87_gta

Hello all,

I got a frustrating problem with my 87 bird.

one day last fall just before i was about to store it for winter the dash lights, fog lights, parking lights stopped working all a sudden. The headlights work, however only one light will pop up and they dont go down. The interior lights work when the doors are open, brake lights work. Turn signals work fine. Car has standard dash.

I have replaced the main headlight switch in the dash but that did nothing. All fuses are good.

Now the weirdest thing about all this is that i have a viper alarm on the car. When i arm/disarm the alarm all the lights dash/fog/parking all work fine! Am i looking at a problem with relays/fuses or wires or could this possibly be the fault of the alarm since all lights work when alarm arms/disarms.

I really want to be able to drive at night!!! this sucks!

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

-87_gta

NINÅ

87_gta

I have no voltage at the brown wire. There is an orange wire soldered to the brown. The connection seems good.

I do have power at the red wire. I have replaced the headlight switch.

NINÅ

87_gta

Ok so on my headlight switch i do not see an orange wire with brown stripe.

the wires and voltages i do see are as follows

-Solid Orange: switch off 0.15v. On 0v

-Space: with switch on i get power here but no wire going in. 11.97v

-Red: (main power??), switch off 11.96v. On 11.97

-Yellow: switch off 0. On 11.5v

-Brown: switch off 0. On 0. Should this one have voltage? This wire has another wire soldered on, connection looks good.

-White: switch off 0.15v. On 0

I have also replaced the remote dimmer switch with no change.

NINÅ

87_gta

I just probed the brown wire again but this time i was arming/disarming the alarm.

When i did this i would get a voltage when the lights flashed. I probed the wire right on the metal part of the switch.

I have 2 headlight switches. One of them brand new. I get the same reading on both.

I used a continuity tester on both switches that i have, when i probe the main power terminal and the terminal where the brown wire is suppose to be i get no reading.

When i probed the power and the "space" its good. Same on both switches. This leads me the think the switches are the problem. When i probe the brown wire i get a reading if i arm/disarm the alarm.


ideas?

thanks!

NINÅ

87_gta

I moved the wire to where the space is and the parking lights do work but they are always on. Power stays at the space even with the switch off .

This is so frustrating. is there anything with the switch itself that could be causing this?

NINÅ

87_gta

I got the new switch from the dealer. Part # 717-11276
Original switch is delco-remy. Part# 204-78X (part number is faded)

When i probe both to see how the parking light circuit worked i found that the Solid Orange wire is the one that connects to the Brown wire.

I traced the Solid Orange wire to just above the fuse panel and found a bad connection. Fixed that up and now EVERYTHING WORKS!!

Thanks for the Help!

87_gta