I'm 15, and just starting to learn about cars, so I pretty much don't know technical names for anything, or how everything works, yet. I'm more of a computer person, although I'm learning about cars.

We have an '87 IROC-Z, and I was wondering about a few things (as was my dad)

Alright, First I guess..
The rear defroster switch, i suppose that is what it is.
It's to the right of the wheel, and under the lighter. It seems to be stuck "ON".
The switch is stuck in the on position, I can push the bottom of the switch in, (Where it would normally be "OFF") but it doesn't stay, it just switches back to ON. Now, the light on the button doesn't work at all. Anybody know if there's a way to fix the switch?

Second, the fog lights don't work. Don't know if the lights work themselves, but the switch doesn't light up. I think i posted about this before, somebody said to check a fuse. Anybody know which fuse it would be? None of them seem burned, but i can't remember if I checked them all. anything else it might be?

Third.. the Right turn signal light on the dash doesn't light up, Would that be accessible just by unscrewing it, and pulling out the dash cluster piece, or would something else have to be done to access it?

Fourth, there's a major battery drain going on with the car.
Everything is off (Except for that damn defroster, it seems.. but would that be the cause, even though it doesn't light up?) and after even less than a day, a full battery will just be dead. We put in three different batteries, they all died by the next morning. So we just got a new battery and just put a disconnect on it for now, so we can just disconnect it easily when it's off.

Fifth, which may be a cause for #4. Whenever the battery just gets connected, in the immediate front of the driver side (near the window) there's a small box (3inches wide, probably) that CLICKS. It seemed to click for awhile, also. connected to it, were some wires.. I believe white, orange, black, and probably red?
anyone know what it is?

Sixth, and last, i guess. Just replaced the lift supports for the hood and hatch, but the two big screws weren't in all the way, didn't seem to have anything that fit into the head of the screw, it looks like a star with many points... anybody know the technical name for this? or something that would fit it, to get it in the rest of the way..

 

uhm...

1. It's not winter yet, but if i recall correctly the defroster switch gets pushed once (on top) to be turned on and again (on top) for off, it's not a toggle, it only goes one way, without the light, i have no idea how you'd tell it was on or off.

2. don't have fog lights, don't know.

3. my signals are all weird, sometimes they flash inside, sometimes they don't, but they always flash on the outside.

4. I'd blame the defrost, but it sounds like your car has been treated rough, so don't hold me to that.

5. I don't remember what the box deal does, it's mounted on the firewall right by the power brake booster tho (big circle thing). When i swapped engines all that crap came off...it's probally not good that it clicks but i doubt that your battery is draining from it, it's probally from you not knowing how to turn off the defrost.

6. They're called "Torx" bits/drivers, Walmart and every other place that sells tools has them

 

Alright. Turns out the defrost switch/button, whatever. Wasn't even hooked up!!!!

Can't find the piece that connects to it, right now.


Argh now that's just weird.

Also, does anybody know what the special rear-view mirror does?

It has a wire going to it, and there are a few things you can move (switch from OFF to AUTO, and a little wheel you can spin that has numbers).. there's also a green light that says "DISTANCE" next to it

Anybody have an idea what this is used for, or anything?


OH: and #3 has been solved.. it just seemed to start working, again.

Temperature gauge has a problem, though. you start the car, and as long as you're turning the key to start it, it maxes out, then you let go of the key after the car has started, it drops down to just below 100

really weird. doesn't seem to work, i don't think

 

Not real sure about the mirror. My overhead console has two sets of those rolling numbers, i guess they're just for general number keeping. I think the on/auto on the mirror is for an auto dimming mirror. And i'd say the temp sender is bad if the gauge does that, mine does now because i removed all of the sensors, so my guess is that it's bad.

 

The mirror is an auto dimming mirror. It has 2 photo sensors in it and a motor, when the front sensor detects no light (nighttime) and the rear one detects light (car behind you with lights on) it moves the mirror to the "nightime" position.

 

1) onto is right defrost is a one way toggle

2) Check your fogs for bulbs...they plug into the back of the housing...if they arent burnt or blown..check for power at the wires.

3) GM turn signals do some wierd things, especially if the car has low voltage or the signals have a bad ground. If you need to replace the bulb, you pretty much have to pull the guage cluster out.

4&5) that little box thingy thats clicking sounds like its a relay so whatever that relay powers is on all the time (fog lights? i think that relay is there)

ditto to morley on the mirror and ditto to onto to the temp guage...it is easy to replace the sender...it is in the head on the drivers side between the #1 and #3 cylinders usually has a single wire blade type connection, I think the wire is green or blue. Looks like a brass plug about an inch and a half long. If you take it out and coolant pours out you found the right one

 

i had a red 87 iroc back in the day, and i sold that piece of ****. IT had more problems then i can even count. And the TPI bs was always ****ing around so i just decided to sell it and buy my 84 z28 which i love. Have never had a problem with it.

 

I had a lot of problems with my IROC when I first got it, mostly due to the way it had been treated and the lack of skill/intelligence that was used when they worked on it. Have to admit all the computerized controls were very intimidating at first, but with a little patience and learning, it was no problem. I'm very happy with my IROC.

 

Replaced the sender, and temp gauge works now (thanks)

Also, when the flasher stops blinking, if you touch the light, it'll come back on.. so it must have a short or a bad ground.

 

today i was driving and out of the blue my fasten seatbelts light started working and dinging, then just all of a sudden it just turned off and wont go back on. Must be a bad connection or something

 

Sorry for bringing up a dead (?) topic.

Okay, first off thanks everybody
I got the foglights off, and the light's connectors were just corroded to hell. I touched them, and they lit up. Both wires work, and all we need are new lights, the lense thing (it was pretty old, and they broke when trying to get them off :P), and the bezel that goes over it to secure the lense on, as it was pretty much ruined. you could EASILY break it.

anyone know what the price would be on those things? (everything but the foglight rear housing)


so that is REALLY good news.

Another question, how many people rewired their foglights so they don't turn off with high-beams.. so you could have more light on the road? Just wondering, is it easy? Useful?


hoodlatch is busted (Bent), so it won't close. could probably find one at a junkyard, though.


now the only thing left, really, is the rear defroster. gotta find the piece that connects to the button on the dash. The window on the back is setup for it, though.


temp gauge still has a small problem.. it sticks on 0 again, and doesn't work unless you touch it.. my dad thinks its magnitized, which is probably it. Anybody think so?

 

for fog lights check on ebay, the site sponsors at the top of the page and maybe house of camaro, do a search on them in the vendor forum for info. its funny the rear housing is the part thats busted on my fogs, the rest is ok

dont know about the wiring for the foglights, might wanna ask someone like morley or deadbird on that

I would start cruising the junkyards for the other pieces you need latch, temp guage (try replacing it and see what happens) and whatever parts you need for the defrost...if nothing else looking at a car in the junkyard could tell you what you need for the defrost

 

When you crank the car (starting it) the temp gauge grounds out through the ignition switch to do a 'gauge test' and then drops back to normal (below 100). It's perfectly normal (the 76 suburban I had did this as well).

 

You can't take the lenses off of the driving lights, they are bonded to the light housing and will break. And since they are bonded to the housing, you can't buy just a lens.

Checking E bay is going to be a shock, those lights are expensive, even used.

Wiring the driving lights to stay on with highbeams is fairly simple but also ilegal in just about every state (some cops are more **** about this than others)
I don't know that the amount of extra light they would add would even be noticable with the 4 headlights on.


Magnitized guage? Don't know how that could have happened short of a lightening strike on the car (or a very near by strike).

 

My Sport Coupe was similar. When you started it, the needle would swing so fast it would get caught on the edges of the gauge. So I just took some very thin wire and wrapped them around the screws, and bent it to make "blockers". Can't see them unless you really look.