Head lights flashing

[Terryjean]

just noticed my head lights are flashing while driving. Had to pull off the road because it was getting dark and I didn’t feel safe driving. Fog lights work  I have a 1999 Monaco diplomat. Any ideas for quick fix ?

tj

[OhReally]

That will happen with a bad battery or battery connections. I would check both my battery connections to make sure they are clean and tight and my connections to the headlights.

-Jamie 

[donbouv22]

This happened to me right after I installed LED’s. I didn’t even notice, a buddy I was traveling with let me know. So I went back to stock halogen’s. 

[OhReally]

Yes, LEDs can also cause this. Any low voltage to them usually results in flashing. And for the record, you should never install LEDs into your original halogen socket. They may produce brighter lights but the light won't be in the correct position in the original headlight reflector and you will get poorer light output - maybe just the opposite of why you went to LEDs - and often blinding oncoming drivers, lol.

-Jamie 

[waterskier_1]

Your headlights are likely connected to an Automatically Resetable Circuit Breaker.  When the current gets too high the Breaker trips, turning off the headlights. With no current flowing, the Circuit breaker coils down and Automatically resets, and the headlights come back on, until excessive current starts the cycle again.  You either have excessive current flowing, or a weak (& defective) breaker.  Start with a clamp-on Ammeter to check current. See what it reads when the breaker trips. That should guide you where to look next. 

  -Rick N 

[Harvey Babb]

Many headlight switches have a built-in automatic reset circuit breaker. Flashing will occur if there is a short in the one of the circuits (headlights or clearance lights) fed by the headlight switch. I have seen this happen when there is a short in the Toad or trailer pigtail for example.

 

[Terryjean]

Thank you everyone, I will try all of your suggestions.  Merry Christmas and be safe driving.

TJ

[Sambo88]

I have a 2002 Holiday Rambler Ambassador and I have been chasing this same issue for quite some time. The other day I finally got into the dash and I found the chassis ground terminal had many loose grounds connected. Also, when inspecting the headlight switch the ground wire connected to it was loose — almost being pulled out of the switch itself. I pushed it back in all the way, removed, cleaned and tightened all the loose grounds I could find and mine hasn’t flashed intermittently since.