Hi all,
I have an issue with all six of my 5w 'first click of the stalk' running/side lights failing, intermittently at first over a period of a year or so. Both 5w rears, both top mini 5w headlights and both 5w mini rounds above the indicators are dead. I assume they're all 5w. Rears are 21/5w combined brake and running bulbs here in The U.K. but the 21w filaments are fine and the 5w's also look ok, though they would not be able to fail at the same time and then work the next day again and again. When they go, they go for good. Fuses are all good though I wouldn't know about the relay which is possibly the cause given the gradual decline in reliability followed by total failure. The same thing happened with my driver's window which is now also dead.
One top 5w uppermost headlight bulb has no continuity and I was wondering if this can cause all the others on the circuit to also fail until it's replaced? I've ordered a pair of new Osram Ultra Life 5w which will arrive tomorrow so we'll see. The problem began with only the rear running lights though, as far as I can remember, and the stalk switch would work fine as when they did function you could turn them on and off with no problem, on that particular day.
The next day however, they may or may not have decided to work, even when I was parked at the supermarket 5 miles away and got back in and turned them on again after half an hour. Then they might work every morning and evening for a week or more. There's no voltage getting to the lights as tested with a digital meter.
I haven't driven the truck for over a year so I may be wrong about the rears only failing first as it's only a safety concern in the dark with no rear lights and all other exterior lights work except the aftermarket add-on fog and a custom fitted clear rear spotlight with it's own switch on the dash, presumably to help with reversing. It never worked and I haven't checked the bulb but the light works on the dash switch, as does the fog switch light.
The electrics are questionable generally, since the previous owner told me that the factory T.V. and reversing camera screen would only work on a hot day, which turned out to be true. I've only seen it work twice on two very hot summer days a year or two apart. Radio works but can't see what I'm doing. Clearly a thermally related connection issue there. The rear camera cover also fails to close half the time too but I think it's an indecisive or sticky switch on the reversing selector.
Will update progress if any and appreciate any input, particularly links to articles that may show the 5w lighting relay/s in question in a '97 JDM. By the way, according to Google this site is DANGEROUS and has known security issues related to phishing. Basically they warned against even entering the site. Needs serious attention. Cheers!
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Originally Posted by Thelgord
