High Beams and cluster indicator wont go off....

[Torx]

Wasted my money.
Replaced the headlight switch, replaced the wiper/combination turn signal switch module.. new battery, beams still on.
Removed both high beam fuses, and the high beam indicator will go off for a few minutes then come on by itself after the cars been locked and sitting.
I... Have.. no ... clue..

I have a spare front electronic module that goes in the driver kick panel from years ago, I bought it thinking it would fix a cluster issue.. so I could swap that and see what happens.. anything else i need to look over or throw parts at? Right now I have a battery switch on the negative so the beams/indicator wont run down the battery.. Ive searched and read through threads here just wondering if theres any new information on this gremlin. Thanks for help and ideas

EDIT: Ive also got a laptop and forscan paid edition, anything i can do with that to disable high beams and indicator?
Maybe i should put the fuses back in and see? Does the computer throw that indicator light if a high beam is out or if the fuses are burnt??
I'll also double check the sensor on the dash, but its never been tampered with that I know of...

 

[joegr]

The LS will break you if don't do proper diagnosis when fixing it. The DDM has nothing to do with this. The headlights are switched by the FEM. The FEM is known to have problems when it gets wet. If (okay, when) the upper left drain hose for the moon roof pulls loose, it will send water down the A pillar and into the FEM.
Also note that the electronic in the instrument cluster read the headlight switch. Still, it more likely to be the FEM.

Here is the specific diagnostic procedure for headlights that won't turn off.

2006 Lincoln LS Workshop Manual

Follow that and do the tests correctly and you won't be throwing unnecessary parts at it.

 

[Torx]

Thanks joe, i'll swap the fem this weekend and see what happens and/or go through the diagnosis steps.. i bought an fem from exact year, make model, drivetrain, etc.. not sure if its vin dependent, but will update on my findings.. I'd hate to just keep cutting off the batt via switch every time i use the car..

 

[clubairth]

Just a note?
On my 2003 V-8 sport I had a long running problem with the PS staying in high effort mode. Set a odd and uncommon code that no one could figure out. I took a guess and purchased a used FEM and had Lincoln install and program the FEM.

Surprisingly it fixed my problem when Lincoln pretty much said that was NOT the problem.

But my point is you will need to program that FEM to your car. Just swapping it won't work.
Can you get it programmed?

Interesting comment about it getting wet from the Moon roof drains? I had already repaired that problem and the FEM did not appear to have any water damage when it was replaced.
.
.
.

 

[joegr]

...
But my point is you will need to program that FEM to your car. Just swapping it won't work.
...

Sorry, but not true. If it is from the same configuration car, the replacement FEM will not need any programming.
If the configuration is not the same, Forscan can program it. Just read out the configuration from the original FEM first.

 

[Torx]

ok, swapped the fem, car does everything it should except the high beams still on and the high beam indicator stays on after the car is off.
didnt have to reprogram fem, just switched plugs..
soo.... turn signal stalk, light switch, and fem made no change in the issue.. horn still doesnt work and the steering wheel adjuster knobbie on the side doesnt work either.. those may be tied into the clockspring right? not sure if theyre all related together..

will have to go through the manual now and bust out the multimeter

 

[joegr]

...
soo.... turn signal stalk, light switch, and fem made no change in the issue.. horn still doesnt work and the steering wheel adjuster knobbie on the side doesnt work either.. those may be tied into the clockspring right? ...

Of those, only the horn goes through the clockspring (along with the driver's air bag, cruise control switches, and steering wheel mounted radio controls). The instrument cluster is involved with those things though.
Do the high beams themselves go off when you turn the car off or apply the parking brake (in park, of course)?

 

[Torx]

no they stay on. even with event center settings set to zero for the lights to go off.
i can play with the headlight switch to where the headlights will go off, but the indicator comes back on after 3-5min when i set the switch to the "O"
When i set to auto, the lights and indicator stay on.
I can pull the high beam fuses again to save on battery, but the indicator will come back on and stay lit regardless.

i've played with everything i could at this point, all lights work, car runs great, just these few little nuances are keeping me from wanting to drive it daily again.

 

[Torx]

well, played around some more today mostly just broke a bunch of plastic interior parts everything has gotten dry and brittle..

put the oem radio back in just in case that had something to do with it.. same results
dug out the light sensor on the dash kinda played with the wires, did nothing
reconnected the original fem, and just wiggled wires and their connectors around underdash, nothing..
banged on relays, and checked connections on the rear trunk module.. so i have two choices now..

take the car to the dealership and let them sort it out for thousands of dollars im sure..

or remove the high beam fuses and remove the high beam indication bulb from the cluster. then monitor batt voltage for any parasitic draw.
I could also swap back in the old cluster to see if the lights do the same thing

reconnect forscan, to this working cluster and modules and look around to see if maybe i accidentally changed a setting for the lights to be on like this..
(years ago something happened to the original cluster where the pats programming in it wouldnt let me start the car, had to buy a replacement cluster on ebay and use forscan to image and reprogram it with the proper vin)

fix one thing another rears its ugly head lol