My sisters 2000 WS6 has a problem with the headlights. When you turn on the parking lights, the headlights go up and right back down, and the drivers side runs for about 10 seconds (grinding sound). Same thing happens when you turn on the headlights, or when you chime the key fob. I figure it is either the body control module or the headlight control module. Since both are a few hundred, is there an easy way to pinpoint it????

Thanks
Chris

 

check my recent post in this forum "firebird headlight fix"

it sounds like (when it goes down and grinds) the gear in the motor stripped out.

 

The drivers side headlight motor (the gear inside) is the problem. Do the free fix and you'll be back to normal.

scroll almost all the way down. It'll take you 15-20 minutes to do the job.
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/index.htm

 

see, we need a sticky don't we

 

There is a sticky:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-firebird-1967-2002/177470-firebird-headlights-all-comments-questions-regarding-headlights-go-here.html

 

Its in the wrong forum. Fixing a bad headlight motor/gear is "General Maintenance and Repair". Key word being "Repair".

Noone goes to the "Firebird" section when they have this problem. Thats like going to the "Firebird" section if I'm burning excessive oil in my Firebird, or my Firebird is overheating, or if the radio is acting up. Makes no sense.

 

Well the problem is the headlights are going up and down for no reason. They shouldn't be doing anything when you turn it only to parking lights, and I think something is causing the motors to run longer than they should which is the grinding.

 

The lights going up when selecting "P", is exactly what they will do when the gear starts to strip. It's the gear, its getting stripped. If the motor runs so much as one more tooth on that gear, the symptoms will begin. And what you are experiencing is a very popular problem.

 

Frostbite,

The problem is the GEARS. Yes it is wierd that they go up and down for no reason. Trust us, its the gears that is causing it to act funny. It has happened to every single Firebird/TA owner out there.

 

Okay okay okay I actually quit being hard headed are read the links. It is crazy to think that stripped gears would cause it to "freak" like that, but I am not argueing with free. I will try it tomorrow.

 

Just to let you know why. When these motors run the headlights up and down, the motors want to keep running forever. The reason they stop when the headlight is full up or full down is because they hit "stops". The resistance is picked up by sensors and instantly stop the motor from running. Same thing when you turn it off, the motor wants to run forever in the other direction and when they hit the "stops" the sensor instantly stops and the light is down.

When the gear strips just the smallest little bit, it allows the headlight assembly to travel a hair too much in the direction of thr stripped tooth on the gear and thats what freaks out the sensors and causes all the crazy *** sypmtoms. I think ultimately, when it keeps running (which everyone describes as grinding) the motor shuts itself off, thats why it just doesn't keep on running (grinding) till it burns out.

 

Damn thats some scary stuff, makes me happy I have a Catfish.

 

The Camaro doesn't have popup headlights, the Firebird does. The problem vehicle is the Firebird. I makes sense that a Firebird-related problem would be in the Firebird section. Also a search would have presented the sticky (and several other threads) because this is asked quite often in various sections (usually Stereo & Electronics).

BTW, I didn't make the decision to put the sticky in the Firebird section, I'm just defending it. I can probably put a link in this section if people want it.

 

I know, but this section is simply called "REPAIR". The "Firebird" section is seen as an all encompasing section on the Firebird. I'd be going to repair for any problem I had.

If you do put the sticky here I guarantee there will be less threads in here asking about headlight problems. Threads are almost daily in here about headlight motors, the "Firebird" section has them rarely.

 

Don't bet money on that. Most people don't bother reading the stickies anyway.

 

i would vote for a sticky link in the repairs section, cause this was the first place i looked before the search, and it took me in the wrong direction, because the only reason you have to take the motor out is to REPLACE the gear, but you can easily try what i did in 5 mins and fixed mine.

 

Check out the new and improved...

General Maintenance & Repairs FAQ
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-maintenance-repairs/929492-general-maintenance-repairs-faq-please-read-before-starting-thread.html

Located at the top of this section.

Let me know if there is anything else you'd like to see added.