To keep this brief, I'll post the summary of the problems up here:

Problem 1: The headlight switch within the car does not work unless it is held in place until both headlights flip up.
Problem 2: The passenger side headlight flips up, but it flips up extremely slow and will sometimes get stuck

Details:

When I first bought my car, the guy I bought it from told me to get the headlights to flip up, I had to hold the switch until each light was flipped up all the way. He also informed me that the passenger side headlight itself flipped up a lot slower than the driver side headlight which flipped up almost instantaneously. I watched as he showed me what to do to get the lights working properly and it wasn't too big of a deal to warrant trying to fix the problems.

For about a year now, I've been able to put up with these problems but they have only gotten steadily worse. The switch has gotten progressively harder to fiddle with in order to flip the lights up (it has to be in an EXACT spot before the lights flip) or else the lights will just turn on pointed at the ground.

Also, I pretty much have to always roll up the passenger side manually because the light will either not come up at all, or get stuck in the flip up process due to the aforementioned switch problem.

Basically, I need a basic idea of what might cause either of these problems because I don't know where to start. I don't understand how the switch needs to be held in order to flip the lights up but I can just flip it and have the lights turn on (albeit shining underneath the car). I know for sure the passenger headlight works too, but it just works too slow.

Thanks.

 

Replace the switch for the first.
Take apart the slow/sticking headlight and see if the gearing is stripped, probably is.

 

Is there any place I could buy the switch new? I've gone to the yards and pull out two switches that didn't work either. There was another one there but it had the horizontal switch/dimmer combo instead of the vertical one.

By the way, does the dimmer actually do anything besides turn the overhead light on and off? Mine doesn't do anything but that.



EDIT: Forgot to mention, I called up my local dealer and the parts department told me GM has discontinued this part.

 

The part may have been discontinued by GM but there are probably a bunch of them floating around in third party stores that deal in car parts. If you have the part number go to this website and check it.

http://www.rockauto.com/

There are other nice website links in the FAQ section of this board. Check them out.

 

Hi, Trickster.

I actually recieved my brand new headlight switch from YearOne a few weeks ago. However, the problem still persists. In fact, the passenger side light has completely stopped running. I have to roll it up everytime I want to drive at night, and yet it still manages to go down when I turn the lights off. wtf

I need some help.

 

Sounds like the gears inside the headlight motor have been turned into chunky salsa!

Well not quite, but theres a rebuild kit for about 30 bucks from TDS (Top Down Solutions). I had the same problem with my pop up headlights and that was what was wrong, the little cylinders inside the motor had crumbled into chunky bits in the lithium grease. When you pull the motor out and apart, DO NOT LOSE THE LITTLE BEARING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE GEAR POST! I almost lost mine in the garbage can not thinking... Do both motors at the same time and you'll never have to worry about it again.

As for the dimmer switch not working (its supposed to dim the dash lights and turn on the overhead light/map lights), the variable resistor inside the dimmer wheel could be shot, but if its a new part, the resistor could be elsewhere. I don't know enough about the wiring schematics, but it sounds like a variable resistor is gone somewhere. As for holding it in till the lights go up...its supposed stay clicked in and on, just keeps the lights on once the headlight motor has reached the extended position.

Order the TDS headlight motor rebuild kit and you will not have any more up/down problems with the headlights! Just read the instructions thoroughly!

 

Heres your floppy headlight problem,,note the chunky beige salsa....

 

Glad I found this thread. Both of my actuator motors are "freewheeling" and my headlights pop up sporadically or not at all. Just to clarify an earlier post, yes, the gear might be bad. However, the real problem is with the OEM gel bushings that have crumbled over time, causing poor or no transfer to the cast hub.

Incidently, the part number for the deluxe actuator rebuild kit at TDS is 209280. Cost is $20 and will do both motors. If you need the gear it is $17.50/ea, part number 504040.