mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

My headlights (low beams AND high beams) have suddenly stopped working for no apparent reason. All the other lights are working.

I've been told there's no fuse for the headlights, but there is a relay for them somewhere on the car. Is that correct? ...and do you know where would be located that relay? Is that a regular relay (that I could swap for a generic one) or does it have to be that specific GM relay?

This is my only car... I can't drive after dark and that really sucks. Please help!!

egott_91

iTrader: (1)

Is the e-brake pulled at all?

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

No it's not pulled at all. I've even removed the console to take a look at the handbrake switch, it's working fine.

Any idea what my problem could be?

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Check the switch on the dash. They go bad from time to time and all of the power for the headlights go through that switch.

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

I pulled the headlight switch out, it rattled... so I think it may be the cause of my problem. Thanks for pointing me out in the right direction.

I'm going to order another one. In the meantime I'll see if I can connect wires together to bypass the switch, so that I can have low beams at night.

VandykeT/A

It probably is the switch but I went through a rain storm and my car began over charging for a short time and blew both high beam bulbs. I thought i had some serious electrical problems but i replaced the bulbs and alt. and it was fine.

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

OK guys, here's an update.

I ordered another (used) headlight switch on ebay because the previous one rattled and was obviously shot.

Well I've just put it on and it doesn't solve my problem. Now I have headlights but for just 2 or 3 seconds and then they die. During the 2 or 3 seconds they're on, the headlights appear rather dim (or so it seems to me), also the headlight switch makes a weird high-pitch noise, and I can see the backing light of the digital odometer turning dim.

What do you guys think the problem could be?

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

Has anyone got any idea as to what my problem could be? I want to be able to drive my car at night...

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Is there any difference between when the car is turned on or just on the battery?

Are you sure the switch you got is good? Can you test your switches with an electrical tester?

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

There seems to be no difference whether the car is running or not, the headlights only come on for a couple of seconds, and VERY dim. I'm guessing it's the circuit breaker inside the switch that's breaking the circuit after a couple of seconds.

I've checked the switch for continuity with a multimeter and it seems to be working fine.

Any suggestions? I hate electrical problems and this one is a pain in the butt.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

There's no circuit breaker but a fusable link. If they come on for a couple of seconds - that link should be fine.

This is very odd... for a North American Car.

Do you know the country of origin for your Camaro? Was it originally delivered to Europe? (The lighting is different for different countries.)

Do your high beams lights work?

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

wssix99: thanks so much for the help man, I appreciate.

Yes it was originally delivered to Europe, it has European-specs lighting. I noticed that the harness that connects to the headlight switch has got some of the same wire colors as on the US version, and some other wire colors different from the US version.

No, high beams don't work either.

I don't know much about electricity but I read that if you disconnect the negative post of the battery and connect a test pen between the post and the lead, then the pen shouldn't light up (otherwise you have a short circuit). Well I tried that today and the pen did lit up, so that would confirm that I have a short circuit somewhere on the car, right?

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

The European and Scandinavian spec cars have auxiliary fuses for each lamp and the Scandinavian has a special DRL module - but I don't think those are it for you. (The lamps would be behaving differently if those were the cases.)

I forgot that the Pontiac and Chevrolet have different headlight wiring. On the Chevrolet, all lights first go through the headlight switch and then through the high beam switch. (On the Pontiac, they only share the first switch.) I expect that the difference is due to the Pontiac headlight doors.

So, you should probably test the high beam switch next. There is a metal rod that rides down the steering column to the switch. I've never worked on mine, but it should be under the lower dash panel near the base of the steering column. Page 17 and 45 of this document show pictures of it: http://www.diyfiero.com/dropspot/Jaz...ck_Rebuild.pdf

Power goes in to the switch through the yellow wire, low beams come out in the tan wire and high beams come out in the light green wire. So, if you have voltage on the yellow and not the others - that's your culprit. (This switch is common to all the cars.)

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

I've found the fusable link, it's located at the battery junction block... and it's fine indeed.

Thanks for the info, I didn't know that. You wouldn't know where those auxiliary fuses are located by any chance?

Thanks for the detailed info on the high beam switch, I'm going to take a look and will let you know shortly.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

No idea where the aux fuses are. They are shown as 7.5 A fuses past the splice that divides the left and right side, so I'd expect they are under the hood or inline with the harness near the lamps.

BTW - I saw a picture of the switch today. It hangs off the column on the side closest to the door, just south of the bracket that mounts the column to the car.

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

I've found the aux fuses, there's 4 of them, located near the cowl on the driver's side. They're fine.

By the way, where did you get all that information on the export models? You wouldn't have a wiring diagram for the european models by any chance?

I've found the high beam switch, unplugged the plug going into it (with wires of color yellow, tan, and light green... just like you said) to see if a bad switch could be the cause of the problem, but the the problem remains.

From what I understand, I have a short circuit somewhere in the car. When I switch on the headlights (at the headlight switch), the headlights come on (very dim) for a second, then the headlight switch makes a click, then 3 seconds later the headlights come back on (very dim) for another second, then another click and so on...

I've figured out that the click I hear is the noise of the breaker inside the headlight switch (on the US wiring diagram I've got, the breaker appears).

When I switch the headlights on, that connects together the red wire from the battery with the yellow wire that goes to the high beam switch. If I connect a test pen to the red wire, it lights up continuously. If I connect a test pen to the yellow wire when the headlight switch is on, the pen lights up for 1 seconds, then off for 3 seconds, then lights up for 1 second, then off for 3 seconds etc. Basically the connection of the 2 wires reveals a short and makes the breaker work every 3 seconds.

I tried to connect together the red and yellow wires (bypassing the switch) with a 20A fuse in the middle. It blew the fuse right away.

I tried to follow the yellow wire but it splits itself into 3 yellow wires going to different places... and also I noticed that the yellow wire that goes into the high beam switch actually comes from the other side of the engine compartment. This is complicated!

Maybe I should buy a short detector... what do you think?

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

All the diagrams are in the Helm Factory Service Manual. Given that things are difficult for you as it is being separated from the car's motherland, I highly encourage you to get a set. For me - its the most important accessory I own for my car. It has full electrical diagrams and procedures/diagrams for repairing just about every part on the car. http://www.helminc.com/helm/Result.a...elected_media=

The manual shows a splice in the yellow wire 14cm from the headlight switch. Is that the one you are talking about? For the European cars, it shows one wire going to the high beam switch and the other two being used for the headlight levelers installed only for our friends in Scandinavia. One of the leveling wires is supposed to go to a headlight leveling switch and the other goes to a "diode network." I'd expect that those two wires in your car would go to an empty connector somewhere.

Your fuse experiment was interesting, except that the circuit can pull up to 30A with the high beams on. Also, some circuits can create a surge of power, which is probably why there isn't a fuse in that circuit at all. (So, crossing the headlight switch with a fuse might not prove anything at all.)

I see the circuit breaker you are talking about, but the service manual only shows it for models delivered outside of North America. The behavior you are describing sounds a whole lot like bad/old circuit breaker - so I'm wondering if the circuit breaker in your switch is bad.

You installed another used switch, right? If so, I'll bet your first switch had a bad circuit breaker in it and the second one you installed has a breaker that is 99.9% bad. (We have the same issue with the circuit breakers that control the rear defogger and the power seats. The heat in the breaker over time causes it to go bad.)

I'd suggest jumping the red wire at the headlight switch connector to the terminal on the switch and then measuring the current at the terminal on the switch where the yellow wire would normally hook up to and then see what happens. If the power cuts off, then its definitely the breaker in the switch. If not, then you could have a short.

If you do have a bad breaker in the switch, I'll bet that its something that you can fix if you can open the switch housing up. A lot of times, manufacturers will solder in a regular fuse or breaker in to the circuitry.

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

It is quite an sum, especially considering the shipping and customs will double that... and money is tight at the moment... but it sounds like a good buy since I intend to keep my car forever. So I'll keep my eyes peeled for a used set.

Wow, very useful information, thanks for that. Yes that's the splice I'm talking about. I do have the headlight levelers on my car, as well as the diode network. Even though the headlight levellers are just supposed to be on Scandinavian cars (according to your service manual), they are also on all the French and German Camaros I know of.

I think the manual might be wrong on that one, because I have the Haynes manual which I bought in the US and only sports US diagrams, and they do show a breaker inside the headlight switch.

Thanks so much the advice. I've just did what you said, there's stable 12 volt voltage at the terminal of the switch where the yellow wire normally hooks up... so I guess that means the switch is fine, and I have a short. I've just ordered a cheap short detector from ebay. I'll keep you informed. Thanks again, you've been of terrific help.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

From time to time a used set of manuals pops up for a great price on eBay. Dealers cleaning out their libraries, etc.

I'll be you are correct on the breaker. This thread is making me want to find one so I can tear it apart...

While you are waiting for the tester to come, you might disconnect the diode network and headlight levelers and then re-test the yellow wire at the high beam switch. Or even just try the headlights then. Since you can confirm the switch is good and then have the problem with the high beam switch unplugged, the short must either be in the wires just after the headlight switch or in your leveler or diode network.

... I have no idea what the diode network is there for... or what a diode network even is... but it sounds guilty!

mindreaper

iTrader: (1)

I'm going to a car show today (I'll have to make sure I return before dark!), I'll write more tomorrow. Thanks!