Does anyone know where to buy them? I have an 89 GTA, headlights go up wont go down.

 

Found
http://www.top-downsolutions.com/pro...roducts_id=119

 

funny...mine are the oposite.

 

Id suggest you test your motors and dash switch before you lay the money on that relay

Ive never had a relay go bad

 

Dead relays are fairly common. Mine always goes down perfectly, but doesn't always go up, when I hit the switch.

I hit the switch, the lights turn on, but not pop up. I just drive like that until a bump in the road "wiggles" the relay into working, an the lights go up.

One of these days, I'll replace the relay. I've already got another one, just too lazy to swap them out. Besides, I only drive at night, like once a month, at most.

 

LOL, that's funny! One of my lights was like that for years until I finally got off my lazy *** to figure out what was wrong. If I closed my door just right, just hard enough to rock the car, but not too hard, the light would pop-up. If not, then I'd either raise it manually, or I'd drive on, looking for bumps to hit.

Turned out to be relay-related, but not the relay itself. Have you ever tried "wiggling" the connectors to make sure they're securely fastened... unplugging them, making sure they're in good shape, then re-plugging them in? That was the problem with mine. One wasn't secure. Yes, some relays go bad, but it isn't common.

But having bad gear bushings inside the headlight motor can also make the lights act like that too. If the light isn't popping-up, but you can hear its motor running, then you know your relay is good, and the bushings inside the gear have disintegrated. Sometimes they'll pop-up, but most of the time they won't. TDS has a repair kit for this problem too.

 

Well, one of my headlight motors is brand new. Sometimes, they work perfect, sometimes not. If the hood is already open, I can reach back there and hit/tap the relay box, and they pop right up.

The first time it happened, I banged on the headlights themselves, started wiggling the wires at the headlights, and worked my way up from there. When I got to the relay box, nothing happened until I banged on it. Suddenly, both popped up!

If it was just one headlight, I'd say the motor os wiring, but its both headlights together. Never just one.

If I wasn't so lazy, I'd pull the one off my 89 GTA partsr car...

 

Well I got the new relay plugged it in. Nothing. Same problem they go up dont go down. Fuses are all good. What now?

 

Check the TAIL fuse. That's just one thing I recall that can cause the problem. The Firebird Service Manual (aka HELMS manual) has a checklist to go through, TAIL fuse is mentioned. If needed I can fax you a copy of the applicable pages of the manual so you can go through the entire diagnostic checklist.

I have no problem with you returning the module, since that didn't solve the problem. I'd just need to charge a nominal re-stocking charge to test and re-package it.

Lon

PS: The manual is also available online from www.helminc.com.

 

O wow lol your the owner of that site. Is the TAIL fuse your talking about just with all the other fuses underneath the dash or is it located somewhere else? Is it possible that you can e-mail me the pages?

 

Yes, it is in the third colum from the left, second row. 20 amp labeled TAIL.

I can e-mail it if I've already scanned the pages. I'll check. I have no time to scan it today. It's section 8A-102-1 & 2 in the Firebird Service Manual if someone else can post it or e-mail the pages.

Lon

 

Its the switch. Today I got to it and starting messing around with it and if I wiggle it a little bit the headlights go down. The connectors on the switch looked corroded so I cleaned them off with a steel brush but that didn't help. The sockets connectors where the connectors on the switch plug in to are also a bit corroded but I have been unable to get to them and clean them. Thing is the headlights wont go up or down in any one position. They'll go up in any position but I have to wiggle the switch to get them to go down. So either right now its the sockets connectors which are corroded which is causing the problem or the switch itself on the inside is messed up. I have no way of telling

Also this thread should probably be moved to electrical <---me

 

Sounds like my relay. My electrical guru friend opened mine up and messed with it, but couldn't find anything wrong with it. Must be the circuit board itself in it.

No big deal for me. One of these days, I'll swap it for the one out of my 89. Maybe...when I get a fix-it ticket! LOL

 

Fixed it! I just had to bend the connectors on the switch to get to them better with the steel brush to clean off the corrosion and their working now!

 

Let us know if they STAY working. Mine work 90% of the time. It's the 10% that bugs me....

 

Mine go down sometimes right away. Sometimes, they stay up for a minute or two before going down. Other times, they don't go down at all. Once or twice, they've gone halfway down and stayed there.

Sometimes, they stay up for days, even though I turn the lights on and off numerous times. Other times, it only takes a few on/offs of the headlights to coax them into closing.

They always do whatever they're going to do in tandem.

Relay?

 

Yep...relay.

Mine USUALLY work, but sometimes, they come on, but don't come up. I just leave it like that, until I hit a speed bump, or something. I've never on the road, when the sun comes down, so I don't have to worry about driving down the road, with only my fog lights on.

WORSE case, I get out, pop the hood, and tap the relay box, and they come right up. Really frustrating, when the click if the hood release, causes them to come up. Then I hafta get out, shut the hood, basically for nothing.

 

If they are stopping halfway, between up & down, you mightwanna check the power wire to the motors themselves

 

I need to reclean the switch on mine. Sometimes they'll stay up but its nothing slamming the door doesn't take care of.

 

I remember when mine were acting up (or lack there of). It was my module box. I just opened it up and figured out that one of the 4 wires on the magnetic relay had burned off, so I simply reconnected the loose wire and all is well...