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Thanks for the reply. Google mentioned something about an extra ground on one of the headlights, but I'm not sure exactly what they meant. Maybe it's corrosion. When I kick on the high beams it shuts off completely, otherwise it's dim. Occasionally my stereo display goes haywire, at which point my headlight won't work at all. This is all back and forth, but never both fully bright. The indicator for high beams stays dimly lit when they are off, it clicks. But at night when the dash lights dim, the indicator is only on when it's supposed to.
Thanks for the reply. Google mentioned something about an extra ground on one of the headlights, but I'm not sure exactly what they meant. Maybe it's corrosion. When I kick on the high beams it shuts off completely, otherwise it's dim. Occasionally my stereo display goes haywire, at which point my headlight won't work at all. This is all back and forth, but never both fully bright. The indicator for high beams stays dimly lit when they are off, it clicks. But at night when the dash lights dim, the indicator is only on when it's supposed to.
You need to check the connectors, measure voltages, and do some wire tracing to see where your issues and leakages are. All of this is consistent with bad connections or shorts. Corrosion in the connectors is a common cause. There are grounds that attach to the body, which can also cause problems.
Testing the modes of failure with the fog lights on and off will also help find the problem.
If you register on Autozone.com and access the service section there, you can get access to the full electrical schematics for the car.
I have an issue with my driver's side headlight that I haven't been able to figure out. I've read a few pages on this Sticky, and I read 10 more pages of posts under the search heading, "Trans Am Headlights."
Here's the history:
I (unknowingly) bought this car with an intermittent issue where when I turned on my lights both the high beams and low beams would come on at the same time and the lights would be dim. In addition to that, the driver's side headlight would some times not come on, and/or wouldn't pop up.
I then replaced the driver's side, male and female 5 pin wiring harnesses, and I replaced the wires coming out of the wiring harness into the high and low beams on the driver's side.
The intermittent dim lights are now gone and I haven't had an issue with the light not coming on at all, but the intermittent issue of the light not popping up is still occurring.
I get no buzzing, and I can see the light's on, but i have to manually raise it for it stay up. When I shut the lights off at the end I can hear the motor bring the light down afterwards, which is weird. Why would the light go down after it's manually been risen, but not raise itself up?
When it happens I'll pop the hood and sometimes toy with the connector (unplug, plug it back it in, wiggle the wire) on the back of the low and high beams, and then go try to flip the lights up again and some times that will work.
I guess my question is two-fold:
1) Is there a good way to assure that these connectors are 100% firmly connected onto these bulbs? I swapped the wires, but not the bulbs (they work fine), and the prongs on the back of the bulbs were bent by the previous owner. I think he was trying to create a tighter connection with the old connectors that were all sloppy.
2) What other steps should I take to diagnose this issue?
Thanks in advance guys and sorry if this has been covered - I've spent a lot of time reading. I figure I can't read every post...
I've spent a lot of time reading. I figure I can't read every post...
Did you try? The answer to your issue is likely a few post back, starting in post # 1838.
You can do two things to confirm if you have a problem with the solder joints on your module.:
- Tap the module itself when you have the issue.
- Swap the motors and see if the problem switches sides. (If it does, then you have a motor/gear problem and not a module problem.)
Hah, you mean I only would have had to read through 1837 posts to get to it?
No. With threads like this; start at the end and work your way back. You can also use the search functionality in the upper right to search just this thread.
My guess is that you have a problem in the driver's side harness or lighting. The High Beam circuit is a vehicle for that voltage leak to travel and when you unplug the high beam on the passenger's side, you break that circuit.
It looks like you have some bleed-through between your low beam and high beam, possibly on that driver's side. I'd start by unplugging the headlight motor on the drivers side. This will disconnect the headlight harness between the motor and the lights on the driver's side. If your passenger side (high beams and all) function normally with the driver's side motor disconnected - then you will know that the problem is in the harness or connectors in that assembly.
^ If you do this, you should check for corrosion. You could have corrosion in the motor connector that is so bad that it's causing this short circuit...
Did you try? The answer to your issue is likely a few post back, starting in post # 1838.
You can do two things to confirm if you have a problem with the solder joints on your module.:
- Tap the module itself when you have the issue.
- Swap the motors and see if the problem switches sides. (If it does, then you have a motor/gear problem and not a module problem.)
Alright, so I tapped the module and it didn't do anything for my drivers side, but now I'm getting issues with my passenger side! I've never had an issue with it raising up or turning on and I've now had intermittent issues with it after tapping that module.
I'm assuming I need to work on that control module then like you posted a couple pages back?
I'm sure you have indicators that could be cracks. The only way to be sure is to see it in real life under a high power magnifier. (Even then, they can be tough to actually see.) You have nothing to loose by melting these joints and adding a touch of solder.
Here are the irregularities in the solder pools where the cracks either are or would be developing. (Under magnification, this is where the separation happens.) A new pool will harden smooth with no lines...
I'm sure you have indicators that could be cracks. The only way to be sure is to see it in real life under a high power magnifier. (Even then, they can be tough to actually see.) You have nothing to loose by melting these joints and adding a touch of solder.
Here are the irregularities in the solder pools where the cracks either are or would be developing. (Under magnification, this is where the separation happens.) A new pool will harden smooth with no lines...
Sounds good. If it can't hurt anything, why not.
As a side note, last night my drivers side came up and my passenger side did not. That's never happened. Smh... lol
Hi Everyone. Recently, the driver side headlight on my car (02 Trans Am Firehawk) has stopped opening up. Before this happened, the lights never made the grinding noise that many on here mention. Also, the car has 36,000 miles and with light use of the headlights over the years, so I don't imagine it being a worn motor gear...but I could be wrong. I checked the fuses as some have mentioned in this thread, but it doesn't seem to be the problem as far as I can tell.
From reading this thread, it seems there are any number of reasons why the lights stop opening. Any suggestions as to what I should do next? Should I pull out the motor and check it? Or based on what I described above, should I try something else?
OK just venting a little here, my 99 was great when I got it used then IT happened so I bought the gears and repaired them and was happy with them. Then I got a 2000 Formula and I knew the gears were bad in both so I bought gears again diassembled cleaned relubed tightened motor to housing and epoxied cover back on and worked good for maybe a month now LF is grinding again
my old 87 T/A did this twice on both too
I hate firebird headlights!
must be why they quit making them
someone tell me why we love our cars?
OK I'm back since February post above, I pulled drvrs back out added another gear and had to tighten the tabs again(did the first time too I am no rookie to these!) but none the less it was loose again worked few months an they did well!! - like butter!! and quiet too!! till earlier this week LF grinding again
guess I'll pull it again and see whats happening again this time it wont open stuck down I guess on the bright side its never the same failure good thing I filled my keg last week
OK I'm back since February post above, I pulled drvrs back out added another gear and had to tighten the tabs again(did the first time too I am no rookie to these!) but none the less it was loose again worked few months an they did well!! - like butter!! and quiet too!! till earlier this week LF grinding again
guess I'll pull it again and see whats happening again this time it wont open stuck down I guess on the bright side its never the same failure good thing I filled my keg last week
Are you replacing with the original plastic gears or metal (aluminum or brass).? Metal gears will not likely ever fail again.
Are you replacing with the original plastic gears or metal (aluminum or brass).? Metal gears will not likely ever fail again.
It's actually the other way around. Metal gears (and any other gears) are highly likely to fail if the motor tabs are weak and not tight. (The metal gear suppliers put a warning in the package, specifically for this.)
zman is probably headed for some new motors - like the new Cardone design where we can replace the gear with a screw cover.
06-18-2017, 01:09 AM
The answer to your issue is likely a few post back, starting in post # 1838.
