My ceiling fan worked fine for 4 years. Now the light is dim and pusles on and off. Most of the time it just does nothing. The fan moves very slowly. What is the problem and can I fix it?

I'm guessing this fan has a remote control. If this is the case, you might try removing the battery from the remote to see if the pulsing ceases. Then, I'd try a new battery.

Good luck,
WallyH

The remote has been missing for years. Have no idear where it is. If it is in the same room (we have looked for it) would it be causeing this if the battery has gone dead?

Possibly. My theory is that the remote is sending a "Light on/off" signal constantly to the fan, causing the pulsation. While it is a long-shot, your dying remote battery could have enough power to do something like this if something is pressing on the button (i.e. the remote is underneath something that recently shifted).

There could be other causes for this issue, but all would be more expensive to fix.

Good luck finding the remote,
WallyH