W900L electric/light issues

I have a 1993 KW W900L, last night I discovered an issue. The headlights will go out then come back on. I can hear the circuit breaker cut out when it happens, so I am guessing that it is overheating. I will also assume it is a ground problem.

Another issue is that the dash lights will do the same thing and yes I can hear the circuit breaker cut out on it too. I noticed that when the dash lights cut out that there was power going to the dimmer (the knob to dim the dash lights) but not coming out of it. So I concluded that it must be the dimmer is bad? So I used a jumper wire at the connector of the dimmer and viola! dash lights work constantly except of course I no longer have the ability to dim the dash lights. I don't really know if it's the dimmer that is bad or I just got lucky.

Could both problems be related? I have read several post about the issue but not many have said "fixed it"

It does have after market headlights (kind? hid, projection ./shurg) I also noticed that the running lights on the marker, top of the steer axle wheel well (square: turn-4way-running light) do not work. When I turn on the running lights only the led's that outline the headlight come on. So I am going to have to look into what they did there. My first guess is that rather than branching off at the original running lights at the steer they just cut it and ran it directly to the led's in the headlights.

I think it is the ING or ACC circuit breaker that was getting hot. What exact grounds should I be checking? Read on at the radiator, one at block and have read something about back of fuse panel. How hard is that to get to?

Just remembered this one, yesterday when I tried to start it, it was like the batteries were drained cranked like one turn and quit, tried again, same thing. Third time, nothing. I checked voltage with a meter and it said 12.71... So I left it connected while I tried to crank it, nothing happened and no voltage drop. I cleaned the terminals, still nothing, jumped it and it worked?

Sorry it to long a post but trying to get it all out there.
Thanks for any guidance!

 

I just bought the truck, from the information I got from the previous owner he hadn't had the new headlights in very long. I recall him mentioning the fact that he was considering putting the old ones back in. So I suspect that I now know the reason why. Unless he replaced them thinking that replacing them would fix the going out issue. But I don't really know because I remember him saying the new ones where to dim for him.

A window leak may very well be part of it one day I got in the cab and the gauges on the left side (over the fuse panel) where fogged over. I chalked it up to the fact that the drivers window was down about 2".


I will go out and look into a leaking window seal.

 

I'll look at the engine ground in the morning. I put a new circuit breaker in it just now and tried it, but it still over heats and cuts out. I knew it was going to cut out not long after I changed it because I smelled it cooking. I think I will put the old one back in so I don't prematurely wear out a new breaker.

 

Well as an update, I unplugged the headlights at the back of the lights and noticed that the connections were rather dirty. I energized the circuit without the headlights plugged in and the fuse nor the relay warmed up. I guess I hoped to see if it was something in the wiring up to that point. I cleaned the contacts up at the headlight connectors and gave it another go.

This time around they didn't cut out within 15 minutes (was cutting out in approximately 3 mins ), but the fuse first got really hot soon followed by the relay (as it was before, the switch never changes temp.). They never cut out though. I don't think I trust them tbh. Ran out of time yesterday, will continue today. I am going to try stock headlights to see if heat still builds up. If so I am at a loss...

I am likely to go with swaan's idea of led lights. The ones in it now are halogen projectors and am betting they are the culprit.

I definitely had a noticeable improvement with just cleaning the contacts. They were not corroded, just ? oxidized? bad enough that when I probed them to check for volts I couldn't get a reading other than occasional flicker on the meter.