Greetings!

First off, thanks for ALL of the posts and replies to and from all members. I've been reading MANY of the materials from ThirdGen forums for a long time and recently joined (mostly because I LOVE F-Bodies and this site) and ended up fixing many things on my car because of experienced members like you guys and gals!

I'm a huge novice when it comes to working on cars but I'll explain as best I can.

On to the main problem:
I have a '92 Firebird, Base model 3.1L V6, 189ci model. Recently, my gauge lights, parking lights and the running tail lights all went out. When i flip my headlight switch to ON, none of the above turn on. I also discovered (at night time) that my headlight assemblies intermittently opened and closed (some flippity flop action) so I disconnected the headlight motors for the time being. HOWEVER, the headlights do work and turn on. The brake lights function, emergency lights function and left/right turn signals function. These events happened after I used my dimmer switch to dim the gauge lights a little bit (because I thought this would help reduce the amount of current draw to the headlights) and then a day later, i had the problems mentioned. I took it in to my mech, and found that there was no power being received for the parking lights (I think that's what he said... I totally forgot what he told me actually.... ). So, I'm driving around with working headlights, but the rest of the running lights aren't working.

Misc. issues:
--My headlight assemblies flip upwards when the parking lights are engaged. I also hear a whirring noise on the motors and the motors continue to spin after the assemblies flip up and down. It's not typical that they do this. I learned that the bushings inside the motors are ground to dust and need replacing or I could just buy new motors. Someone also stated that the plastic gears in the motors wear out over time and that some people replace the gears with bronze ones as well as replacing the bushings to solve this once and for all. I also learned that the motors themselves act as electrical resistance for the headlights.
--ALSO, my hi-beams don't work and never have ever since I bought the car in Oct. 2010. I'm assuming that the hi-beam switch illuminates much like my rear defrost switch when it's depressed but the hi-beam switch does not illuminate.
--One last thing. Before my main problem, the side markers on the front of the car never turned on. I just assumed I needed a new bulb, so I ignored it. The rear side markers worked I think... but, before the main problem, I can't remember for sure.

Anyways, I'm not sure if any of this relates to my main problem or not but this is just FYI to help us brainstorm, develop ideas and solutions.

What I've done so far:
I've checked my fuses, replaced my headlight switch and the instrument panel dimmer switch (a type of transistor located beneath the steering column in the convenience center) and the problem still persists.

My next steps are:
1. Examine the Headlight Relay/Control Module. If it appears that there are weak or cold solder points inside the Module, I'll have them soldered. Otherwise, i'll need to find a refurbished or at least a used 90-92 Module and have the old one replaced. i have a STRONG feeling the module is at fault. If you know where to find modules for a 92 Firebird, please let me know. I'm looking to buy. I won't use 87-89 modules. I would need what is IDEAL for a 92 'Bird.

2. Replace or repair the Headlight Motors. From what it sounds like on the forums, the motors draw a disproportionate amount of electrical current that interferes with bulb illumination. I have a feeling that if I replace or repair the motors, the running lights MAY function. But either way, commands from the headlight switch will function as intended if the motors are dealt with.

3. Check the taillight bulb sockets for rust/corrosion. While it seems unlikely that this will magically solve my main problem, it wouldn't hurt nevertheless.

4. In the event that my steps above fail, I'll have to have my mech check the wiring for my lights (headlights, parking, tail, etc) to see if there are any problems or ground issues. I've heard that pinched wires could also cause a lot of calamity.

Here are the questions I have:
1. Would any volume of heat inside the engine bay play a factor in shorting the wiring or interrupting circuitry (other than the module) that would cause my problems?

2. Since my hi-beams never worked, would that indicate why the rest of the running lights crapped out?

3. What other parts, other than wiring, assist in controlling the functioning for my running lights?

4. Unrelated to my running lights, is there a hi-beam switch I can buy OR will I need to examine the wiring for the reason why the hi-beams won't work?

Any ideas and input is welcome!
You can email me:
j.salespower@gmail.com

 

 

My mech said that theres no power being received by the tail lights.

If this is the case, I guess pinched wires would also explain the side marker lights, parking lights and gauge lights issue...

I replaced the Headlight Relay Module and that didn't solve the problem. I'm convinced its a wiring issue. My mech said there were multiple spliced wires near or at the tail lights.

Since no power is being received by the tail lights, what can I do?

 

I totally giggled at that by the way :-D

 

 

Okay I found out what the issue was.

I let my mechanic tinker with it for a while and he found out that there was a pinched wire somewhere near the tail lights on the left hand side of the rear of the vehicle. What he did to find the issue was do a few of the tests that was suggested in this thread.

He did tests on all of the tail light sockets and found that one or a few of them weren't receiving the right amount of current. I think he told me that the wire was part of a splice of wiring that's the reason why the instrument cluster, the door chime, tail lights and parking lights were not turning on.

All of these issues caused by a lowly pinched wire. I hope this is useful information for anyone else with a similar problem. Thanks for the help folks!

 

The HUGE problem with these is when you have the adjustable steering wheel.. my wires get pinched in the steering column. So I jiggle or move my steering wheel while holding the lever until they turn back on. I plan on running the wires a different way or beefing up the protection around the wires at some point so they dont keep turning off and causing problems. I replaced every single thing. Light bulbs,wires,sockets,switches,flashers,turn signal switch and whatever else and as soon as I replaced the turn signal stalk it started working better and better. So now the only issue is that the wires constantly get pinched.