Alright man, ive been on the hunt for months now and ive gotten tired of searching.

Ever since I first started posting on this board some of my interior lights have not worked since my battery was recharged and put back in, successfully shorting out my Auto-Shifter lights, my HVAC lights, AND the button lights around my "Driver Information Center" (Digital Dash)

This also shorted out my stock factory radio display so that the digital clock went out everytime the headlights were turned on.

I now have an aftermarket radio so it doesnt do that anymore, read on though....

This past week, I went to the dealer and ordered me a new "Remote Dimmer Module"



I had it installed yesterday, THE BULBS STILL DID NOT LIGHT UP!!!

SO, I take off the shifter plate today and pull out the little bitty bulb that lights up my shifter lights, (P,R,N,D,2,1) and to my suprise, it was black and burnt out.

I go to Autozone and buy a new bulb for it, hoping this would fix it.

NOPE!

I dont know what is wrong, or what exactly got shorted out when that battery was put back in. So now im gonna give you a list of what DOES work.....

Headlights/Foglights/Side Markers/Rear Lights still work.
My digital dash still lights up, and dims when the headlights are turned on.
My dome light still works.
The lights above the driver's/passenger's feet still light up.
My light in my center console still works. (the one that comes on when you open it up)
The dial that controls the brightness of my digital dash still works perfectly, it dims the dash very smoothly like it should.
My cigerette lighter still works.
The chime that warns me if my door is open/headlights are on still works.
Hatch release still works.
Rear defroster still works.
My Key chime still works.
Power Windows Work.
Power Mirrors Work.
Hatch Light Works.

ALL of my fuses are good, none are black/shot.

THE ONLY thing that I think it might be, is the actual headlight/parking light switch itself.



The only reason I think this, is because when the radio is on, and I turn on the headlights OR parking lights, the whole radio will immediately shut off for about 2 seconds after the switch is pressed, then it will come back on. My radio IS an Aftermarket Radio.

What is wrong with these lights? Why wont they light up for me anymore?

If it's not the headlight switch itself then what could it possibly be?

PLEASE Trickster, tell me whats wrong with my car.

UPDATE

Ok, today I go out and mess with the dial that actually controlls the brightness:



Well, whenever my headlights/tailights are on and I turn the dial ALL the way down, the chime telling me my lights are on does not stop, and when the key is in the ignition, and I open my door, the chime still doesnt stop.

I thought the chiming was supposed to stop when the dial was turned all the way down?

Im just giving out any info I can so that I can get this problem fixed ASAP. Im tired of knowing something on my car doesnt work like it should.

 

So do you have power at the fuse box when the lights are turned on? If not do you have power from the dimmer roller switch to the auto dimmer unit? You should have power to the brown wire and power to the green white wire. Both the black and white wire will be a ground I think. Green white wire should change when its rolled which can be verified by a test light.

 

Bump.

Come on Trickster.. Look at the post.

 

Dude,you are making this too complicated.Pick something that absolutely doesn't work..You need 12volts and ground to it.Get a volt meter and check for 12 volts on one of the leads,the other wire should be ground.Check with the ohmeter to body ground on the other lead.One of these two will be missing.Get a wiring diagram and start tracking backwards.Also check the main body grounds from the negative battery terminal to the fender,and also the main copper strap running the ground from the back of the engine block to the firewall.Those things get corroded and don't ground and cause all kinds of aggravating problems & mystery electrical gremlins.I just fought a 3 month electrical battle because of those.Good luck.

 

Hello Quisterio,
I tried responding last night and had a problem with the board not taking my post.
There is a little unit on your car called a light monitor module that is connected to your DIC module. This unit has what are known as resistance wires in the power leads that go to all your light bulb circuits to let your system know when one is bad. From what you have said about your short circuit, it is possible that you have damaged one of these wires or the module itself. BTW, the audible alarm is supposed to sound when the door is open with the key in the ignition and the engine off. You didn't mention about whether you had the door open in regards to the lights but the same thing will happen if you leave the lights on and open the door with the engine off.

 

Well first off thanks for responding, I have absolutely no experience in being able to find out resistance/volts/ohms, so those other posts telling me to get an ohmeter, forget that.

Anyway, my Audible alarm DOES sound when the door is opened and key in the ignition, engine off, the alarm ALSO sounds when the lights are on and no key in the ignition.

Im running out of ideas to what this could be, only thing I can think of is that a wire has been fried somewhere. (GOD I hope not)

Is this Light Monitor Module the thing that tells the DIC that there's a bulb out somewhere? As in coming up as F LAMP, R LAMP???? If so, then that works just fine, it reads "PONTIAC SYSTEM OK"

The lights near the DIC that arent lighting up, are the buttons to the left of the screen, the vertical row of buttons that say, TRIP,AVG,RES,KM/MPH.
Those, the Auto Shifter bulb, and my HVAC lights, the ones that read MAX/VENT/HEATER/BI-LEVEL, wont light up.

Could the headlight switch be "partially functional"? As in, still letting the headlights/parking lights/fog lights come on, but not let power get to the unlit bulbs? (Just a thought)

Also, the wheel you move up or down to control the brightness of the instrument cluster lights, when it's ALL the way down, is the audible door/light chime supposed to stop? Because if so, my chime dont stop, it just keeps going.