No Aspire headlights

[ericsmith32]

I know it's a Aspire but I think fairly close in design of the Festiva's. I'm about to shoot it. When I first got the car the lights were really dim. Not sure if the headlights themselves weren't working or the parking lamps were just working or both halfway. I replaced the entire switch with one from a MX6. I know I wired it up right, everything else works blinkers, hazards, wipers just not the headlights. The parking lights did work when I put the new switch I think they were brighter. I'm not sure what I did to them now they only come on momentarily. I'm going to check the wiring again just in case. But I'm only getting 7 volts to both red legs on the head light relay and nothing to the red leg on the new switch. I switched relays with another which didn't help. I also checked the fuse and it was good. I'm sure there's a short somewhere where it splits from the head fuse not sure where that is? Any idea's? The previous owner must of had problem with the headlight grounds as they ran separate ones. Whatever it is the high and low beam didn't work anyways the high beam indicator never lit up.

[ckiesman]

I know this sounds simple, but just check the headlight plugs. On out 97 Aspire they were all burned up. A quick swap with new ones and its as good as new.

The lights might not be coming on dim either. Aspires have this stupid peanut bulb in the headlight lens that comes on with the parking lights. I re-wired mine so the blinkers come on dim. lol.

[htchbck]

I'm not 100% on the Aspire but on the Festies they have a fusible link marked "head" for the headlights. The Aspire may or may not be the same. I had a similar problem on a festiva once, the headlights burned but very very dim. Checked the fuse and it was ok, but just for the fun of it I cleaned up the contacts on the fuse block itself and after that, no more problems

[ericsmith32]

I've checked the fuse and the outgoing wire a full 12 volts. The connectors and ground on the head lamps themselves are good. I can apply 12 volts to the red/blue wire to the wire under the dash and the lights work, also to the red wire the flash to pass works. I'm not quite understanding how the wiring works. According to all the manuals it should go from the head fuse to the relay when in fact it doesn't. I've tried to trace it but the red wire from the fuse goes towards the engine not the fuse. When I applied 12 volts to the red wire itself under the dash I got 12 volts to the relay but it still don't work. I'm thinking I need a actual wiring diagram from Ford. I'm only going to work on this a little longer and I'll rig up my own headlights.

[ericsmith32]

Well I got it sorta. It turns out I fried the new switch when I thought I messing with the headlamp relay which wasn't.. it was the running lamp relay. I replaced the old switch and had to run a straight line from the battery to the headlamp relay. God knows where the break is and I have no idea where it could be. I probably should of put a fuse on the line.. someday when I'm stupid enough to mess with it I might.