Chrysler Repair: 2001 sebring headlights:low beams dont work, low beams, chrysler sebring

Question
Hey, I have a 2001 chrysler sebring and the both low beams are not working. The high beams come on but do not latch. I get the 12 volts at the fuse block for each high beam when turned on but there is never 12 volts at the fuse block for the low beams. I think the problem may be the in the switch itself. Does anyone have the scematics for the controls? Also there is a plug in relay on the switch assembly. Does anyone know what this is for? Thanks for any help you can provide.

Aaron

Answer
Hi Aaron,
If you are getting power to the high beam fuses, then it pretty much has to be the headlamp 'select' portion of the multifunction switch has lost contact for the low beam position. Do you have the optional "headlamp off delay" system which keeps the light on for about 90 seconds? If so, and that works, then that would say your problem is definitely in the multi-function switch itself. The power to all the head lamp beams comes into that switch on the red/white wires on pins 4 and 5 of the blue plug of that switch. The 12v output to the low beam fuses comes out on violet/white wires to pins 1 and 2 of that same plug. The high beam output is on the orange/red wire at pin 3. To get to the switch you have to remove the upper and lower shrouds on the steering column (screws on the lower side). However it is not clear to me whether you have to remove the steering wheel and part of the dash to do that or not. Let me know if it doesn't come off without some other disassembly and I can send you the couple of pages that describe the partial disassembly of the steering column before the the shroud comes off. Once the shroud is off the entire multi-function switch assembly is held in place by 2 screws for removal/testing for continuity of the pins that I described above. Or if you can find the wires in the harness that leads to the switch you could probe those with pins and check for voltage and thus infer a contact failure in its absence.
I don't see any relays (except the one for the delayed shout off) in the headlamp circuits. So I agree with you that it is the multi-function switch, but maybe you can clean up the internal contacts rather than having to buy an entire new switch.
Roland
Roland