# Headlights on my 96 Cougar will turn off and on, and sometimes stay on when off!

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlights-on-my-96-cougar-will-turn-off-and-on-and-sometimes-stay-on-when-off/46260>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** mercury, headlights, cougar\
**Created:** [March 18, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlights-on-my-96-cougar-will-turn-off-and-on-and-sometimes-stay-on-when-off/46260 "2010-03-18T14:32:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheMumm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee7513/32.png) [@TheMumm](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheMumm)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlights-on-my-96-cougar-will-turn-off-and-on-and-sometimes-stay-on-when-off/46260/1 "2010-03-18T14:32:25Z")

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Kind of confusing to explain, but I’ll try my best:  
  
 While driving, the headlights on my 96 Mercury Cougar will sometimes shut off (leaving me only the parking lights to drive with at midnight). They’ll come back on on their own, OR, sometimes, If I kick the spot just in front of the parking brake they’ll turn back on.  
  
  
  
 If that wasn’t enough, the lights, even when switched to the ‘off’ position, will stay on. What I have noticed is that if the switch is set to ‘off’ and the lights are actually on, they will STAY ON, no flickering, no need for me to kick.  
  
  
  
 Possible issues?

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**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlights-on-my-96-cougar-will-turn-off-and-on-and-sometimes-stay-on-when-off/46260/2 "2010-03-18T15:25:55Z")

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Headlight relay or bad headlight switch. I vote bad relay.

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlights-on-my-96-cougar-will-turn-off-and-on-and-sometimes-stay-on-when-off/46260/3 "2010-03-18T15:48:07Z")

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If the switch is part of a “multi-function switch” mounted on the steering column, THAT SWITCH is the usual suspect…Have your wallet ready…