Scary light problems

[Coyote_Rage]

This isn't really just a DOHC issue, but it is something I need advice on. Last night I was traveling home for Christmas break when all the sudden my headlights died. A couple seconds later they came on lasted a minute or two died again. This kept up until I turned off the interior back lighting along with the HUD. Once I was traveling in a totaly blacked out cockpit the lights stayed on for a good hundred miles no problems.

So my thinking is that the switch is being overheated and shutting off. Once I took the interiors off then the load on the switch kept the temp down enough that the circuit didn't overheat.

Anybody have any differing ideas on this? Granted I am 300+ miles from my house and my service manuals so I have no troubleshooting/wiring diagrams to go by. This is literaly a shot in the dark.


p.s. its a 91 Grand Prix 2 door 3.4L Auto

[RickCoMatic]

I had a similar probalem occur in my 04 Monte. The Headlights went off. My feeling is that it's related to the High/Low Beam Switch on the Stalk off the Steering Column. Presently, my High Beams don't cancel or switch to Low Beams every single time I work the Stalk to switch them. I have to work the Stalk a few times to get the Low Beams on and I'm sure its pissing-off oncoming drivers ... I know its got me P-O'ed. I can't imagine what its going to take to get that fixed. Its probably going to mean Pulling the steering wheel and that's where my AirBag is.

[94GPGTP]

check voltage while car is at idle.. sounds like a symtom of the alternator going out... use a voltmeter and put postive to the aux terminal and negative to engine.. if your under 14.4 you are going to need to replace the alternator as soon as you can..

[davida1_hiwaay_net]

Does your headlights switch contain a circuit breaker? All our GM cars have a self-resetting breaker in the headlights switch that will cut off the lights if there is a short or overload. It is supposed to auto-reset. The breaker may be getting weak and allowing trippage below the normal current level. Cutting off the IP lights and HUD would reduce the load on the breaker maybe?
If you rewire your dimmer to operate the high and low beams simultaneously, or install hogh-wattage bulbs, it will trip on and off and cycle. To do this and have it NOT cycle you will need to install separate relays and breakers for the high and low beam circuits.
Hope this helps ya!
David

[Coyote_Rage]

Cked the voltage and all is well, even under full load. It took the lights a good hour of being on before they started blinking out. Hence the leaning towards the overloaded circuit theory. I felt the switch cluster when it started acting up and it was warmer than normal. I am kinda SOL until I can get back home on Wed. I am in the middle of BFE here and everything is closed until Wed. I will tinker with it tommrow and see what I can figure out. Thanks for the ideas.

[davida1_hiwaay_net]

Is your switch resemble this one?

http://home.hiwaay.net/~davida1/dash1.jpg

If it does, you can dismantle it and clean the contacts. That might reduce the heat in the breaker area, and you could bend the contacts to make the breaker require more overload before it trips.

Best luck,
David