Headlights shutting off after 30 minutes

Hey everyone, this is my first post after stalking for a while.

I have a 2002 xtracab 2.7L 5spd and the headlights and dashboard lights will shut off every time after being on for 30 minutes like clockwork. The switch on the turn signal stock will still be in the ON position but they turn off the switch needs to be switched back OFF then ON again for the headlights to turn back on and they'll stay on for another 30 minutes. Weird...

I've replaced the headlight relay but still have the issue. Wondering if anyone else has had this issue.

 

Stalking? You stalk women on here? Shame on you. JK..

I haven't heard that issue before.. Check the wires/ground/fuses... and probably headlight stalk.

 

Are you the original owner? If not, I'd do some inspecting around the DRL module and see if a previous owner did something there in addition to the previously mentioned items.

 

This is where I would go first since you already checked the relay. There may be a frayed wire that is barely making the connection. Does it always come on then go off after +/- 30 minutes? I'd also check all the grounds in the engine bay and cab to make sure they are tight/don't have rust.

 

@Andy01DblCabTacoma I'm not the original owner but it previously did have some ugly retrofitted headlights which I removed for stock ones. The LED DRL on the retrofits were spliced to the DRL's so maybe that could cause an issue, I'll check the DRL module.

@mic_sierra It's pretty much exactly 30 mins. My commute to work used to be ~30 mins and it would turn off almost right as a pulled into the parking lot which was weird how consistent it is. I'll start with the grounds.

 

Man that is funky. If it is exactly 30 minutes I'm wondering if there is an auto shutoff function in the ECU that depends on a signal it is not getting? I am way out of my depth here on the 2002s but if it is consistently shutting off after 30 minutes perhaps a circuit thinks your Taco is off and is shutting the lights off on a timer to prevent battery drain. I'd take this theory with a huge grain of salt and check everything else... I'm just struggling with the 30 minute consistency. That doesn't lend itself to a frayed wire in the tree.

 

Look to see if you might have any sort of alarm parts left over .

Sure sounds like a timer in there some place no telling what might have been done .

The last owner may have had a habit of leaving the lights on .

The fact it resets so easy does not sound like an electrical failure.

The headlights are the only circuit that drops out??

Best of luck !!

 

Hey everyone, I figured it out!

After experiencing this exact same issue on my truck, along with some other weird symptoms (cruise control not working, key-in reminder beeping if the door was open with the engine running, and the dome light staying on when the engine was started), I found that the previous owner had removed the ECU-IG fuse (7.5A on the upper left of the driver's interior fuse box).

After popping in a fresh fuse, I have cruise control back, the lights and dingers are working as they should, and most importantly my headlights stay on while driving again!

To anyone still experiencing this, check the ECU-IG fuse, and if that's good, trace it to the ignition power feed at the Body ECU.

 

Yep, you were bang on, at least in my case. The Body ECU shuts off the light relays after 30 minutes if it doesn't see the hot in run feed from the ECU-IG fuse.