Hi, first time posting but I've been a guest on here for a while keeping up with conversation. I have a 1983 300D Turbo and I had the weirdest thing happen with the headlights tonight. Somehow, the high beams got turned on but then STAYED on, indicator light and all. There was nothing I could do to turn them off. They even go on by themselves when the key is in the on position and the headlights are OFF. During the day it would be like driving with high beams on for daytime running lights. As far as I can gather, they stay on in tandem with the regular lights, and when I flick the turn signal stalk away from the wheel (as if to turn the high beams on), the regular lights go off.

Strange isn't it? I can't keep on driving like this, it pi$$es people off, but I don't know how to turn them off or what to do.

Please help!!!

Thanks so much.

John

These cars have a relay that is actuated by the stalk. The heavy headlight current is not conducted through the stalk switch, this is only the actuating circuit for the relay.

I have never had to look for the headlight relay, so I really don't know where to find it, but I expect it is clearly outlined in most any manual including the inexpensive Haynes manual.

Good luck,

When you use the flasher on the stalk it actuates the high beams to flash a car and will engage the high beams with the low beams on I believe.
You might try pulling the stalk towards you a few tiems (like you were flashing to pass) and see if this contact is stuck.

Just a thought.

__________________
'99 S420 - Mommies
'72 280SE 4.5 - looking to breathe life into it
'84 300SD Grey - Sold
'85 300SD Silver - Sold
'78 Ski Nautique

I think the high-beam relay is up in the dash behind the instrument cluster. Pull your cluster and thump or pull the relay to see if the high beams turn off. The performance parts catalog, if you have one, has a good electrical location diagram in it that is good at finding these things.

Thanks for your replies.

I noticed that when I pull the stalk towards me (as if to flash people), the intensity goes up a little, so I'm convinced that my high beams are only shining at half strength. I have a Haynes manual with me but it doesn't say anything about the headlight/highbeam relay. Do you think that I can just pull the highbeam wire pin out of the headlight wiring socket? If so, what color is the wire? White/Black?

I tried messing around with the stalk to free up a stuck switch (if that was the case), but no change. This happened last night when it was raining pretty hard, if that has anything to do with it.

Thanks again.

John