In the last week, my 88 240 DL has started lighting up the headlight warning bulb on the dash for the first four or five minutes that I am driving it. Both headlights work, and the bulb only stays lit for the first four minutes, them turns off. I did notice that one headlight does not appear as bright as the other, even though it was replaced three months ago, while the brighter bulb is at least two years old. Any ideas about what's going on?

Any ideas about what's going on?

Howdy,

Clean the ground points located on the fenders for the front and on the trunk floor for the rear lights. Clean the bulb sockets and the bulbs in the tail lights. Both headlights should be from the same manufacturer. If you mismatch headlights that can set the bulb failure warning light ON.

--
Mr. Shannon DeWolfe -- I've taken to using mister because my name misleads folks on the WWW. I am a 53 year old fat man. ;-)

Not sure what you are referring too? There is a bulb failure on the far right of the cluster,which is for all bulbs?

You can decipher which circuit is being alarmed by using the light switch and brake pedal. If the light comes on with the pedal, well that's pretty obvious. If it only lights when the headlights are in use, but not with the switch in the middle for parking lights, then sdewolfe's advice to clean the ground and inspect the sockets (especially at the newer and dimmer headlight) is the way to go. If it comes on in the middle position, the tail lights (running lights) are being alarmed.

Sometimes it is a pita to run the motor while troubleshooting a bulb warning light, so this can be worked around by temporarily disconnecting the D+ (small red) lead at the alternator, allowing the testing to take place with the motor off.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Why is it that people say they 'slept like a baby' when babies wake up every two hours?