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Hello! I just bought a 1986 Pontiac Firebird a few months ago. The headlights would open and close normally until like a week ago. The passenger side stopped opening one day, and then the driver side a few days later. I replaced the relays, but nothing changed. They both close easily, and the headlights do shine, but do not open up. Any ideas about how to fix this? Also I'm new to all this self car-fixing (FYI). Thanks!
It's most likely the "bearings" inside the headlight motor. They're very easy to fix. Look up headlight repair kit on Top Down Solutions. He sells replacement kits that should fix your issue.
I have that problem sometimes too. Mine is an issue with the plug in the headlight controller on the firewall. If i unplug it and plug it back in. It will work for a few months. I've thought of soldering the wires into the controller and bypassing the plugs
I have that problem sometimes too. Mine is an issue with the plug in the headlight controller on the firewall. If i unplug it and plug it back in. It will work for a few months. I've thought of soldering the wires into the controller and bypassing the plugs
It's likely the actual pins inside the module. The solder joints break and lose contact. Plugging and unplugging is probably just shifting them around. It's easy to sort out, just open it up, reflow the solder on the pins, and put it back together. Mine was doing the same thing when I got it, spent 10 minutes fixing this, hasn't been an issue since. There's a sealant on the edges of the module, I just cleaned it out and replaced it with RTV when I put it back together.
It's most likely the "bearings" inside the headlight motor. They're very easy to fix. Look up headlight repair kit on Top Down Solutions. He sells replacement kits that should fix your issue.
did you try unplugging and plugging in the module on the firewall. Next to the brake booster?
If you look at the diagram that 91banditt2 posted in post #6, you will see that 1986 does not use the black module next to the brake booster, that module wasn't used till the 1987 cars. The OP's 1986 should have the three relays shown in the diagram, one "Isolation Relay" and a "Left actuator relay" and a "Right actuator relay"
If you look at the diagram that 91banditt2 posted in post #6, you will see that 1986 does not use the black module next to the brake booster, that module wasn't used till the 1987 cars. The OP's 1986 should have the three relays shown in the diagram, one "Isolation Relay" and a "Left actuator relay" and a "Right actuator relay"
Nice to know. I don't know about these things at all. Just learning. I did change the right and left relays though. Where is the diagram that you spoke of? That might be helpful to me I might change the Isolation relay then, if I can find it.
Nice to know. I don't know about these things at all. Just learning. I did change the right and left relays though. Where is the diagram that you spoke of? That might be helpful to me I might change the Isolation relay then, if I can find it.
Hi kmactwin, here is a quote of 91banditt2's post, which is post #6 in this thread. Do you see the diagram here? You will need to do a search on the isolation relay, I seem to recall that relay being no longer available, but that there is a workaround for it. Both of my third gens have the module, so I haven't had to get into the 3 relay system enough to be able to tell you where exactly the isolation relay is located.
Hi kmactwin, here is a quote of 91banditt2's post, which is post #6 in this thread. Do you see the diagram here? You will need to do a search on the isolation relay, I seem to recall that relay being no longer available, but that there is a workaround for it. Both of my third gens have the module, so I haven't had to get into the 3 relay system enough to be able to tell you where exactly the isolation relay is located.
Okay thank you so much! I hope to learn how to use this!
I finally got back to my car, guys! It's stored at my parents' house, in another state, so I don't get to it often. Anyway, I bought some of these "1984-1986 Pontiac Fiero Relay - Standard Motor Products RY-130
Part Number: RY-130 - Headlight Relay -- Located on Headlight Actuator Motor." I replaced the three headlight relays (driver's side, passenger's side, and the isolation relay). I hope they are interchangeable, but they did all fit exactly right. That didn't help, so I sent the motors off, and had them rebuilt. The headlights still don't pop up. The driver's side is perpetually going down (automatically). I can't manually raise it unless I unplug it, and upon plugging it in, it goes down, no matter what. The passenger side will let me manually raise it, and it partially goes down when I turn the switch either on OR off. Any ideas to get them to function correctly?
I would use the schematic and disconnect the headlight motors from the relays and see what wires have power and when. I would also start looking for a bad ground.
I might change the Isolation relay then, if I can find it. 
