Blinking Headlights

[Logan]

I got caught in a downpour yesterday evening, and had to turn my headlights on.  After a while they started blinking off--turning off more accurately describes it.  Anyway, they would go off (headlights, dashlights, taillights, everything) for about 15 - 20 seconds, then they would come back on for maybe 5 - 10 seconds.  As I said it was raining hard, and I had the wipers on high (but they never cut out).  This morning, I started the car and let it idle and turned the lights on, and they stayed on normally.  It seems like maybe the rain was shorting it out, but I don't know how to fix it.

[joefrazer]

The blinking was due to the circuit breaker at the back of the headlight switch is tripping and thats why you see the lights blink. The rain brought out a short circuit somewhere in the wiring, probably near the socket that connect the bulb to the wiring.

[pnw_oldmags]

rear license plate wire is shorting out ...  fixed mine with a bandaid.

[Logan]

That rear wire is an old, exposed, cloth wire.  I'll take a look at it.  Thanks.

[Logan]

Yep, that did it.  That wire was down to the metal, and rubbing on the metal clip that hooks to the bumper.  I went a little fancier than band-aids and used electrical tape

[HJ-ETEX]

If you listened closely, you probably would have heard the 30 amp circuit breaker clicking off. We talked about this on a different thread. I don't like cloth insulated wire and I believe that unless you have a show car, fix your wiring using vinyl insulated wire.
The wire to the license plate light usually goes bad even though it is shielded from light.