Headlight help needed!

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Feb 7, 2007 | 10:35 AM

2000Targa Top

Thread Starter

Intermediate

Joined: Feb 2007

Posts: 34

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From: Saint Charles Missouri

Headlight help needed!

Well the headlights don't work with the light switch, I have to turn the lights on and off with the option button (twightlight- "on" and "off"). Any Suggestions?

Last edited by 2000Targa Top; Feb 7, 2007 at 04:59 PM.

Feb 7, 2007 | 03:59 PM

2000Targa Top

Thread Starter

Intermediate

Joined: Feb 2007

Posts: 34

Likes: 0

From: Saint Charles Missouri

Well the headlights don't work with the light switch, I have to turn the lights on and off with the option button (twightlight- "on" and "off"). I was just wondering if this ever happened to any else?

Last edited by 2000Targa Top; Feb 7, 2007 at 05:00 PM.

Feb 21, 2007 | 01:53 AM

bpeeps

5th Gear

Joined: Apr 2005

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My lights stopped responding to the switch as well (sometimes). They would usually eventually come on, but it got progressively worse. Narrowed it down to the switch after reading some posts here and testing a few things.

If your lights come on/off when you toggle the twilight feature on/off, then I would guess that you may have a switch problem too.

Try this, remove the panel under the dash and find the C209 harness. It has roughly 30 wires give or take. Unplug it. Jumper (recommed a fairly heavy jumper wire with an inline fuse just in case) across the tan (L) and Red (X) wires and then reconnect. If your lights come on, then you probably have a switch problem.

The only option that I have seen to fix this is to replace the entire lever assembly. ~$270 from the dealer or ~$140 from GMPartsDirect.com.

Out of curiosity, before replacing mine, I decided to take it apart and see if I could figure out what was going on. It appears that I had a little corrosion/oxidation on the contacts. With a little cleaning and reassembly, mine seems to work fine now.

Feb 21, 2007 | 10:38 AM

dgrant3830

Tech Contributor

Joined: Dec 2006

Posts: 10,962

Likes: 29

From: Van Buren Arkansas

Wounded Warrior Escort '11

Quote:

Originally Posted by bpeeps

Out of curiosity, before replacing mine, I decided to take it apart and see if I could figure out what was going on. It appears that I had a little corrosion/oxidation on the contacts. With a little cleaning and reassembly, mine seems to work fine now.

The headlamp switch contacts are contained inside the stalk right at the rotating switch assembly, not in the base of the switch assembly where the blinker contacts are. You can't get to the actual headlamp switch contacts as fas as I know. Those contacts are probabaly bad in the case of this post and the switch needs replacing. It can also be done in about 20 minutes time as the switch assembly will come without removing the steering wheel. The replaced part was $138 when I had to replace mine. Similar symptoms too.
One thing to look at though first...check to see if the headlamps are on but the doors simply did not raise? If that is in fact what's happening, then its the headlamp controller. On my '99, its mounted on the right frame rail behind the right headlamp.

Feb 21, 2007 | 02:37 PM

bpeeps

5th Gear

Joined: Apr 2005

Posts: 5

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Quote:

Originally Posted by dgrant3830

The contacts are inside the base of the switch assembly. All the rotation of the stalk does is turn a gear the in base which engages/disengages the contacts. It isn't too difficult to get to the contacts. There are 4 screws to remove, a little light prying with a small screwdriver, and disconnection of a few wires. Just be gentle so you don't break anything. Worst case, you buy a new one, which is where we started anyway. Nothing really to lose other than a half hour or so.

I haven't reinstalled mine yet, maybe I can take a few quick photos to post.

Feb 21, 2007 | 11:07 PM

bpeeps

5th Gear

Joined: Apr 2005

Posts: 5

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Here are the pics.

1. Remove screws. There are 4, but you can only see 3 from this view.

2. Disconnect wires.

3. Pry apart bottom section. GENTLY - it shouldn't take much.

4. Pull apart next section. Once again GENTLY.

5. Clean between contacts. I used fine grit sand paper and just rubbed lightly between the contacts.

6. Carefully reassemble. If you turned the gear to play with the contacts, make sure the orientation of the gear matches the on/off position of the lever. White gear rolled up should correspond to lights in off position. Make sure you feed the wires back through before putting the middle section back on.

Hope this helps.

Feb 22, 2007 | 12:37 AM

dgrant3830

Tech Contributor

Joined: Dec 2006

Posts: 10,962

Likes: 29

From: Van Buren Arkansas

Wounded Warrior Escort '11

I'm guessing that mine maybe different or else.... I took mine apart and carefully examined it all. The blinker contacts were obvious, but there were no headlamp contacts in the base. Maybe I missed them, but was mystified that the couple of wires from the stalk could possibly command headlamps, parking, cruise and etc.. Must have missed them somewhere in there. I replaced mine as a whole and still have the original. Now you have me curious, will have to take it apart again!

Feb 22, 2007 | 01:23 AM

DeeGee

Tech Contributor

Joined: Dec 2003

Posts: 19,384

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From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England

2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified

Sounds to me like the switch could be the culprit

I remember seeing a post where one member sprayed the switch with electronic connector cleaner. You can get it at Radio Shack. It solved a similar snag for him

Before you strip the switch down it may be worth trying.