96 s10 blazer flickering headlights
 

thought I would post what happened to me since I searched every forum I know of and never did find exactly what I was experiencing.

a couple of years ago one night the high beams started flickering while I was driving, low beams still worked, I said "ill have to look into that" but since the low beams still worked I never did. then this summer the low beams started to do the same thing, which left only the daytime running lights to drive with and that wasn't cutting it. so what really threw me for a loop was that one of the multi function relays in the glove box would click every time the lights went out. it also got very hot. I had some other brake wiring issues and needed to put a heater core in, so I took the dash out. i poked and prodded and continuity checked every thing I could think of. out side of the melted brake wire I couldn't find anything wrong with the harness. and I couldn't see how the relay in the glove box was connected to the circuit. looking in the Haynes manual they don't even show the relays in the glove box.....so I was looking for a short that involved that relay since it was clicking on and off with the lights. we had our first "ah ****" moment when we realized that the relay in the Haynes manual is actual in the headlight on off switch. I did find one guy on youtube who seem to show a similar problem, he had flickering headlights, but he also had a burnt pigtail. so the first time I watched it I didn't think it was the same problem I was having.

the headlights get power directly from the batter via the under hood bus on the drivers fender. its always on. battery, bus, big honking 100 wire connector under the dash, headlight switch, dimmer switch and headlights.


I still don't understand how the glove box relay is connected, the only thing I can think of is that the glove box relay gets its power from the headlights some how, after the head light switch. which is why it clicks and turns off....and it probably gets hot because its turning on and off more than it should.

after a week of goofin around I gave up and decided to just try the headlight switch, and that seems to be it. there was no sound or heat in the headlight switch, and my guess is that If the relay in the switch gives up it defaults back to daytime running lights.


I don't come to the forum often, please don't count on getting a response from me, but I hope this helps someone.

jim