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Steering column hot on top when low beams on

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    #1

    Steering column hot on top when low beams on

    My steering column gets hot on top when low beams are on and I think I smell the plastic shroud heating up. I think the headlight circuit runs through the turn signal, high beam, hazard light unit which I know has the bundle of wires running across the top of the column. That means these wires are getting hot. My question is whether or not there is anything in particular that might have gone bad that can be replaced to reduce the load on this bundle of wires?

    I know there is the headlight switch but that is hard to get to. I took one off at PicknPull once before and it was easier for some reason because it was a GS model. Then I looked at my LS and was like, what about all these wires and brackets in the way? I also recently cut the bundle of wires off one in the yard just in case I need that.

    Let me guess, the problem is not something simple because that would be my luck since I don't pay people to do stuff I can do anymore but I don't have a place to work on my car without getting a nasty letter from the rental office about the provisions of the lease or having the police pull up and say the neighbors are going to complain if they notice things get too disassembled (like a steering column laying on my seat just to see under the shroud). By the way, nothing is not working yet regarding the turn signal, high beam, hazard light unit. I guess I should convince my brother to go in with me on renting a storage unit big enough to work on cars, eh?
    Tags: None
    #2
    sounds like the multifunction switch is melting down. If you relay the headlights, it will take all of that load off the switches and the problem will go away, and you'll get brighter lights as a bonus.
    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

    Originally posted by phayzer5
    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

    Comment

      #3
      I wonder what could be causing it though. A resistor somewhere is not lowering the power before it goes to the multifunction switch? Is the headlight switch supposed to tone the current down? I can't seem to find my electrical troubleshooting manual at the moment. It might be in a bin somwhere with parts that start piling up.

      Comment

        #4
        1)There are no resistors. Anywhere.
        2) The full current of the headlights and the marker lights runs through the headlight switch on these cars, because Ford's electrical engineers are idiots. If you relay the headlights (meaning you install a relay on the headlight circuit, and use the current from the switch as the trigger wire), you can remove the load of the headlights from the switch, and you'll get brighter headlights too.
        3)It's possible that something is shorting out in your MF switch, and it might need to be replaced.

        Edit: Wait--what year car are we talking about? I was assuming you had a box.
        Originally posted by gadget73
        There is nothing more permanent than a temporary fix.
        91 Mercury CP, Lopo 302, AOD, 3.08LSD. 3g upgrade, Moog wagon coils up front, cc819s in the back. KYB GR-2 police shocks. Energy suspension control arm bushings. Smog deleted.
        93 F-150 XLT, 302, ZF 5-spd from 1-ton, 4wd.
        Daily--07 Civic Coupe. Bone stock with 25k miles
        Wife--14 Subaru Outback. 6-speed.
        95 Subaru Legacy Wagon--red--STOLEN 1/6/13

        Comment

          #5
          I'd be willing to wager the heat is coming from a poor connection. Let it go long enough, and the problem will fix itself, either by melting the connection open, or catching the car on fire until it burns to the ground.
          86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
          5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

          91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

          1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

          Originally posted by phayzer5
          I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

          Comment

            #6
            The last thing you want to see is burning Panther...
            '79 Continental Town Car
            '90 Crown Victoria LTD
            '94 Crown Victoria

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