How To Test The Headlight Switch with a multimeter (Ford 4.9L, 5.0L, 5.8L)

Testing the headlight switch on your Ford pickup (SUV or van) isn't difficult.

In this tutorial, I'll bear witness you how to find out if the headlight switch is causing a 'No Headlights' or a 'No Park Lamps' condition.

Note: This tutorial covers quite a bit of Ford vehicles since the same headlight switch fits them all. To detect out if this tutorial applies to your specific Ford vehicle, accept a look at the 'Applies To:' box on the correct column.

En Español You lot can find this tutorial in Spanish hither: Cómo Probar: El Interruptor de las Luces Delanteras (Ford) (at: autotecnico-online.com).

Headlight Switch Troubleshooting Basics

How To Test The Ford Headlight Switch

Here's a description of all of the headlight pins:

Headlight Switch & Connector Pin Out
Pin Wire Colour Description
B1 Black due west/ Orangish stripe Battery (+)
B2 Tan w/ White stripe Battery (+)
D1 Lt Green w/ Yellow stripe Power (+) for interior lamps
D2 Black w/ Pink stripe To all interior lamps
H Cherry-red due west/ Yellow stripe To headlight dimmer switch
I White west/ Lt Blueish stripe To musical instrument panel lamps
IGN Yellow w/ Black stripe Battery (+)
R Brown To exterior lamps
DN Orange westward/ Black stripe To radio illumination lamps

NOTE: The colors of the wires (above) may not be the ones coming out of the headlight switch connector in your particular Ford vehicle but the excursion (pin) descriptions will be the aforementioned.

Testing the headlight switch simply involves testing the continuity of certain circuits.

To exist a scrap more specific, y'all'll be using a multimeter in Ohms (Ω) and probing between to terminals (on the headlight switch itself) to see if in that location's continuity between them.

If there's no continuity between them, then that excursion is bad and the headlight switch on your Ford pickup (SUV or van) has to be replaced.

Annotation: You'll need to remove the headlight switch to exam it.

  1. The two pins that consummate the circuit for the headlights are:
    1. pin B1
    2. pin H
  2. The two pins that complete the circuit for the park lamp are:
    1. pin B2
    2. pivot R

Melted Ford Headlight Switch Connector

How To Test The Headlight Switch with a multimeter (Ford 4.9L, 5.0L, 5.8L)

Melted headlight switch connectors (and headlight switches) are a very mutual trouble on Ford vehicle's equipped with this blazon of headlight switch. This problem will cause the headlights or park lamps to stop working.

At that place's a very proficient chance that this is exactly what has happened in your particular Ford vehicle.

So, before y'all start any of the tests in this tutorial, you'll need to encounter if this has happened in your detail case.

If y'all exercise notice that the headlight switch connector is melted, you'll need to supersede both the headlight switch and the connector. Yous can buy them both hither:

Start Here: Testing The Headlight Switch

Depending on what issue you're having with your head lights (no headlights or no park lamps), your starting signal will exist in one of two dissimilar tests.

Annotation: Earlier starting any of the tests below, take a await at this section: Melted Ford Headlight Switch Connector.

Alright, depending on what trouble you're trying to solve, here's your starting guide

No Headlights

  1. The get-go test involves jumpering pins B1 and H and checking that the headlights turn on.
    1. For this test, go to: TEST one: Jumpering The Headlight Excursion.
  2. The second test involves checking the continuity between pins B1 and H of the headlight switch itself.
    1. For this test, become to: TEST 2: Testing The Continuity Of The Headlight Circuit.

No Park Lamps

  1. The offset test involves jumpering pins B2 and R and checking that the park lamps turn on.
    1. For this test, become to: TEST 3: Jumpering The Park Lamp Circuit.
  2. The second test involves checking the continuity between pins B2 and R of the headlight switch itself.
    1. For this test, go to: TEST four: Testing The Continuity Of The Park Lamp Circuit.