Auto Headlamps acting funny

[spunky]

Hi,

I own a '99 Crown Victoria... I was cleaning the car yesterday: vacuuming, cleaning the dash... I also sprayed White Lithium grease on the door latches and hinges... I used a fairly generous amount on the latches, so I'm unsure if this has caused the problem...

Anyways, that same evening, the auto headlights would come on while the car was off... They would stay on for a while, then go off for a second, stay on for a while, then go off for a second, and the cycle continues. The inside dome light was doing the same as well (as it usually does when it's working right).

When I arrived home, I simply put the headlights to the off position, but this problem was still bothering me. So, I pulled out the owners manual and checked fuses. I pulled out the fuses until I came to the one where the headlights wouldn't work. It was:

Fuse/Relay Location: 12
Fuse Amp Rating: 18A CB
Description: Lighting Control Module, Flash-to-Pass, Main Light Switch

It was a medal lookin' fuse, so I couldn't see if it was blown or not. When I put it back it, the headlights behaved properly. But, I left the auto headlights off for fear that it would start up again...

And then the next day, the dome light came on a few times by itself... It didn't happen very much I think, it seemed to have no effect on the battery.

I started up the car this morning with the auto headlamps, put my hand over the photo cell, and the headlights came on - so I don't think that's the problem (Thank goodness, those are probably expensive)

Did I screw up this car with the White Lithium Grease??? Or will replacing this fuse solve the problem?

Thanks

 

[deepsquat]

First ..replace the fuse ( cheap) ...could have just been loose...second check the connections on your battery ..belive it or not ..I have this problem once..and my ground cable was loose...

 

[brianl703]

That's a circuit breaker, not a fuse. I believe it's a thermal breaker which automatically reconnects the circuit when it cools down.

I doubt the white lithium grease messed anything up.

Perhaps disconnecting the circuit breaker reset the circuit so it works properly.

 

[spunky]

Do these circuit breakers show symptoms of wearing out? Or do they simply work or not work?

 

[brianl703]

I suppose it's possible that the circuit breaker could be tripping when it shouldn't...you could try temporarily replacing it with a 20-amp fuse to see if that fixes the problem. If it does, order another circuit breaker, since circuit breakers are used for headlight circuits for a reason (that being that they self-reset).

If the fuse just blows, then the circuit breaker was doing what it is supposed to and your problem is elsewhere.

 

[punisher]

If worse comes to worse you will need a scantool that does all the FoMoCo protocols, access the LCM and pull codes, or go into active command mode and see if you can get stuff to act up. Symptoms like you describe usually lead me to suspect a faulty LCM. Do you have antitheft by chance? It is possible the antitheft is triggering the LCM and flashing lights etc. Longshot but not impossible.

 

[spunky]

It hasn't acted up today. I purchased the car last year... I'm honestly not sure if it has an anti theft or not. There's a red light bulb that blinks on the dash when the car is off.

 

[spunky]

Okay - yeah... I'm pretty sure it has an anti-theft (lol, there was a sticker on the window)...

Come to think of it... This all started at a church parking lot. If someone pulled the door handle too many times or hit the car with a basketball, etc. - would that be the cause???

 

[Hirev]

You may have a problem with the lighting control module itself. Here is something to take a look at. Link here

 

[spunky]

Thanks for the information

Fortunately, this problem hasn't occurred at all the past couple of days. I guess it's just being a Ford