anyone have any ideas where or how a previous owner rigged the tail lights to go off when high beams are switched on??

all ideas are appriecated.. cant see any tampering with the master light switch control and Mazda wants 350 for a new one dont wanna swap that out just to check it

thanks Spikesgtu

 

First check for burned or corroded contacts on the harness plug for the headlight switch.



You want clean shinny bright metal-to-metal contact.

 

The high/low beam and turn siginal switch is totally seperate from the running light /head light switch but I think the lighting system shares a common ground at two points in the car, one in the front and one in the rear. I'm not positive but I also think the relay is shared as well. I would check/repalce these two things first. What is strange to me is the fact that just the tail lights turn off when the high beams are switched on, a short in the wiring should kill all the running lights, not just part of the system.

 

thanks sureshot but i think it was done on purpose

 

Hmm - On purpose?

That would likely require adding a relay in the rear body harness.

Maybe look for a non stock relay & unplug it's signal pin.

 

why would someone do that... it cant be like a "stealth mode" thing since the high beams'd be on. I had a switch in my 88 200sx that would kill all the lights (including brake lights), just cause I thought it was sorta cool, and good for sneaking out/pulling in late at night