Parking lights very slow to come on, esp. in cold weather...92 Accord LX
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Parking lights very slow to come on, esp. in cold weather...92 Accord LX
Hey, all. This is my first post, so I should say up front that I've been a Honda fan since I got my first one in '92, a 1988 Civic DX Hatchback, which I had for six years (and still miss!). Then I graduated to a '92 Accord LX sedan, which I have had ever since.
It's getting older, and I don't take care of it as much as I should, but it's reliable. I want to keep it at least another year or two, but I have a big problem that shows up when the weather gets cool...
When I turn on the parking lights *only*, everything's fine; the parking lights, dash lights, etc. all come on. But when I rotate the switch to turn on the headlights, the parking lights (and dash lights) go out, and won't come on until some random time in the future when it's warmed up.
The colder it is, the longer it takes for the parking lights to return.
Tweaking the headlight switch sometimes helps; sometimes there's a point at which both will come on and stay on, sometimes there's it doesn't work.
I figure it's a relay, but don't know which one and I don't want to spend $40 for a new relay without being sure of it. The fact that tweaking the switch on the stalk sometimes works makes me think it's *not* a relay, though.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
--Chris
PS-- Excellent board! Wish I'd known about it years ago!
It's getting older, and I don't take care of it as much as I should, but it's reliable. I want to keep it at least another year or two, but I have a big problem that shows up when the weather gets cool...
When I turn on the parking lights *only*, everything's fine; the parking lights, dash lights, etc. all come on. But when I rotate the switch to turn on the headlights, the parking lights (and dash lights) go out, and won't come on until some random time in the future when it's warmed up.
The colder it is, the longer it takes for the parking lights to return.
Tweaking the headlight switch sometimes helps; sometimes there's a point at which both will come on and stay on, sometimes there's it doesn't work.
I figure it's a relay, but don't know which one and I don't want to spend $40 for a new relay without being sure of it. The fact that tweaking the switch on the stalk sometimes works makes me think it's *not* a relay, though.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
--Chris
PS-- Excellent board! Wish I'd known about it years ago!
I missed Sean
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 11,285
Likes: 1
From: Fairfield/Bridgeport CT
tweaking the switch may just set somthing off further down the line, so it could be a relay that you sorta kick into working by messing with the switch a little.... and i'll say what i always say during electrical problems like this...
check your grounds.
(tho that answer most likely wont apply here)
i figure that it could be somthing thats so corroded that the expansion and contraction of heat/cold can actually cause it to work or not due to how little of the conductor is left.
it could also be yor battery, i mean it sounds like it might be dying on you, the headlights pull more than the parking lights and well, if everything works fine after the alternator kicks in for a while... i'd say it is your battery
there are a million little things that could effect that... so it's hard to say without diags or even just being there to see the car and whats happening
check your grounds.
(tho that answer most likely wont apply here)
i figure that it could be somthing thats so corroded that the expansion and contraction of heat/cold can actually cause it to work or not due to how little of the conductor is left.
it could also be yor battery, i mean it sounds like it might be dying on you, the headlights pull more than the parking lights and well, if everything works fine after the alternator kicks in for a while... i'd say it is your battery
there are a million little things that could effect that... so it's hard to say without diags or even just being there to see the car and whats happening