Hi, I am fairly new to this site, but have been browsing the past few weeks. I just bought an 87' firebird formula 305 tpi with 106k miles, it looks clean, but out of nowhere when I was driving (at night) the lights cut off. I pulled over and looked over the fuses and wires but didn't see anything obvious. I had the car running with the switch on and after pushing the fuses in under the dash (in case one came lose, didn't notice anything though,) my friend told me the lights were flickering. I figured, hell, this could work for now. No, I get in the car and I see and smell smoke coming from the vent/speaker in the dash and by the steering wheel. It smelled like wires burning.

Before this happened, the brights were on every time I turned the lights on, and the switch that controls the brights didn't do anything. Also, the left turn signal indicator stays on steadily when I put the parking lights on, or the switch for the headlights. When I go to use the left turn signal, the indicator works fine.

I really need help with the headlights, because I use this car to get back and forth to work, and I don't want to get pulled over, or get into an accident. I don't want to go to a mechanic (I've always worked on my own cars and never went to a mechanic before). I could really use some help with this issue, and any advice would be very appreciated.

 

First of all, welcome to TGO. It looks like you have a shorted high/low beam switch. This is located on the steering column. You're gonna have to loosen it and check all those wires under the dash.