92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
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92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
On my 92 Firebird, if I turn on just the park lights, the head lights flip up but don't turn on. Is this normal? On my old 84 Firebird I could turn on the park lights and the headlights stayed down..
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 308
From: NJ
Car: 92 Firebird
Engine: 4.8 LR4
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.45 9 Bolt
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
The nylon pucks in the motor are gone by now. I had the same problem and replacing the pucks fixed the issue.
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Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
Can you elaborate on these nylon pucks? I also noticed that after the drivers light goes up or down- the motor keeps spinning for an additional 3-4 seconds.
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 308
From: NJ
Car: 92 Firebird
Engine: 4.8 LR4
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.45 9 Bolt
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 758
Likes: 249
From: Hilton Head Island, SC
Car: 1988 Pontiac Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7 liter V-8
Transmission: 4 speed auto
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
If this is your issue, basically the gears or bushings in the motor disintegrate over time. When I pulled them out of the cars and opened them up, they were little more than powder. Pretty simple fix. The kit linked above will fix you up.
But you wrote this: "On my 92 Firebird, if I turn on just the park lights, the head lights flip up but don't turn on. Is this normal? On my old 84 Firebird I could turn on the park lights and the headlights stayed down."
That sounds different. The lights flip up but just don't come on? The gear problem will result in the motor running on after the lights are up or down. Eventually the motor won't be able to lift the lights at all and will run for a bit and do nothing. And, they shouldn't flip up if you just turn on the parking lights. I wonder if your switch is messed up.
Last edited by ksr; Feb 28, 2019 at 12:32 PM.
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 12,212
Likes: 1,140
From: Il
Car: 1989-92 FORMULA350 305 92 Hawkclone
Engine: 4++,350 & 305 CIs
Transmission: 700R4 4800 vig 18th700R4 t56 ZF6 T5
Axle/Gears: 3.70 9"ford alum chunk,dana44,9bolt
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
It has something to do the resistance in the module when the pucks are dust. Have fixed a ton of them. Just an age problem with the pucks
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 786
Likes: 197
From: SW Missouri
Car: 1989 Trans Am
Engine: sp357
Transmission: TKX
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
I had to fix motors on a past 3rd gen as well as a Buick Reatta.
If this is your issue, basically the gears or bushings in the motor disintegrate over time. When I pulled them out of the cars and opened them up, they were little more than powder. Pretty simple fix. The kit linked above will fix you up.
But you wrote this: "On my 92 Firebird, if I turn on just the park lights, the head lights flip up but don't turn on. Is this normal? On my old 84 Firebird I could turn on the park lights and the headlights stayed down."
That sounds different. The lights flip up but just don't come on? The gear problem will result in the motor running on after the lights are up or down. Eventually the motor won't be able to lift the lights at all and will run for a bit and do nothing. And, they shouldn't flip up if you just turn on the parking lights. I wonder if your switch is messed up.
If this is your issue, basically the gears or bushings in the motor disintegrate over time. When I pulled them out of the cars and opened them up, they were little more than powder. Pretty simple fix. The kit linked above will fix you up.
But you wrote this: "On my 92 Firebird, if I turn on just the park lights, the head lights flip up but don't turn on. Is this normal? On my old 84 Firebird I could turn on the park lights and the headlights stayed down."
That sounds different. The lights flip up but just don't come on? The gear problem will result in the motor running on after the lights are up or down. Eventually the motor won't be able to lift the lights at all and will run for a bit and do nothing. And, they shouldn't flip up if you just turn on the parking lights. I wonder if your switch is messed up.
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Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 308
From: NJ
Car: 92 Firebird
Engine: 4.8 LR4
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.45 9 Bolt
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
That is EXACTLY a symptom of the pucks being disintegrated. I don't know why this keeps coming around, it has been covered many times.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 758
Likes: 249
From: Hilton Head Island, SC
Car: 1988 Pontiac Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7 liter V-8
Transmission: 4 speed auto
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
I'm not doubting you, but when it happened with my lights, I could still turn on the parking lights without the headlights flipping up. It seems like two different issues. The motor running on for several seconds after the flip up/down is the pucks. But the motor activating at all when he only turned on the parking lights sounds like a switch or wiring issue.
Even if the motors have disintegrated, why would they be activated and flip up when he turns only his parking lights on?
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 308
From: NJ
Car: 92 Firebird
Engine: 4.8 LR4
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.45 9 Bolt
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
Mine would run after shutting them off, but they would also flip up with just the running lights. I thought it was a module issue, but Lon assured me it would resolve my issue, and it did.
Why it does it? I can only speculate that it does it because the module has a built in timer so that when you shut them off and it hunts for the park position it doesn't drain the battery. The headlight door module is looking for a current spike in the circuit to know when to stop the motor. When it doesn't see that, it just ends the process, so the motors may be in the wrong position when you turn the park lights on and the circuit sees lower resistance. The module has an input for the parking lights and the headlights, it sees voltage for both circuits, I think so when you put the headlights on, then turn off only the headlight, and not running lights, the doors stay in the up position.
Either way, I guarantee (this is not a guarantee) it will fix the problem
Why it does it? I can only speculate that it does it because the module has a built in timer so that when you shut them off and it hunts for the park position it doesn't drain the battery. The headlight door module is looking for a current spike in the circuit to know when to stop the motor. When it doesn't see that, it just ends the process, so the motors may be in the wrong position when you turn the park lights on and the circuit sees lower resistance. The module has an input for the parking lights and the headlights, it sees voltage for both circuits, I think so when you put the headlights on, then turn off only the headlight, and not running lights, the doors stay in the up position.
Either way, I guarantee (this is not a guarantee) it will fix the problem
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 758
Likes: 249
From: Hilton Head Island, SC
Car: 1988 Pontiac Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7 liter V-8
Transmission: 4 speed auto
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
Mine would run after shutting them off, but they would also flip up with just the running lights. I thought it was a module issue, but Lon assured me it would resolve my issue, and it did.
Why it does it? I can only speculate that it does it because the module has a built in timer so that when you shut them off and it hunts for the park position it doesn't drain the battery. The headlight door module is looking for a current spike in the circuit to know when to stop the motor. When it doesn't see that, it just ends the process, so the motors may be in the wrong position when you turn the park lights on and the circuit sees lower resistance. The module has an input for the parking lights and the headlights, it sees voltage for both circuits, I think so when you put the headlights on, then turn off only the headlight, and not running lights, the doors stay in the up position.
Either way, I guarantee [SIZE="1"](this is not a guarantee)[/SIZE] it will fix the problem
Why it does it? I can only speculate that it does it because the module has a built in timer so that when you shut them off and it hunts for the park position it doesn't drain the battery. The headlight door module is looking for a current spike in the circuit to know when to stop the motor. When it doesn't see that, it just ends the process, so the motors may be in the wrong position when you turn the park lights on and the circuit sees lower resistance. The module has an input for the parking lights and the headlights, it sees voltage for both circuits, I think so when you put the headlights on, then turn off only the headlight, and not running lights, the doors stay in the up position.
Either way, I guarantee [SIZE="1"](this is not a guarantee)[/SIZE] it will fix the problem
I always am afraid when I hit the switch that I'll see the struggle to lift the headlights. I know it will happen someday. Fortunately, it really isn't that difficult to repair with the new pucks. I'm more worried that I'll push that plastic light switch someday and something will snap.
Last edited by ksr; Feb 28, 2019 at 02:39 PM.
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 308
From: NJ
Car: 92 Firebird
Engine: 4.8 LR4
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.45 9 Bolt
Re: 92 Firebird - Park Lights on head lights up?
It's not a separate switch, it's just a separate contact in the switch to a different circuit. And like I said the headlight door module sees voltage from both circuits, that's why when the pucks disintegrate and you put the running lights on the doors come up.
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