turn my headlights on the headlight very quickly come on then turn off

2007 FORD EXPLORER
85,000 MILES • 4.0L • 4WD • AUTOMATIC
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CHRIS GARRETT2
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
So i purchased this nice SUV listed above Eddie Bauer edition in great condition and low miles. Anyways, when i start the vehicle and then turn my headlights on the headlight very quickly come on then turn off.. This leaves an error message of checking both driver and passenger side head lamp. What could cause this? A module? Location? Ease of replacing.. Or could it be more of loose wiring?

Help please!
Mar 2, 2020 at 8:55 AM
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STEVE W.
  • AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 15,146 POSTS
If you have the headlights with the automatic on option do those work and it only shuts off if you use the switch to turn them on? Or does it do this even with the automatic headlights? Do the parking lights work? Are these the stock headlights and bulbs?
The description sounds like you could have a bad ground to one of the lights and it causes the system to think there is a problem. Both systems use the same light wiring, I would check the grounds for a good connection on both sides. They use the black wire (or a black wire with gray stripe) for the ground. Each one is separate. If the grounds check out okay and they are stock parts then I would suspect the smart junction box up behind the dash. It isn't that hard to change but I would have the truck scanned by a dealer level scan tool as it can test the module to be sure it's the issue first. It isn't a cheap part to swap without being sure it's the problem first.
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May 10, 2021 at 1:22 PM
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