I drive an 84 242--something bad happened when I was driving from Baltimore to Phoenix. Mostly it is now that I live in a very hot desert. But the thing with the car involved a short period (15 seconds) where smoke came out of the center console (behind the heating controls). After this the headlights didn't work.
Everything else in the car works fine. I've checked the fuses--they are all good (both visual and by running a battery and flashlight bulb through it on the lighting fuses).

Of course when the headlights are off there isn't an issue. The lights are off. When I turn the headlight knob to the driving lights (center position) the parking lights come on.
It is when I turn the knob to the headlights (rightmost) position that things go wrong--not only do the headlights not come on, but the parking lights go off.

Could this be the switch? Or more likely the step relay? And if it is the step relay does anyone know where it is?

Thanks!

The High/Low beam relay is behind the battery.

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I haven't had the smoke issue that you've had, but aside from that I have a very similar problem. My parking lights work in the parking light position, but my headlights don't, and neither do my parking lights in that position.

I'm curious to know if you solved your problem, and what it ended up being?

Personally, I took my car into a shop at the beginning of july, where they claimed to solve some electrical problems for me. I haven't driven the car at night until recently, and I don't know if the lights have actually worked between then and now. The shop is not as reputable as I thought it was and I won't be going back there. I'd like to avoid going back to a shop if possible.

Thanks,

jimbo