Advice, please! Headlight issue..
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 652
Likes: 5
From: Tampa Florida
Advice, please! Headlight issue..
Hi everyone!
Tonight we were leaving dinner at Mom's house and we could not get the headlights to pop up. DLR's and fog's came on, but neither headlight would pop up, nor did it look as if they were on. We tried turning them on and off several times....nothing. Tried pulling back on the lever and they popped up, but did not come on. Tried turning on and off again and the lights retracted and now we can't get them to pop up again. Ended up driving home with just the DLR's and fog lights. Tail lights, side markers, back up and rear license plate light all came on and stayed on as they're supposed to. When we got home, we tried again while I listened for any noises coming from the lights but it was absolutely quiet. Could it be an burned out fuse? I appreciate everyone's advice. Thanks for reading and any help you can give me.
Mary
Tonight we were leaving dinner at Mom's house and we could not get the headlights to pop up. DLR's and fog's came on, but neither headlight would pop up, nor did it look as if they were on. We tried turning them on and off several times....nothing. Tried pulling back on the lever and they popped up, but did not come on. Tried turning on and off again and the lights retracted and now we can't get them to pop up again. Ended up driving home with just the DLR's and fog lights. Tail lights, side markers, back up and rear license plate light all came on and stayed on as they're supposed to. When we got home, we tried again while I listened for any noises coming from the lights but it was absolutely quiet. Could it be an burned out fuse? I appreciate everyone's advice. Thanks for reading and any help you can give me.
Mary
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Mary
Hard to say for certain but if you managed to get them to pop up at one point its probably not the fuses. #6 in the passenger footwell controls the pop up but its probably not the issue.
I'd be focussing on the switches and failures are common. Chances are from what you describe it's the headlight switch on the stalk. You can try squirting electrical cleaner into the switch. It cleans up the contacts and it's worked for some. After that its a switch change.
Heres a thread that may help. It goes into the repair but you could just change the module:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...p?p=1563499998
Next thing I'd check is the headlight flasher unit. Sounds strange but many of the lighting functions route through there. There are DIY fixes to change it but its a PITA. Some have fitted a bypass harness which sounds way easier.
Heres a link that may help with that one:
http://myweb.cableone.net/kd5fx/HSwitch/HSwitch.htm
After that it would be checking grounds (immediately behind the passenger headlight on the frame) and the headlamp modules.
Hard to say for certain but if you managed to get them to pop up at one point its probably not the fuses. #6 in the passenger footwell controls the pop up but its probably not the issue.
I'd be focussing on the switches and failures are common. Chances are from what you describe it's the headlight switch on the stalk. You can try squirting electrical cleaner into the switch. It cleans up the contacts and it's worked for some. After that its a switch change.
Heres a thread that may help. It goes into the repair but you could just change the module:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...p?p=1563499998
Next thing I'd check is the headlight flasher unit. Sounds strange but many of the lighting functions route through there. There are DIY fixes to change it but its a PITA. Some have fitted a bypass harness which sounds way easier.
Heres a link that may help with that one:
http://myweb.cableone.net/kd5fx/HSwitch/HSwitch.htm
After that it would be checking grounds (immediately behind the passenger headlight on the frame) and the headlamp modules.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Fuses 3&4 under the hood are also in play and affect left and right individually. Normally if both are affected #6 in the footwell is the more likely candidate. Dont ask how I know!!
Last edited by DeeGee; Mar 25, 2009 at 05:20 PM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 652
Likes: 5
From: Tampa Florida
Thanks guys! I'll keep you posted.
I googled the issue as well and found another forum where somebody posted the same issue. (Glad to know I'm not the only one that has had this problem.) It says to check relay #44 as well. Since I'm not real elctrical literate, I'm gonna have my mechanic check it out tomorrow. Gonna print your responses out to show him as well.
I googled the issue as well and found another forum where somebody posted the same issue. (Glad to know I'm not the only one that has had this problem.) It says to check relay #44 as well. Since I'm not real elctrical literate, I'm gonna have my mechanic check it out tomorrow. Gonna print your responses out to show him as well.
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