1998 C5. 76,400miles.
Ok so I know this has been beaten to death, but I don't see exactly what my problem is.
So you know the shroud that covers the headlights? On the inside there is a round plug you can remove to adjust the headlights. My plug fell off a few weeks ago and so I purchased the plug and installed it. A few minutes later I drove to the Emissions Testing center to have my emissions tested to be in compliance with the Illinois law. It was drizzling out side so I turned on my headlights,
The lady asked me to step out of the car and sit in a chair that was at the left rear corner of the car, I could see everything she was doing. She then plugged in the OBD cable to under my dash. In about 20 seconds, I started to hear a metal clinging noise coming from my car which I interpreted as my A/C compressor clutch making the noise. All HVAC functions work normally. I also saw the left rear tail light start to light up then slowly fizzle out to no light at all. She unplugged the cable and would you believe it I passed the emission test.
I then drove home, and when I went to shut off my headlights they would not go down, the headlights themselves worked. In addition, the dash lights that come on when you turn on your headlights are now inop. And my tail lights are inop. Brake Lights work. Checked the corvette forum and looked at Number 6 fuse in the passenger footwell. Blown. replace the fuse and as soon as I put it in, the headlight doors retract. I then go to turn on my headlights , and they go up, but the Number 6 fuse then blown again.
Today, my son and I remove the headlight/cruise stalk, I disassemble it and file any contacts I could get access to, and spray electrical contact cleaner on any contact I could see. We reinstall the stalk , and while turning on the headlights , I notice the feel of the detents in the stalk are different, a bit looser, but the same problem persists. Blow the fuse. Headlights wont come down.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

Id disconnect the headlight harness to both lights and replace the fuse. If it doesn't blow then you know you have either a bad gear motor or one of the headlights is going to ground. Plug them back in one at a time and check the fuse.The side that blows the fuse is where to start.

 

Thanks yellow2007: a few questions
1. Where would the harness connection be for both headlights on a C5?
2. Even though neither headlight motors are making other than the normal noise when operating, could one of the motors still be bad ?

Thanks

 

Moved to C5 Tech.

 

The harness is just below the headlight on both sides. One motor could be drawing enough amps to blow the fuse but that is unlikely.

 

That's what I think. The motors sound the same now as they did before the Number 6 fuse started to blow. The fact the emission test was being done with their OBD tester inserted into my car at the same time as when the first fuse blew is a coincidence ? But I don't think anything in the emissions on the car is connected to the headlights.
I did disconnect each headlight separately, inserted a new fuse and tried it again. The headlight that was still connected went up, and when I turned it off, the fuse blew, on each headlight. So I think that means it is in the harness upstream of the headlights. I think.
I have read many of the forum blogs and more than a few have replaced the headlight/cruise stalk. So I ordered one used as it appears they are no longer manufactured anymore from Chevy. $425 w/shipping. I hope this fixes the problem.

 

Could also be the headlight control module

 

[QUOTE=d.moscatelli@comcast;1607122355]That's what I think. The motors sound the same now as they did before the Number 6 fuse started to blow. The fact the emission test was being done with their OBD tester inserted into my car at the same time as when the first fuse blew is a coincidence ? But I don't think anything in the emissions on the car is connected to the headlights.
I did disconnect each headlight separately, inserted a new fuse and tried it again. The headlight that was still connected went up, and when I turned it off, the fuse blew, on each headlight. So I think that means it is in the harness upstream of the headlights. I think.
I have read many of the forum blogs and more than a few have replaced the headlight/cruise stalk. So I ordered one used as it appears they are no longer manufactured anymore from Chevy. $425 w/shipping. I hope this fixes the problem.[/QUOTE

Howdy! I like to play with bad headlight switches. Not sure I’ve heard of any blowing fuses. If there’s an overload, they usually just melt until there’s no continuity; there’s not much for ground presence in them. I would guess BCM or Headlamp Door Control Module but let me know if it is a bad switch. I might be able to help.

 

Thank you Tony. I have ordered both the turn signal stalk and the headlight control module used ( $200 ) . New they were $726. When I get them in I will install and let everyone know the results.
Also, I did not mention that the front marker lights, the rear side marker lights, the tail lights and the center brake light are all replaced with Vette Lights LED's. So I will be disconnecting all of these and try the headlights again. Maybe the fuse wont blow.

 

Ok, so this is the end of my saga.
I had multiple problems: Headlight doors would not go down and the #6 fuse blows as soon as you put a new one in.

I replaced the turn signal stalk with a used one ( $425 ). No change.
I replaced the Headlight module with a used on for $200 as a new one from Chevy was $765. That worked , headlight doors now go up and down. But the #6 fuse still blows when I turn on the headlights and turn them off.
The #6 fuse is an interior courtesy lights fuse so I thought it logical to uninstalled all the interior courtesy lights, the # 6 fuse still blows when I turn on and off the headlights.
I had replaced the exterior lights 4 months ago ( front turn signal lights, rear side marker lights, the 4 rear tail lights and the center brake light with LED's from Vette Lights ) And so I disconnected them all at the suggestion of my Auto Shop Teacher who is a wize at diagnosing. The #6 fuse did not blow. I reattached the these LED lights one by one and discovered when I connected the left rear side marker light, and turned mon the headlights, the fuse blew. When I disconnected it, and turned on and off the headlights, the fuse did not blow. Upon further inspection, the connector was was all corroded and inside the light is a small printed circuit board with a few electronic components attached. It looked like a few of these components had burned out. In addition, the lens was full of water.
The right rear marker light, although working and not blowing fuses, about 3-4 or the 10 diodes were not working.
When I removed the tail lights, they each have a resistor screwed to the housing. 2 of those resistors had come loose and were hanging by the wires connected to them. And one of the resistors looks like it had burned out. I was able to reattach all the resistors so they will never come loose again and they all work correctly.

It just seems funny that when I was getting my emission test performed, the headlight module goes out and the Vette Lights left rear side marker lights decides to go bad because of the corrosion on the connectors.

But now all is good.

Over the weekend I purchased a pair of used seats to remove my after market racing seats. I hooked up the wires but the seats do not move or readjust, so another issue I will need to contend with.