Toyota pickup hi beams

[88yota]

Hey guys I have a 1988 toyota pickup (22re 4wd)..I'm not sure if anyone else has had this problem, but when I go to turn on the hi beams my lights go off.

This is how it works.
I turn the knob on my blinker shaft to turn on my normal lights (2 clicks)
then in order to turn my brights on you're supposed to push it forward...it goes forward but then turns off my lights (i must have a short somewhere??)
I can pull it back towards me and the brights work but I have to hold it in order to do that

If anyone has any suggestions or what not let me know..Any help works and sorry if it's confusing


CHEERS  

[GNasty 82]

I had the same problem once on another vehicle.  Turned out to be the switch on the column.  Unfortunately, the dimmer switch was part of the entire steering column control cluster, so I had to replace the whole thing, at a cost of $100 on ebay.  I have not yet torn into the Toyota steering column yet, so I'm not sure what you'd have to replace.  Maybe some one else can offer some insight into that.  I would be willing to bet that the same switch is used on pratically every truck/4runner of your year range.

[gtoyonrocks]

Yea, it's the switch it's self. I have seen this problem lots of times on many other vehicles and it's always been the switch. It's not to common on toyota's tho. I may have the part but I'll have to look.

[YotaNate]

I had a similar problem with my truck and I was able to clean up the copper tabs where the switch completes the circuit and they work great now, they were just corroded so the circuit was not being completed when in "hi-Beam" mode.  Not sure if this is whats the matter with yours but worth looking into because it only takes 2 minutes to pull the cover off the column. 


Nate

[gtoyonrocks]

That's a good idea, that may very well fix the problem.

[beyondlogic]

i had the same problem when i bought my truck, but mine was so corroded(sp?) that about a week after i cleaned it, it quit working again.  this time when i took it apart the contacts just fell apart.  so i had to change the whole switch(cost $70 off ebay).  it was really easy to change, the hard part is taking the steering wheel off.

[Toyota+in+Florida]

I was able to bend some stuff internally on my 86 to get another year out of the switch.

[88yota]

Thanks for all the suggestions I will hopefully rip it apart soon and check it out! 

[gtoyonrocks]

sweet, let us know how it goes.

[littlebroii]

my truck turns on by a switch on the dash that turns on the lights cuz the column one is all broke and for hi beams i didn't have any so i put in a floor foot controlled switch but when i bought my truck a month ago it had a lot of ghetto things done to it

[Mega Baby Huey]

i had the same thing but i think mine is just a short in the wires somewhere. it only happens once in a blue moon but when it does it scares the crap out of you! mostly cuz you'll be driving and go to turn on the brights and the lights just turn off and you can't see anything. scares the  out of me everytime!!!!

sorry, i don't think this helps cuz i just ignore it... 

[littlebroii]

have u checked the little relay box to see if that is still working my buddys truck did that up in the middle of no where but it was the low beams that dident work it was the little relay box under his dash that stopped working

[Hunterwarren]

My 87 4runner 22re was the same except brights worked and dim would go off and I could wiggle it and it would come on but randomly cut off I took the steering wheel off and steering column cover and cleaned it up and had no problem for 2 months now it's back but I strongly believe I can clean it more and fix it I only spent a few minutes on it last time

[Rockdiver]

My 85 has the same problem  .  It worked intermittant for a while ,then stopped working on hi beam all together . Been planning to replace the switch for a few years now.

[Hunterwarren]

Take it apart and clean it b4 u spend the money it's really simple 1 screw on horn cover 1 nut on steering wheel and 6 screws on steering column

[88yota]

Already tried^.......basically just said screw it and use my off-road kc lights for high beams

[Hunterwarren]

Well I guess that works lol