Electronics Need help wiring something up? Thinking of adding an electrical component to your car? Need help troubleshooting that wiring glitch?

Another Firebird Headlight Gremlin. They go Dim and Bright but...

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Old Sep 3, 2006 | 10:55 AM
  #1  
91 Ragtop's Avatar
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From: Canal Winchester, Ohio
Car: 1991 Trans Am Convertible
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5-Speed
Another Firebird Headlight Gremlin. They go Dim and Bright but...

I did a search among the many headlight threads, but did not see anything on this.

They don't seem to switch positions on the headlight itself. When I initially turn on the headlights, they turn on ok, and the fog lights also come on like they are supposed to. The "brights" light on the dash is dimmly lit though. If I now turn the fog lights on and off, they will not come back on. When I switch it to brights, the lights do indeed brighten up, and the indicator on the dash is brighter, but the lights themselves are in the same position, not switching the filiment inside the bulb. The fog lights at this point will not turn back on, only turning the headlights completely off and on will re-enable them.

Now the previous owner has cut off the original connectors on the headlights themselves. I'm ASSuming I have them in the correct position based on comparing the wiring of my Corvette. The color of the wires matched anyways.
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Old Sep 3, 2006 | 03:01 PM
  #2  
Fullsizewagon's Avatar
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From: Oslo, Norway
Engine: '85 Monte SS L69 305
Transmission: TH 200-4R
Axle/Gears: 3.23
It sounds like the grounding is bad on one of your headlights..
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Old Sep 4, 2006 | 08:23 AM
  #3  
91 Ragtop's Avatar
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From: Canal Winchester, Ohio
Car: 1991 Trans Am Convertible
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5-Speed
I thought of that too, but would that prevent the headlights from changing position? I haven't checked the voltage to the lights in the different position.
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Old Sep 4, 2006 | 06:31 PM
  #4  
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are they h4 bulbs? if so then the wires will need to be re-routed (not matching colors). when i switched to h4 my high beam indicator would be on but dim while the lows were on too. i found a diagram on here someone came up with and switched the wires around and my problem went away.
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Old Sep 26, 2006 | 05:52 PM
  #5  
91 Ragtop's Avatar
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From: Canal Winchester, Ohio
Car: 1991 Trans Am Convertible
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5-Speed
Well it helps if the damn things are wired right......

The connectors on both sides had been cut off or broke off for what ever reason, so the were essentially slid on each individual prong of the headlight... in completely the wrong places!!

I picked up connectors for each side at a junk yard this past weekend and got a chance to put those on today. Once I connected the headlights up with the wires in the correct spot, it work 100% perfectly... Now I just can't wait for it to get dark to give them a real driving try and get them adjusted!!!!!
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