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Ok so I bought the car a 1984 Z28 T-Top all original 100,897 miles which was garage kept until 96 and sat from Dec 14th, 2017 until Aug 15th 2018 when i bought her. She was serviced in Dec by the original owner to get her road worthy to drive again. They replaced the old gas, fuel filter, oil, oil filter, belts, fluids, battery, tires, brakes, to get her driveable again and the og owner let her sit until I saved her. He actually told me he planned on just driving her into the ground WTF. But anyways, the headlights had worked but the gauge lights did not, I had assumed the gauge lights not working was bc i pulled the 20a radio fuse so that the antenna motor would stop running(another issue im going to tackle today only if i fix these headlights first). So I drove it for about an hour at dark went to the local wing joint ate etc etc went to leave and started the car everything was going good lights were on in fact the gauge lights came on and I noticed it which is when i started messing with the dimmer switch and then car running the lights just went dark all other lights like hazard blinker etc work which obviously after searching they are not on the same circuits. Ok so the I researched on here and some other places tired to Youtube it nothing really helpful but kinda pieced together that it was the headlamp switch which i ran out and bought at lunch the next day. Side bar drove her all day no other issues than the headlights shes running great. I get my AZZ whoopppped taking apart this daggum car for a $19 part absolutely crazy ... anyways Ill quit being a lil bi*ch about it but after replacing the switch still no luck. So now im stuck. I know I am supposed to be looking for the fusible link but truthfully im not quite sure where im supposed to be looking or if there might be another step im skipping or something I should try before heading to the link.
I Have test the power at the headlights and there is nothing in with the car on, running, and headlamp switch pulled out, and testing with at the head light plug with the plug pulled.
I appreciate any help fellows. While I wait on that guess I am gonna work on pulling the headliner and replacing some rear speakers. THANKS FOR ANY INFO GUYS
The links are usually located on the starter solenoid, they look like wires and if they are still factory will have a molded connection about 6" from the end. Usually if they are bad you can tell visually by a burned section or you can feel a spongy section or they just pull apart. There will be 3 or 4 of them if memory serves. They can also be located near the battery on a distribution block depending on year/options.
Oops. I should've read your original post closer. Camaro and not Firebird. I'll leave the post I've written since it may help someone....
This is one of those unique problems that is exclusively a Firebird problem and not a Camaro problem. I had to deal with this many years ago with my Mom's '87 Firebird. The headlights pop up but not illuminate; correct? I looked at the schematic and there is a plug-in module that is essentially a power transistor. It's like a switch of sorts. From what I remember you have two positive inputs you get a positive output. If one of those is missing; no output, and hence, no lights. It was so long ago that parts like that were still available. I don't even know if you could get that part now but I'm 99% sure that's your problem.
Last edited by 6998poncho; 08-19-2018 at 01:11 PM.
Reason: Top comment.
Yes, the dimmer switch is between the headlight switch. See diagram below, if you don't see voltage to a good ground (don't trust the socket ground or at least test from the battery positive to verify the ground is conducting) at the light socket then follow it back or start from the beginning. I would start at the switch or possibly visually check the f links first. At the switch you can verify supply voltage and verify voltage through the switch. If no voltage on the red then you f link is blown if good and you have power on yellow as well then you can move on to the dimmer. Same same tests as the switch except you should see power on either the tan or lt grn wires with the main switch on. If you see no voltage on either that is your problem. The wires go through C100 I believe from there and out to the lights.
Thanks Pauly. I've tested the switch it's good. tested the red wire into the switch and I'm not receiving power. I am assuming that means the fusible link is bad. So my next question is, to replace the fusible link do I need to pull the starter?
Generally that's the easiest way. There are two, you may want to replace them both at the same time. You may also find, on further investigation, that there are lots of other things not working now. That would point toward the fusible link. It's absolutely everything else is working, then the fusible links are probably good.
I think the easiest first step before you start cutting into anything is to take the connections apart and clean and buff all the metallic connections. Sometimes that's all it takes.
A fusible link is just a wire that is like a slow burn fuse. Do any of the fusible links show any evidence of burning or melting? I'd hate to think you're chasing your tail and the problem lies elsewhere.
You will see how long they are when you get a look at the end of the wire, they have a factory splice where they connect to the feed wire. They are usually 4-6 inches long and a simple solder/heat shrink joint is all that is necessary, don't use butt/crimp connectors (ever). If the link is in fact blown there may be a reason for it. It could just be age and heat but could also be a short which is what it is really meant to protect against. Anyway, just keep that in mind when you are down there.
Well i replaced that fusible link. Actually replaced both of them since i was down there. Got it all buttoned back up and still no headlights. I GIVE THE F*&*#**@ UP just gonna take her some where before i set douse her in gas and set her ablaze. Side note the car did start again so i did something half right
Keep calm, everything will be ok. Consider this a level up on the troubleshooting scale. If the problem is not the common fault we just have to go to the next point which is the bulkhead connector. We know now that there is no short since the links weren’t blown and that is a good thing, so we are looking for a break of some kind further down the line. This can be a broken wire or poor connection which is what we will look for in the bulkhead connector. It is by the brake booster and the connections can get poor over time them to heat up damaging the contacts and the connector body. Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to disconnect this connector and inspect for damages. You can find the feed wire and test for voltage here as well. I can tell exactly which one it is, I don’t have a pinout handy but there will be a few reds going into it. Maybe someone will chime in with that info.
OG had said that the headlights were working until he messed with the dimmer switch. Something tells me he has a loose ground or a loose wire that goes up to the headlights or are at the headlights. Especially since the fusible links were good and he seemed to be getting voltages at the right places by the switches. Maybe trace the red wire to see where it loses power and start there as it's sounding like the wire might be rubbed through or loose somewhere.
True but he also said he wasn’t getting power to the feed on the headlight switch. That comes from f links and through bulkhead to the switch. He also has a new switch.
True as well. Just weird that they would cut out when he started messing with the dimmer switch. Probably check the resistance of the red wire between the bulkhead and the fusible links and between the interior part of the bulkhead and the switch to make sure that there aren't any shorts in that wire. Isn't there also a fuse specifically for the headlights? Or does that control other lights as well?
Seems like we discussed that at some point... sorry you had to pay someone to do it for you. It's just automobile electric systems, there's nothing complicated about em, you coulda shoulda woulda handled it yerself.
08-19-2018, 09:46 AM
and then car running the lights just went dark all other lights like hazard blinker etc work which obviously after searching they are not on the same circuits. Ok so the I researched on here and some other places tired to Youtube it nothing really helpful but kinda pieced together that it was the headlamp switch which i ran out and bought at lunch the next day. Side bar drove her all day no other issues than the headlights shes running great. I get my AZZ whoopppped taking apart this daggum car for a $19 part absolutely crazy ... anyways Ill quit being a lil bi*ch about it but after replacing the switch still no luck. So now im stuck. I know I am supposed to be looking for the fusible link but truthfully im not quite sure where im supposed to be looking or if there might be another step im skipping or something I should try before heading to the link. 
