Ok, I need some help. I did the F250 (2005) install of the Z1 into my friends truck and it went fine, except that now I don't have headlights when the key is on.

If the key is off, and I turn on the headlights they work fine. If I pull the high beam they come on, and the light comes on in the dash. But as soon as I turn the key to the on position, no more headlights. The running lights still stay on. Start the truck and the running lights are on but not the headlights. If I push or pull the turn signal the high beam sign lights up on the dash. But nothing outside.

I checked every single fuse. Tried to push in all the relays, but nothing seems to help.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm stumped.

sounds like there might be something up with the headlight switch. Did you have to runoff that? Also check the pins in the harness for it one of them might have come loose. That did happen to me once before. That's definately a wierd one though.

No, but I had to pull all the connectors off the dash to take that off to get to the radio. I tried re-seating them all.

But the headlight switch works with the key off, but not when the key is turned on. :(

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure that the headlights worked with the key on when I picked it up, but I would guess they were.

One more thing to check. That plug on the back of the fuse box where you get the reverse. Make sure that's seated all the way. Sorry if I'm being redundant I'm going out on a limb here.


By the way only 600 posts left :)

Yah, I already pulled out the fuse box and pressed all the connectors in, they all seemed fine. I pulled out the fuse box when I originally hooked it up but I never removed the connectors. But they seem ok.

Sure keep em coming! Keep posting... any ideas you have... I want to hear them.

Something else, I hooked the truck's positive dimmer to the Z1. That couldn't have anything to do with it, would it?

I guess I will have to take out the radio and see if it being installed makes a difference.

The dimmer, I don't know it's possible. I never had much luck hooking into the dimmer wire so I've always hooked up to illumination or positive parking lights.

Ok, just to be complete.

All the connections I made at the radio harness...

Except for the speed sense wire which I got from pin 21 of the antilock brake setup in the engine compartment, my radio did not have speed volume and there was nothing at the radio I could tap off of.

I pulled the reverse wire with the black and pink wire in the back of the fuse block under the steering wheel... which I had to drop the fuse block to do this.

Everything else came from the radio harness. Tonight I will pull it off to see if that makes a difference.

The one thing that scares me is that this guy had someone else put in a "crimestopper cool start" remote car starter. So there is the module back in there and a couple relays. But there is a lot of tap off's on everything, but I don't think anything was cut. I always worry about that stuff too. The ground for that was taken by sticking a bare wire between the fuse block arm and the inner frame bar of the car, so by removing the fuse block it ungrounded this device, but when I make a good ground for it, all the remote features worked.

I'm going to take another stab tonight....

Steve, try disconnecting everything and see if you get the lights back. If not, I'm at a loss. I can see where something is taking the path of least resistance and killing the lights with the key on, but not if you disconnect everything.

I would be concerned about the remote start too.

This is one weird problem.

If you are talking about the automatic lights, they will not work if you are in a sunny area, or if the shop is well lit. Try covering the sensor on top of the dash with a towel or cloth.

No the truck was not equipped with automatic headlights. The truck is too tall to pull into my garage. So I was outside in the dark. And the lights will turn on with the key off, but as soon as I turn the key on, the lights go out. But what's weird, when I hit the high beams, the high beam indicator comes on in the dash, but it's still dark outside.

03Aviator said:

This is one weird problem.

Tell me about it! :?

I've got one of these in the shop right now, I'll see if I can re-create the problem. Now, you're sure the headlight switch doesn't have an icon to the left of off, at about 11 o'clock? No auto lights?

jimmy303 said:

I've got one of these in the shop right now, I'll see if I can re-create the problem. Now, you're sure the headlight switch doesn't have an icon to the left of off, at about 11 o'clock? No auto lights?

Yes I'm absolutely positive. No automatic headlights. There are 3 positions, 12 o'clock for off, 1:30 ish for parking lights and 3 o'clock for headlights. And a pull for fog lights.


All the plugs seem to be in behind the dash and seem to be fully seated.

Fog lights work all the time. Headlights (high or low beam) only work with the key in the off position, not in the on position (running or not)

FYI this is a 2005 F250 Diesel.

Ok, this is MESSED UP!

I pulled the dash off, headlights still working weird (I checked with the key on and off, high beams and low beams).

Pulled off all the connectors off the switches off the dash (except for the headlight switch), headlights still working weird.

Put the shifter into 1 (drive low) to move the shifter out of the way to get the dash further away from the radio, headlights still working weird.

Started the truck and noticed that while cranking the headlights came on, but while "on" no headlights. I shut the truck off.

Pulled out the radio, unhooked everything from the radio to the truck's wiring, headlights still working weird.

Moved the shifter back to park, headlights still working weird. And now I noticed I couldn't get the key all the way out.

Started it again, lights on while cranking but not while the truck is running, shut it off. Still can't get the key out. Key is off but not all the way off so I can get the key out.

Turned the headlights on, turned the key on and off a few times, still can't get the key out and the lights went off everytime I turned them on. Till one time, lights stayed on and the key came out. All in one shot. I wasn't touching anything but the key.

Could there be something loose in the steering column?

Weird!

Ok, I figured it out.... well I didn't figure it out... I ended up talking to my friend and told him what happened and how I wan having problems and how the headlights just "fixed" themselves.

My friend asked "Did you hit the plow switch?"

He has a plow on this thing and there is a toggle switch under the dash which switched the headlights from the truck to the ones that are above the plow. I must have hit that by accident.

I feel like such a retard!

I went out and tested it and yes, that is what that toggle switch does.

Oh well, at least I figured out my problem. The wiring up of the Z1 and the interface with the truck is perfect!

Thanks everyone for the ideas!

What the :twisted: :shock:

and I'll bet you were crappin yourself about bustin his car for him 8)

Good one Steve

WOW holy oh my god!! Bet you feel better now at least.

Yah, I was getting a little worried that I messed up his truck and he didn't even give me permission to take it. I knew he would like it and he wife knew about it. But I couldn't believe that I hit that switch without knowing it and that's all it was.

I still feel like a retard, but I feel better I didn't mess anything up. Looks nice in there too, I'll post a pic.

Pics are good. How about a pic of that switch too. :)

I didn't take a pic of the switch, it's just a toggle switch on the left of the steering wheel on the lower dash. Here is the Z1 with the rear screen and all his radios and his light (he is a local cop and fire chief).

Purty. I love how stock double dins look in that dash. If it makes you feel any better I ran into the same situation a few months back putting an amp/sub in a customers suburban. Got done with the work went to start the truck to test it out. Truck wouldn't start. To make a long story short, 3 hours go by call the customer he tells me where he hid the toggle switch that disables the coil pack. I felt dumb. :oops:

cntrylvr79 said:

If it makes you feel any better I ran into the same situation a few months back..... I felt dumb. :oops:

A little... :D

OMG Steve! I never even considered that! I'm originally from Idaho and have installed several plows on trucks...and yes...that is what you do. You need that switch to flip power to the extra set of lights you install with the plow since the plow blade will block the factory lights.

So tell us...how much time did you waste on this?? I know you pulled the dash apart.

03Aviator said:

So tell us...how much time did you waste on this?? I know you pulled the dash apart.

The dash does just pop off. I probably wasted 4-6 hours messing with things looking for the problem. I would have been done Sunday night at 6pm ish, but I was up till 10:30 ish and then worked on it some more Monday night till it just started working again. I didn't add up the exact time, it depresses me.