Headlight Malfunction
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
From: Clovis California
Headlight Malfunction
I was at the mall with my girlfriend this evening, and as we were about to leave I turn on my headlights, but they didn't open. It's a 2000 Chevrolet Corvette, the fog lights and gauge cluster light up, just they don't open. I'm hoping it's just a fuse and that I don't have to replace the motor for this. Anyone else ever had this problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 4
From: Rockford Illinois
I was at the mall with my girlfriend this evening, and as we were about to leave I turn on my headlights, but they didn't open. It's a 2000 Chevrolet Corvette, the fog lights and gauge cluster light up, just they don't open. I'm hoping it's just a fuse and that I don't have to replace the motor for this. Anyone else ever had this problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 146
From: Watertown CT
Sorry for laughin, he knew what you were talking about, the "transmissions" for the headlights are notorious for going bad, they have plastic gears. So he wanted to know if you heard grinding because that would have meant you spent the gear inside. But if both lights aren't coming up it's more than likely a fuse or some other electrical aspect. Check fuses first and then you might have to test the switch. Good Luck!! Dan
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 21
From: Waldorf MD
Remove, clean and tighten your battery connections. Or just see if one is loose, can you turn cable by hand? Only tighthen to 11 ft-lbs, over tightening this causes leaks in nonglass mat batteries. Your computer is below the battery.
Last edited by Oldvetter; Mar 5, 2007 at 05:16 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Its possible if you parked under a street light in the parking lot, there might have been enough light to fool the system. First thing is to turn them on using the headlamp switch on the stalk. If they came up, you've got lights. Another thing is turn off the headlamp switch, then turn off the twilight sentinel in the DIC, then turn on the headlamp switch again. If they work, then you have isolated several things. The headlamp switch itself and the motors. That leaves the headlamp controller which is mounted on the '99 on the right frame rail, behind the right headlamp. It will cause this problem. There are about 4 relays that will also cause issues. Two are in the passenger footwell and the others in the engine fuse box, but only if they stop raising. Oh, one other thing, did the headlamps turn on even though the doors remained closed? If so, the headlamp controller.
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
From: Clovis California
I checked the fuses, and non of them seem to have gone out. The lights don't actually turn on, but I would think that they would at least open...right? Sorry for the noobish questions, just that my 92 Supra has lights like these and they still pop open even if the bulbs are out. So if the bulbs are burnt out, then they will not open!? Correct? Weird how they both would go out at the same time. 
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
From: Clovis California
I've read all the stickies, and searched the whole forum about the gears. My car doesn't make any noises at all when I open or close my headlights. That must mean it's the motor, correct?
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 431
Likes: 5
From: Chico CA
I have the same problem intermittently with my 1999 coupe. It has been so intermittent I haven't dealt with it, but I notice it's more pronounced if the indicated voltage is below about 13.5v.
The first thing I want to do to try to fix this is apply Bill Curlee's information on cleaning the grounds. It acts like it's a low voltage situation. Sometimes the lamps have come on but the doors don't open, but more often, the lamps stay out and the doors stay down. No grinding noises, nothing like that. And if I come back to the car a bit later, they'll usually work.
Late last summer this resulted in the embarassment of driving my Mustang (1969 GT500) to the Corvette club meeting. I figured it was better than the company-issue generic Ford Taurus...
I'll watch this thread to see if anyone else has addressed this, and if my guess on compromised grounds is on track.
The first thing I want to do to try to fix this is apply Bill Curlee's information on cleaning the grounds. It acts like it's a low voltage situation. Sometimes the lamps have come on but the doors don't open, but more often, the lamps stay out and the doors stay down. No grinding noises, nothing like that. And if I come back to the car a bit later, they'll usually work.
Late last summer this resulted in the embarassment of driving my Mustang (1969 GT500) to the Corvette club meeting. I figured it was better than the company-issue generic Ford Taurus...
I'll watch this thread to see if anyone else has addressed this, and if my guess on compromised grounds is on track.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
From: Clovis California
I have the same problem intermittently with my 1999 coupe. It has been so intermittent I haven't dealt with it, but I notice it's more pronounced if the indicated voltage is below about 13.5v.
The first thing I want to do to try to fix this is apply Bill Curlee's information on cleaning the grounds. It acts like it's a low voltage situation. Sometimes the lamps have come on but the doors don't open, but more often, the lamps stay out and the doors stay down. No grinding noises, nothing like that. And if I come back to the car a bit later, they'll usually work.
Late last summer this resulted in the embarassment of driving my Mustang (1969 GT500) to the Corvette club meeting. I figured it was better than the company-issue generic Ford Taurus...
I'll watch this thread to see if anyone else has addressed this, and if my guess on compromised grounds is on track.
The first thing I want to do to try to fix this is apply Bill Curlee's information on cleaning the grounds. It acts like it's a low voltage situation. Sometimes the lamps have come on but the doors don't open, but more often, the lamps stay out and the doors stay down. No grinding noises, nothing like that. And if I come back to the car a bit later, they'll usually work.
Late last summer this resulted in the embarassment of driving my Mustang (1969 GT500) to the Corvette club meeting. I figured it was better than the company-issue generic Ford Taurus...
I'll watch this thread to see if anyone else has addressed this, and if my guess on compromised grounds is on track.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
From: Clovis California
Now a CTS-V Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,675
Likes: 1
From: Central Ohio
CI 5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
There are fuses for headlamps both under the hood and under passenger side foot rest.
Last edited by vermjpv; Feb 27, 2007 at 10:41 AM. Reason: Add comments
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 4,419
Likes: 6
From: Arroyo Grande CA
Will the headlights turn on if you pull back on the flash-to-pass?
Check: HEADLAMP RELAY GROUNDING
Last edited by 2KFRC5; Mar 4, 2007 at 10:15 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 15
St. Jude Donor '06
Perhaps the headlight stalk itself is bad. My stalk went bad when i pulled back to do a flash-to-pass and the stalk jammed in that position. I proceeded to push it back into the neutral position...thats when i heard a snap...from then on, everytime i turned the headlights on, i was always in flash-to-pass mode (AKA high beams)...i bought a new stalk and it fixed everything...