T/A Headlights going on/off by themselves!
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 937
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From: South Alabama
T/A Headlights going on/off by themselves! ok - Car is a 2002 T/A with 12,000 on the clock.
We were on the return leg of a trip and all of a sudden the headlights pop up/turn on, stay that way- then cycle on/off several times. Did that for about 75 miles then started acting ok- till we got to the house then it went nuts again. Each time it happens, I can hear a short comming from near the radio (from drivers position). Earlier this morning I heard the short a couple of times, and the radio lights seemed to flicker-but at that time the headlights were ok.
I seem to remember some threads on the "possessed" headlights, but I wasn't able to locate them with the search engine.
Any help you can shed on this, I appreciate. I'd rather fix it myself if possible -than to take it to the dealer.
-EDIT: I should also say I did add a shift light, but that was six months ago, I hooked the hot wire up to the switched wire running to the TCS control. I don't think this is causing any problem b/c the TCS is working fine along with the shift light. Nothing else is affected except the lights going bonkers by theirselves and the radio occasionally dimming/flickering when we hear the short.
update: Now they are turning on as soon as I turn the key to "run"- the lights turn on without turning on the headlight switch, they pop up and turn on as soon as I turn the key to "on". They go down when I turn the key to off-doesn't matter what the switch is set on.
We were on the return leg of a trip and all of a sudden the headlights pop up/turn on, stay that way- then cycle on/off several times. Did that for about 75 miles then started acting ok- till we got to the house then it went nuts again. Each time it happens, I can hear a short comming from near the radio (from drivers position). Earlier this morning I heard the short a couple of times, and the radio lights seemed to flicker-but at that time the headlights were ok.
I seem to remember some threads on the "possessed" headlights, but I wasn't able to locate them with the search engine.
Any help you can shed on this, I appreciate. I'd rather fix it myself if possible -than to take it to the dealer.
-EDIT: I should also say I did add a shift light, but that was six months ago, I hooked the hot wire up to the switched wire running to the TCS control. I don't think this is causing any problem b/c the TCS is working fine along with the shift light. Nothing else is affected except the lights going bonkers by theirselves and the radio occasionally dimming/flickering when we hear the short.
update: Now they are turning on as soon as I turn the key to "run"- the lights turn on without turning on the headlight switch, they pop up and turn on as soon as I turn the key to "on". They go down when I turn the key to off-doesn't matter what the switch is set on.
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Seekonk MA
Re: T/A Headlights going on/off by themselves! The first thing i would look at is the DRL module and wiring. T/A's made for the U.S. do not have the automatic headlight feature as Canadian ones (and Camaro's) do. However all the wiring is there for the sensor,Pontiac just removed it and jumped the wire. If the jumper is loose/off or you have tapped into this curcuit with your shift light then it would cause them to go off/on.
