, but the brights would be on a low-bright setting and I could also engage a high-bright setting. While I was installing new LEDs into a projector style housing headlight, I noticed the red lead of one of the 3 leads that go into the H4 connector was loose and the others were slightly loose, so I wrapped electrical tape on both connectors and now I don't have that issue any more. Now just the two headlights appear when I pull the headlight switch. I thought it was going to be a massive wiring ordeal to fix it.

Check the 3 pin connectors for the sake of it, it can't hurt, as they may not be making full contact.

[85WhiteGT]

Thanks for the suggestion. Just to update the thread for future searches, I fired the parts cannon earlier this week, and a new headlight switch showed up today. I put it in, and I now have headlights. Looks like I will be able to cruise this weekend!

[gt4494]

Thanks for the suggestion. Just to update the thread for future searches, I fired the parts cannon earlier this week, and a new headlight switch showed up today. I put it in, and I now have headlights. Looks like I will be able to cruise this weekend!

Glad to hear its fixed. Always nice to have another four eyes on the road safely.

[liv2roc]

for $100 total I changed mine to LEDs. all 4 lo and high beams. they look the same as factory headlights but way brighter. bolts right in no cutting. only had to swap 2 wires on the highbeams that plugged into the light. very easy to do, small pick will release the wires from the connector and switch 2 wires around.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
uses a lot less power and will safe your wiring and switch.

[85WhiteGT]

for $100 total I changed mine to LEDs. all 4 lo and high beams. they look the same as factory headlights but way brighter. bolts right in no cutting. only had to swap 2 wires on the highbeams that plugged into the light. very easy to do, small pick will release the wires from the connector and switch 2 wires around.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
uses a lot less power and will safe your wiring and switch.

Thanks for the review and links. I have a set of Autopal H4's with relays on my other car. I try not to drive the Mustang at night out here due to all the deer, but better lighting never hurts. Are these bulbs pretty close to the stock look? Not wanting to look too blue to high schoolish.

[stangPlus2Birds]

Thanks for the review and links. I have a set of Autopal H4's with relays on my other car. I try not to drive the Mustang at night out here due to all the deer, but better lighting never hurts. Are these bulbs pretty close to the stock look? Not wanting to look too blue to high schoolish.

Those listed are blueish, and not the best color.

https://www.beamtechs.com/products/b...conversion-kit
Color Temperature: 6500K


For "daylight", you want ~5000K to ~5800K.
Once you go over ~6,000K, there is a noticeable blue hint.

Some people prefer, or see better/clearer, with a "warmer color temperature" light.
Many people will feel that a "warm light" is easier and less stressful on the eyes.
Not everyone is the same.

In general,*I* prefer daylight bulbs/lighting, verses the typical warmer bulbs.
But, *I* find anything over ~6000K as harsh and noticeably blueish.

For many people, the harshness/glare from headlights can become more noticeable as they get older.
That's because people tend to loose some "blue-range" acuity as they get older.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0220102614.htm
https://iovs.arvojournals.org/articl...icleid=2200231 (better, but very technical)

Headlight glare is more pronounced with the blueish headlights - hence why they are Federally illegal. Headlight color temperature, lumens, patterns, etc are all very specially defined.


People are not perfect machines.
As people age, their hearing and visual ranges decrease.
Therefore, someone may say that 7,000K looks great to them. While, in fact, that's well into the blue range.

Therefore, YMMV as to what a person thinks looks blue, daylight, warm(red/amber), etc.

Realize, that without a calibration shot, calibration in the video processing, and a calibrated monitor/screen, what you see on a phone or screen is "an approximation" of the actual color.

Imho, it's also good to note, that people do not perceive the brightness colors proportionally to "Lumens/light/photon intensity".
That's important for lighting in vehicles/etc, when it's desirable to have different LEDs/colors look similar in perceived brightness.
Or, when people say that one headlight is brighter than the other, when the headlights being compared have different color outputs (this also happens as the LEDs and lens age).


https://www.inlineelectric.com/color_temperature




This seems like a decently accurate video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO-GIX4CStk
HID Bulb Kelvin Rating Color Temperature
TheRetrofitSource


I'm not going to argue about against what some website says is the "desired" color of daylight for lights.
Human perceived color/brightness and the light source specifics aren't a simple cut and dry answer.
So, I'll just say that Cree rules.
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Lighting...79ZbolZ1z0wujf


A quick read:
https://www.lightology.com/index.php...-measure-light


Good Luck!

[liv2roc]

they are white lights no blue looking. looking at it during the day they look stock at night with lights on its just bright white.

[stangPlus2Birds]

they are white lights no blue looking. looking at it during the day they look stock at night with lights on its just bright white.

Fwiw, even on the Amazon web page, it specifically says that the LEDs are blueish.
"Cool White" is just a way of saying "more blue than Daylight".
Also, from the pictures, they look blueish to me.


BEAMTECH H4 LED Bulb, CSP Chips Conversion Kit Fanless Cool White All In One Plug N Play Halogen Replacement Pack of 2


Fwiw, in the house, a "Cool White" bulb that has a shade/etc over it, can end up producing more "daylight" like color temperatures, verses the blueish-tone that comes directly from the bulb.
That also means that a nice 5000K bulb that has a shade over it, can often result in a "warmer" tone/light.
The "Blue portion of the light" is often attenuated/decreased more when any lens/glass/fabric/smog/smoke/etc is present.
That's because the "blue-portion" of the light is made up of higher frequencies. While, the red-portion is made up of lower frequencies.
The higher frequencies get attenuated/decreased more easily than the shorter/longer frequencies.
When people watch something on the grill outside, they can often see the "heat waves" slightly distorting the view.
That's because Humans have some visual range into the infrared portion of the spectrum.
Other animals (dogs, mice) are able to see much further into the infrared region of the spectrum.
Hence, dogs being able to "read" people better by not only smell, but also sight.
And, mice finding/making holes in houses/structures in the winter.


For photography, things quickly get interesting. I have a number of calibration cards/etc.
Fwiw, even calibration cards are a semi-joke. But, they are useful when used properly.
Of course, often the "artists/photographers" care more about how something looks, verses it's accuracy.

[liv2roc]

mine are not blue very white and very bright. makes all the road signs glow.
my foglights are converted to LED also but you have to have a spacer to make them fit.
My son 3d printed a 1/2inch spacer for me to make bulbs fit housing.

[85WhiteGT]

mine are not blue very white and very bright. makes all the road signs glow.
my foglights are converted to LED also but you have to have a spacer to make them fit.
My son 3d printed a 1/2inch spacer for me to make bulbs fit housing.

That looks good. I like it to still look pretty stock these fit the bill nicely. Put some fun miles on it this weekend. Might have to look into swapping out the headlights next. Thanks!