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Manual/Constant Headlight Malfunction

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Old Jul 1, 2009 | 09:54 PM
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Exclamation Manual/Constant Headlight Malfunction

I was driving around a couple nights ago at night, and it started to get foggy, so I turned on my fog lights (just the fronts, so pulled out only 1 notch). I was still having trouble seeing with my other lights on, so I turned the dial to only have my parking and my front fogs on... but my lights didn't turn off. I have always been able to have just my parking lights on, even when my DRLs are turned on (set to constant).

I thought that maybe the DRLs had something to do with this, so I pulled into a gas station, and ran through my light settings. With the DRLs set to constant (and in the dark), my headlights are on, no matter what the dial is turned to. My fogs won't turn on at all. And the weirdest thing is that the dash lighting is only on when the dial is set to on (all the way to the right).

When I got up this morning, I played around a little more with the lights, but still have the same issues. With the DRLs set on OR off... The lights are always on when the car is on, the fogs won't come on, and the dash lighting will only come on when the dial is turned all the way to the right.

I have absolutely NO idea what is going on, and I could really use some help. It seems like a computer issue, but IDK. Also, there are no warnings that have come up.

Thank you in advance!
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Old Jul 1, 2009 | 09:57 PM
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I just realized that this morning was a little different. The DRLs were set to Constant, and they were on no matter what the dial was set to until I turned the dial all the way to the right. But after it got dark, same thing as before.
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Old Jul 2, 2009 | 04:15 AM
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So if you are sitting in the dark and you have Headlamps = Constant and you turn the dial to "AUTO", the interior lighting doesn't work? I'm not sure I'm understanding this right.
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Old Jul 2, 2009 | 05:18 AM
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Pretty wierd they are on even when you dont have them on constant? Do you have warranty? I hope it's not an electrical problem.

I don't know if this is wise but if you dont have warranty I would disconnect the battery then resync the car.

----------------------------------
This is what you must do.

Preparation Steps:

1. Make sure your stering wheel is not turned to either side.
2. Make sure your windows are all the way up
3. Make sure your sun roof is completely closed
4. make sure your parking brake is released
6. Turn off your stereo.
7. Make sure you have your stereo's Anti-theft code
8. Turn off your heat/AC blower
9. Turn off your lights
10. Make sure your door are UNLOCKED.
11. READ THE WHOLE PROCEDURE BEFORE GETTING STARTED

Reset Steps:
Open your trunk and diconect the negative side of your batery, wait 30 seconds and re-connect it back.

Post-Reste Steps

Turn the key to position 2 (DO NOT START YOUR ENGINE)

1. Reseting your windows: You only have ONE shot at this so you must not screw up. Bring down both windows at the same time by holding the switches just before the click that brings them down automatically. Once both windwos are all the way down make both swithches click by pressing them all the way down. This lets the ECU learn that that is the end of the window track and it records it in memeory. Do the same closing the windows by holding both switches and making them click once the windows are all the way up.

2. Turn on your blower and make both sides go to 72 deg. by pressing both up and down buttons at the same time. This will calibrate the ECU

3. Turn on your stereo and enter you stero code. ify oud dont have it. you can forget about listening to the radio.

4. pull the sun roof all the way back and all the way forward then up and then donw

6. Turn all you lights on and off, including your fog lights

7. Turn the key back to position 0.

8. Turn on your engine. You will get 2 malfunctions, your ABS and ESP systems must be calibrated.

9. Calibrate your ABS and ESP systems by turning the steering wheel all the way to your RIGHT and then all the way to your LEFT. then bring it back to the midle. Notice the two yellow lights desapear from you dashboard.

10. Let your car run in idle for about 5 minutes and then take it for a spin. Remember your ECU is still getting all the readings from all the sensors on your car so drive slowly first then faster... and so on.. you are basically teaching your ECU how to handle your car.
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Old Jul 2, 2009 | 12:59 PM
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Matt, that is correct. As it is now, in the daylight, with lighting set to EITHER Constant or Manual, the full headlights, not just DRLs, are on no matter what the dial is turned to, as long as the key is turned on. The Fog lights will not come on at all, and the dash lighting will only come on when the dial is turned all the way to the right. Also, the little green symbol that shows the lights are on (the one under the speedo) only comes on when the dial is all the way to the right.
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Old Jul 2, 2009 | 06:32 PM
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From: Saint Augustine, FL
1999 CLK320 (sold), 2007 C230 SS (gone), 2000 Grand Marquis, 2011 CR-Z, stay tuned...
Ok, so I just got home from getting new tires, and I noticed that now, in the light, with the DRLs set to Manual, the lights only come on with the dial all the way to the right, but nothing comes on in any other setting.

I am still under warranty, so I will probably take my car in to Brumos when I go back to Jacksonville. I really don't want to go back to Duval here under ANY circumstances!
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Old Jul 2, 2009 | 07:43 PM
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I had a similar situation once where headlights & instument lights would not turn off at any setting other than off. I though oh sh-t, here we go. All the lights blazing in bright sunlight - dash lights included. I was busy & could not get to the dealer so I just went on driving the car & after a number of stops, restarts & reboots the thing sorted itself out & has never done it again - put it down to microprocessor brain fade.
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Old Jul 2, 2009 | 07:48 PM
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That's good to hear. It will be at least a week before I can get back to Jacksonville, so maybe I won't have a problem by then. Thanks Glyn
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Old Jul 3, 2009 | 05:03 AM
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Originally Posted by bdgdl08
in the light, with the DRLs set to Manual, the lights only come on with the dial all the way to the right, but nothing comes on in any other setting.
This is normal operation. If the DRL feature is off, and the headlights are in the off position - they should be off, no? And if it is light out, if they're in the AUTO position, they should still be off. They'd only be on in the daylight if you had Headlamps = Constant or if you turned the switch to the "ON" spot.

I set my Headlamps = Constant setting today and that's not DRL to me. That's just keeping the lights on all the time. Every light was lit, tails, markers, interior, etc. DRL is reduced-power highbeams (IMO, anyway). I see now why I never used this setting.

Edit: And yes for heaven's sake do not take it to Duvals or whatever. They'll tell you the little green men have invaded your ECU and set up shop and it's not under warranty and that it will cost $4000.
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Old Jul 3, 2009 | 06:25 PM
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On my car, normally, with Headlamps = Constant and in the light, I have dimmer front lights (only front) that are always on if the dial is turned to Off or Auto... if the dial is then turned to the parking light setting, the parking lights come on and the other lights go off (and the back come on). In the dark, the headlights (the brighter, normal ones) are on always, unless the dial is turned to parking.

The problem is now that I don't have fog lights at all, and can't have parking lights at all. I either have off, or full lights.
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