anyone have any ideas as too why i would keep blowing headlight switches, i've replaced two and now a 3rd one went bad...all my lights went dim radio cut off, car acted like it was going to die, then the switch smoked and everything but the tail lights and parking lights came back on. if i change the switch everything will work fine til it blows again.

the only common issues i have is the first time i left a car wash, the second it was raining, but this last time there was just a light frost on the car. of course the first two times thats just when i noticed it (only cause of no dash lights). i can't find condensation anywhere.

should i be looking for bare wires or something. any ideas would be great. i really can't afford to get it proffessionally checked out right now cause i just got it painted

 

Check and see what size fuse is installed for the circuit. Definitely a short somewhere. About the only way to for sure find it is to run the wires. Do you have a small multimeter? If not, I'd get one, they are invaluable in cases like this when you have an electrical problem. It may or may not be a bare wire, it could be corrosion somewhere along the line. Check all of your light sockets for corrosion too.

 

i actually just checked one, and the bulb kept rising out of the socket after locking it in (meaning it lock in, i'd have to push it tight, and would slowly push itself out and not work again), i replaced that, also i replaced a different bulb, but couldn't tell if had corrison on it or the bulb grease stuff. (it was dark) but i'll definitly pull all of them and check in the daylight.

it also blew the fuse in my alarm this time, but i assume only cause it's wired into the parking lights. which still flash very dimly when setting the alarm even though the switch is fried now.

 

and i'll have to do some research on how to use multimeter. i've never had to use one.

 

You could have a bad ground too, as the dim lights sounds like it. I am curious if it blew these switches and bulbs before the alarm was hooked up? A multimeter is pretty simple. You can use them to test for continuity and voltage. Radio Shack or your local parts house should have one. They usually come with directions, or you can ask the sales person, or find info online.

 

the alarm has been on it for years, with no problems, the dim lights only start with the alarm after the switch fried. every time i replace the switch everything is normal...til it fries again...kind of an all or nothing deal. was thinking maybe the short was causing the dimming. hoping when i unhook the bad switch they get normal brightness when the alarm flashes...i figure that would at least eliminate the alarm (are failure in any of it's wiring) as the cause. also hoping for maybe a burnt socket, or burnt mark on the switch/ connector that may help to point toward a certain circuit at least. also the fuse was suppose to be a 20 i believe and had been replaced with a 30, i was out of 20's, just to drive it to a friends house that night.

thanks for the idea's and advice

 

haven't had a chance to really check anything yet, due to rain for days and days and of course work. i did however find that after i drove it the other day (in the daylight) that my alarm lights got bright again, and stayed that way all day, now that's it back home they are dim again. i unplugged the tail light harness with no change. does this still point a bad ground somewhere, and if so can i just ground the system by any of the ground wires running off the parking lights.

 

Well, that's possible, but I have only known a bad ground to cause dimness or not work at all. I am wondering if the alarm itself may be bad or going bad since the lights are run through it. One other thing to look at is the cable from the battery to the starter. Years and years ago I had a 71 Camaro and that cable had developed a hole in the covering and eventually grounded out on the frame and caused a fire and a bunch of other issues. It wont hurt you to wire up an extra ground though.

 

I Just bought a 92 Camaro RS with the same problem (tail light fuse blowing) I checked all the wire that go to the radio and made sure none were exposed or touching metal. The car does no have a radio in it FYI.

The running light don't work and the Instrument cluster lights dont work either. When ever I replace the tail light fuse, as soon I pull the headlight switch the fuse blows. The headlights do work as well as the brake lights.

Any ideas on what this could be.

 

at the moment my car has stopped doing this. i installed a new radio, and found that an illumination wire not used on my new and previous radio had looked to be left exposed, and showed some signs of arcing. i actually even bought a tool called a short circuit detector, which can help you find shorts through carpet and dash panels. i'm hoping my problem is resolved permanently and i hope you solve yours.