2005 Right Headlamp Low Beam stuck on | Ford Thunderbird forum club group 1955-2005 models

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2005 Right Headlamp Low Beam stuck on

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05IncaGold

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Thunderbird Year
2005
Hi My 2005 IncaGold Tbird with 32,938.8 miles has it's original 90% everything still intact. I have replaced the coils, intake gasket, ac/heater control switch and front transmission seal due leaky trans fluid.. Just today Sat night out with wife for dinner my right hand side head lamp stays on in low beam after rest of car shuts off normally. Everything else works as designed: both on when headlight switch turned left, or right, both lamps high beam work normally, both lamps low beam work normally.. In my infinite wisdom instead of drastically removing the car battery cable - I'll temporarily pull the fuse (#9 20A mini-fuse located kick panel passenger side) to that headlamp else the battery will be dead overnight or when I need to leave in the morning.

Please advise what to check, how to check it, I'd rather not visit a dealer if avoidable.

Thanks in advance!

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biddle said:
Could be the FEM- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com/threads/help-needed-front-electronic-module.5560/

Some of the Most Common Problems that are fixed:
Instrument Illumination Problems (No Dash illumination & Shift indicator)
Headlights issues.
Front Turn Signal Problems.
Window inoperable (driver side).
No Wipers, No Horn.
Convertible. Top
Power Steering Assist.(stiff) Code C1925 .
Also Codes such as :B1342,B1438,B1446,B1676.
Click to expand...


Sat Tonight, in the Garage, I did pull the fuses(passenger side #9 and #11) to the high beam headlamps - I thought just the right lamp - when I pulled it - both lower of the lamps came on with out the key in the ignition tuned on. I thought wow that's worse x2. Then I pulled the left high beam headlamp fuse.. Yes now the normal headlamps do not come on. However only the bottom half of the headlamps come on as designed. not enough for night driving... so nothing fixed at this point. I considered installing a 'add-a-fuse' pigtail on both with an easy pig tail push button for engaging nite normal headlamps... such a bother yet easier than $2xx FEM and hope... This would be as a workaround to pulling and reinserting both fuses, until the fix is complete.

I'm considering checking for a short up front in the headlamp wiring since this is a new occurance.
Gladly the fix is sending $2xx to get the FEM fixed - however nothing else is showing as an issue in the list you provided above - True I havent yet pulled the code list you provided( Sunday afternoon is open ) . I 'll go through all except convertible top since the hardtop is not simple for 1 man to remove and check.
 
05IncaGold said:
Sat Tonight, in the Garage, I did pull the fuses(passenger side #9 and #11) to the high beam headlamps - I thought just the right lamp - when I pulled it - both lower of the lamps came on with out the key in the ignition tuned on. I thought wow that's worse x2. Then I pulled the left high beam headlamp fuse.. Yes now the normal headlamps do not come on. However only the bottom half of the headlamps come on as designed. not enough for night driving... so nothing fixed at this point. I considered installing a 'add-a-fuse' pigtail on both with an easy pig tail push button for engaging nite normal headlamps... such a bother yet easier than $2xx FEM and hope... This would be as a workaround to pulling and reinserting both fuses, until the fix is complete.

I'm considering checking for a short up front in the headlamp wiring since this is a new occurance.
Gladly the fix is sending $2xx to get the FEM fixed - however nothing else is showing as an issue in the list you provided above - True I havent yet pulled the code list you provided( Sunday afternoon is open ) . I 'll go through all except convertible top since the hardtop is not simple for 1 man to remove and check.
Click to expand...

Quick update both these headlamp fuses are 15A not 20A !
 
I would bet money on the front electronic module going bad. Weird things happen when it starts shorting out internally. I replaced mine when I was driving to work at 4am and the headlights just went off. When I got to work I couldn't get the radio to turn off. I had to pull the battery just to shut it down.

After work at the Ford dealer everything was fine. I asked them to replace the FEM. Had not had a problem since
 
05IncaGold said:
Hi My 2005 IncaGold Tbird with 32,938.8 miles has it's original 90% everything still intact. I have replaced the coils, intake gasket, ac/heater control switch and front transmission seal due leaky trans fluid.. Just today Sat night out with wife for dinner my right hand side head lamp stays on in low beam after rest of car shuts off normally. Everything else works as designed: both on when headlight switch turned left, or right, both lamps high beam work normally, both lamps low beam work normally.. In my infinite wisdom instead of drastically removing the car battery cable - I'll temporarily pull the fuse (#9 20A mini-fuse located kick panel passenger side) to that headlamp else the battery will be dead overnight or when I need to leave in the morning.

Please advise what to check, how to check it, I'd rather not visit a dealer if avoidable.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
A defective FEM.
I will double check schematics a later.
The Front Electronic Module controls individually switches all 4. Two low and two high beams.
Get it repaired. https://ebay.us/iBkiek
 
Last edited:
05IncaGold said:
Hi My 2005 IncaGold Tbird with 32,938.8 miles has it's original 90% everything still intact. I have replaced the coils, intake gasket, ac/heater control switch and front transmission seal due leaky trans fluid.. Just today Sat night out with wife for dinner my right hand side head lamp stays on in low beam after rest of car shuts off normally. Everything else works as designed: both on when headlight switch turned left, or right, both lamps high beam work normally, both lamps low beam work normally.. In my infinite wisdom instead of drastically removing the car battery cable - I'll temporarily pull the fuse (#9 20A mini-fuse located kick panel passenger side) to that headlamp else the battery will be dead overnight or when I need to leave in the morning.

Please advise what to check, how to check it, I'd rather not visit a dealer if avoidable.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Possibly the FEM (Front Electronics Module) various headlight malfunctions can emanate from a faulty FEM...
 
On a not completely unrelated note, what does pulling out the headlight switch 1/4" do? On all my other Fords, that would turn on the fog lights. On my 2004 Tbird, it does nothing. All the lights are on from either auto or manual settings, including the small driving lights in the front cowl. I left that switch pulled out in the auto mode overnight and by battery was dead in the morning. So completely dead the radio settings were gone. Not positive the two events are connected as I've started using a battery maintenance charger, but I've never pulled that switch since and have had no problems on the recharged battery.
 
Since there are NOT fog lamps on the 2002-05 Thunderbirds the pull out function of the head lamp does absolutely nothing as mentioned.
The lamps fitted into the front bumper of the 02-05 are just supplemental lamps to represent the "retro look" of the bullet like pointed parts of the 1955 bumper.
A bumper like the 55s is no longer legal. It does not meet federal frontend crash standards so we have the supplemental lights which can not be focused and they are not at the correct height to be functional as fog lights. Nor is the 921 bulb a bulb appropriate for fog. The 921 can be changed to a LED making it brighter and or whiter but still not a fog lamp.
Many owners have rewired the supplemental lights enabling them to come automatically as soon as the ignition is in the run position making them function as a low level driving light.
Hope this clears up the why of the head light switch & the common misconception of the lights in the front bumper.
 
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