light problems: signals, hazards, reverse, high-beams

[bigzuki]

Ok, here's all my info:

USA 1996 Geo Tracker 4wd, 4-door, 1.6 16 valve, EFI, 5-speed.

Here are the problems I'm having:

I bought the tracker about 4 months ago. When I bought it, I thought that all the signals were working correctly, but I could have been wrong. All I've done in the mean time is install a lift kit, which has nothing to do with wiring. I installed a stereo too, but it all just plugged right into the old connector. I highly doubt the stereo affected anything.


I have several problems:
reverse lights don't work. Right turn-signal doesn't work, in fact, they're left on all the time (not blinking). When I push the hazard switch, the little green arrow on my dash that points left stays lit and doesn't blink, the right arrow is not illuminated. Switching on the lights doesn't do anything. No parking lights, no interior dash lights other than the Brake, air bag, battery, etc when starting up. Daytime running lights do work. High-beams only work when I pull them on. When I push them forward, nothing.

I did notice that my car is missing the little light to light up my A/C heater panel. I wonder if that had something to do with it.

A week ago I was having issues with the parking lights staying on when i took my key out of the ignition, but I realized that the computer (or some other big metal box under my dash by the clutch pedal) wasn't grounded anymore like it was supposed to be.



here's what I've tried to do to remedy the problem:

All fuses look good. I replaced the bulbs on the right turn-signals, no dice.

Replaced the entire switch unit (the thing behind the steering wheel) with one from another tracker. Same exact problems, so I don't think it's the switch. I replaced the turn signal relay, still has the same problem. Any ideas?

I keep reading that I should check voltage at places, but I don't know where to check voltages. I have a multimeter, and I know how to use it for simple circuits, but I've never used it on a car to track down these problems. Can someone please give me a dummy version of how to use the multimeter to check my problems? Like Michael Scott (the Office) says, pretend you're explaining it to a 7-year old. Okay, now pretend I'm a 4-year old.

I assume i have a short somewhere, but I've been wrong before.

Sorry for the novel, I just thought I'd explain it all once to help you geniuses diagnose it. I tried to fix it on my own, and now I need help.

Thanks

[jtgh]

i must presume all above knee fuse are good and the ones at the right fender top.?

best way to fix anything electric is to fix the easy stuff first, and by accident gets most.
happens many times.

switch on what lights?

ok do normal low beams work (forget DRL,dont car about that)
i want to know what the normal head lights do.

Low beams ON ( rotate HL to park, parks must come one. then go to HL position and HL must be on (DRL or not car) then
you go to high beam ( you told me this is dead) (but flasher HiBeam works)

so parks dead, and High beams (hard on ) dead.

that is what i call a basic failure .
this part of the system is very simple , so it would be wise to check that first.
im thinking out load here, hope that helps.
next is for me to show you your HL circuits so we can find this bug.

your 96 is identical to mine. so you can enjoy full docs, i have them.

i hope you put in a 96 combo switch cuz older ones are useless on a 96.
completely diffr.
and must be for DRL car. too.

rule 1 ,if head light relay 2 fails. so will parking lamps be dead.
all of them, including lic. light and side lamps.

so HL circuit is no #1 item due to that fact.


there is a resistor that can go out and DRL will be dead.

the car can make headlamps with no DRL module.

below is schematic of HL and DRL.

see page 2
when you hit flash (pass) you are grounding lamps directly with Comb sw.
so HIGH beam must work and does. (pin 20 on comb)
but....
notice pin 13 on combo , this pin is bad. it is grounded, on your car. it is not.
see it there. , see page 1 where line 4 is grounded.
see line for go to page 2 and connect to 13 pin on combo.
that aint happening on your car.

note relay 2 will fail for same reason. pin 13 feeds ground up to relay 2.
so relay2 fails and so will lots of other things.......

wrong combo.bad combo, bad wiring.


simple test.

ground pin 13 (at combo), with headlights on HIGH (not pass)
check high beams. are they on?. good , you have a bad groung to 13.
no.?
then ground pin 1 on combo, do you new have High beams.
yes, bad combo.
no, bad fuse.

no meter needed. just a jumper wire.

HL are hot all the time. (ground enables them)

cheers;









core data:

When I push the hazard switch, the little green arrow on my dash that points left stays lit and doesn't blink, the right arrow is not illuminated.
Switching on the lights doesn't do anything. No parking lights, no interior dash lights other than the Brake, air bag, battery, etc when starting up. Daytime running lights do work. High-beams only work when I pull them on. When I push them forward, nothing.

[bigzuki]

When I said the "lights" don't work, I meant the Headlights. I don't get parking lights, I don't get normal HL, I only get the DRL and the Hi-beams flash. Thanks so much for your help JTGH, i'll be trying that this week.

denice - is it the headlight relay I should check?

[jtgh]

My answer , is correct. ( remove relay , HL will work, try it , on good car)

the relay only works with the DRL. just look at the schematic. it shows that clearly.
you see , that was the plan, have HL work even if DRL is blown to bits.
but , bad Combo or bad ground or bad fuse , will kill it.


the parking lites are another matter . that is all it does, plus so other logic.
like handbrake on, turns of DRL.

first get HL to work. after that all else , corrects or is easy to diagnose.

the circuit is accurate.

[bigzuki]

What does the relay look like? Is it one of those three black boxes that looks like the turn signal flasher? Is it in the dash or in the engine compartment?

Thanks again, I am hopeful now that I can resolve this issue.

Steve

[jtgh]

remove glove box. (press each side inward ,sametime and it drops)
removal after that is obvious.
with light . look in side. dash.

look up and left. 10am.
see vertical string of relays (black with pins on bottom)
top 2 are fuel pump and main.
bottom 2 are HL.

[bigzuki]

I just realized that the wiring that goes through the firewall to the driver's interior has been completely re-spliced, and they did a terrible job at it. Does anyone know the part number or where I can just get a new one to replace it? It's a miracle the vehicle is even running.