2000 Chevy Impala Headlights Don't Work

Help Me Please, My 2000 Chevy Impala Headlights Don't Work

mileage? symtoms? at night, or at all. Low beams or high beams? do your turn signals light up? do they flash fast? do your hazard lights work?

Answer all of those and we'll have a better understanding of what it could be.

Mileage is over 100,000 mile. Headlights don't work day or night Low or High Beam and their is no problem with any of the other lights. I never had any other problems until this. The car has been really good until now.

have you checked all of the fuses in the car? there should be a few under the hood, as well as 2 places inside the vehicle. for the places inside the vehicle, you need to open the front doors, and look on the side of the dash, there is a cover on each side, take that off and you will find many fuses on each side. Just use the panel that you took off, and check the corralting fuses that would have an eefect on the headlights.

All fuses have been checked and they seem to be fine.

ok, I'm sure you have checked, but I have to ask anyway... what about the bulbs, have you checked the bulbs?

You may want to take the headlight out, acn check the connectors to the bulbs themselves. I have a few more ideas, but i'll wait to see your response from those checks first.

The Headlights will come on sometimes but will not stay on or they will not come on at all. I also brought (4) new bulbs just in case I needed them and I also brought new fuses just in case

ok, now there are really only 2 options of what it can be... a gronding issue, or most likely, a BCM issue.

Now hope that it is only a grounding issue. What you need to do is check the ground for the headlights. I just had to fix this same problem, except it was just my turn signal bulbs that were acting funny.

Take off your driver side headlight, and check the ground wire, that attaches to the chassis. heres a pic...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b146/bigrod118/100_1262.jpg

Dead cetner of the pic, is the bolt that attaches the ground wire to the chassis, take that off, sand it and clean it up, also sand the chassis where that connector touches the car, that will make for a better ground. you also may want to follow those wires, to see if there are any other locations where the ehadlights are grounded, I dont know off hand, but I may be bale to find out.

Option 2: this is the one that you dont want it to be, but it is most likely what is causing your problem, the BCM. The BCM is what controls everything in the car except the motor. so all of your lights, chimes, window controls etc, all the creature features are controlled by the BCM, and it is VERY picky and is common to fry.

The only way to see if it is the BCM, is to take it to the dealership, they have to connect the Tech II to it. Also, the only way to fix a BCM is to take it to the dealership, it is a computer nad HAS to be new, it CANNOT be a used BCM, because it can only be programmed once, and it can only be programmed by the Tech II. for the part and installation and programming, it will run you about $300 - $400 to fix it, because it is only able to be repalced by a dealership.

I hope its just a ground issue for you, I got lucky and it wasnt my BCM.

hope it all works out well.

Thank you very much, you have been alot of help

When i pull the dimmer switch for the bright lights, it will not stay on, could that be my problem why my lights will not stay on.

ok, common misuse of terms so I need clarification...

the dimmer switch, is located on the dash, used to manually turn on signal lights, or headlights, has the ability to be pulled out twice.

MFS(multifunction switch) located on the steering column, used for turn signals, high beam activation, wiper controls, etc..

Which one are you talking about?

So even during the day, your DRL (daytime running lights) dont turn on? They would be the high beam (inner set of lights) on, but at half power, so they would appear a yellowish color.

I suppose it might be worth trying to replace the dimmer switch or MFS, since they are both cheaper than the BCM, and can be done by a handy do it yourselfer, so you would save on labor costs.

The reason why I jumped to the BCM being the issue, is because you said that your turn signals work, but just your headlights, low and high, do not work, but everything else performs as it should, and when the BCM fries, it has the tendacy to act weird, it can be on and off, and usually doesnt just go all at once.

It is the MFS switch, that controlds the brights, but everything else works properly. But when i pulled the switch the brights, it will not stay to the on position. I do have the switch that pulls out twice, but my headlights will not come on.

hmmm.

Well, in an effort to try to help you save money, I would have to say you may just have to take it to the dealer to have them look at it, it would only be about $80 - $100 for a diagnistic service.

Actually, hmmm, I have to ask someone that is smarter than me a questino, I think there is a realy that controls all the the headlights, not just the high beams, so I have some investigating to do, and i'll try to get back to you with a more definte answer.

Ok, Thank you very much, you have been alot of help. I really appreciate your help very much.

I just ahd to go out to my car and pull the driver side fuse cover. There is a realy, it's labeled headlamp realy. I would start there, it is probabaly going to be the cheapest thing you can do. I'm sure any local autoparts store will be able to figure out which realy you need, but it may have to be ordered.

I have the same problem with my '00 Impala LS (113K miles): no low beams and no DRL's.

Everything else works such as cluster lights, front parking lights and all rear lights. Switching the headlamps on manually will turn all of these on - plus it sets off the chime that the lights (should be) on - but still no low or high beams (everything else lights up as it should). The DRL's and headlamps switch on and off as they should with the lighting conditions - I can hear the click in the dash - but no front headlamp bulbs light up at all under any lighting conditions.

Headlamp relay (drivers side fuse box) is new (GM part) and we've swapped out the DRL relay (under the hood) so it should be OK.

I'm a parts person in a Volvo dealership. We have some ex-Cadillac techs here that have done a lot of electrical tracing as recently as last night. There's power everywhere (fuses and relays; in the dash and under the hood) and the light bulbs check out OK with a multimeter (the ground wire seems OK and tight).

If I pull on the directional stalk the high beams will go on with full power but will not stay on (no "click").

Thinking the problem might be this directional/cruise/high-beam switch, I phoned a Chevy dealer today that has one in stock($273.00 my cost). The parts person says that the high-beam function "clicks" - my high-beam switch does not "click" (does it "click" on anyone elses '00 Impala?).

I'd appreciate any insight that anyone might have - if any. I love my Impala very much and I owe it a lot so I'm close to taking it to the dealer for this issue.

Thanks!

John

2000 impala ls, when highbeam selected, switch does not hold brights on, all lights seem to work, could it be signal, cruise lever that is defective ?

Mighty Real, did you ever find out what was wrong? I have the exact same problem with my 2000 Impala.

I know none of you want to hear this, but I had an issue that was similar, and the symptoms point toward it. What I was experiencing, and my wife experienced until I told her about it, was that sometimes when driving down the road, the headlights would just go off. It happened a couple of times, and I recognized that it was only when the brights were on that it would happen. The lack of responses here tells me that perhaps the solution has been found by the OP and following posters to be as simple as my solution. It turns out that this switch has to be "clicked" to be in a stable state. Meaning, if you go from dim to bright and don't hear and feel a click, the switch ends up in a "maybe-kinda-sometimes-works" type of state. It's not quite bright and not quite dim. Once I told my wife of the click, she had no further problems.
Try it. And I would be curious to find out if the OP and other posters had different problems.
Ogre

I have a 2004 Impala LS. I had this same issues that you all have been describing.... and Ogre73 just solved the problem for me! Thanks bud! :D

When you pull the column stalk to turn on your bright lights , it should have an audible " click " . If not , that is the problem as far as the " brights lights staying on . I have the same problem on my 2000 Impala LS . I have been told if you remove the cover surrounding your column behind the steering wheel , there is a set screw on the switch that comes loose and won't let the bright lights come on to stay . That's why you hear no " click " when you pull it . It isn't allowing the switch to stay in the " bright " position .I haven't had the opportunity to do this repair yet and can't say if this is true ? A possible cause of the other problem mentioned may be a defective headlight switch . The switch contains circuitry that turns the DRL's off ( when it gets dark outside ) and turns the normal headlights on as well as dimming the interior dash cluster lighting , power control button lighting on doors , and gearshift indicator lighting . I have had this problem previously and replaced the headlight switch and it eliminated that problem .

Thanks bud! :D
No problem! Good to hear that someone other than my wife and I have benefited from this easy fix.

Oldblu, in my case and that of my wife, it simply turned out to be a behavior modification that fixed our problem. By pulling more firmly and hearing the click, we set the switch to a more sure state.

Ogre

2000 Impala no low beam headlights. Everything else works. Even the fog lights go off when I switch to high beams. The BCM was replaced and reprogramed by the dealer. They could not get the new BCM to talk to the ECM so they replaced that also. ( Cheap at only $577 but at least the car runs now) I still have no low beam headlights. I have replaced the light switch in the dash, the MFS in the steering column, the BCM, headlight relay, fuses, bulbs, and the ECM. And yes I sanded the ground bolt.
I do not know what to do next.
P.S. Today the air bag light is on!

I too am having a similar issue. IT all started when I replaced the MFS (the turn signal,cruise control,brights) because I could not "click" on the brights. After the replacement my low beams would come on once and a while, but now they will not even come on at all, I have checked the relays and tried the grounding trick. No joy there. I talked to a dealer and they told me that if I replaced the headlamp switch I could not return it if that was not the issue. So I dont want to take it to the dealer but I guess that is the next step. Oh and I have a LS model 3.4 it has 132,000 miles. Any thoughts other then what I have read would be great!!!

okay i have been having similiar problems i guess. first off i have a 2000 impala base model. mines a little backwards and 2 mechanics are clueless. at first when i shut the car off, my parking lights would stay on. then the next day my daytime running lights would stay on with the car off, later that day it was both would stay on. the 30 fuse under the hood keeps breaking instantly i think it was something to do with air pump or another? my insturment panel lights work when they want to, along with the radio light. my tail lights didnt work also the first day because a fuse broke, today i tried turning my headlights on during the day and they wouldnt work, just my parking lights stay on ALL THE TIME. so tonight i went out to turn the head lights on and nothing. my headlight switch is on the dash and not the column, oh and when i went to click the highbeams on they wont stay on. my car is a 3.4L. ANY HELP WILL BE GREAT, THANKS ALOT. the only thing weird about this is when i shut my car off, my parking lights stay on, or my daytimes stay on, or both, or sometimes none for a little while and they will come on by themselves during the night, everytime i park my car, i have to lift the hood and take the 60fuse out that says u/hood to shut my lights down to not drain my battery. again any help will be greatly appreciated. thanks.

so i got a 2002 chevy impala with 222,000 miles on itt. I have had TONS of problems with this car but have gotten them all fixed, recently ive had a problem with my bright lights stuck on, the switch dont work to turn them off. Now about a month later the lights wont work at all and ive check fuses and i dont know what to do. any one have any ideas?

I'm having an issue with my headlights on my 2000 Impala too (mileage approx 120K) during the day the dim lights are on as they are normally with this model (automatic) but once it gets dark they go out and won't come back on. The brights, turn signals, and emergency lights all work fine. We've put in new bulbs and checked all fuses. Every one keeps telling us it would have to be the control module with the turn signal but I don't believe it..... If the lights work in the day time they should work at night and if not then why? Any suggestions?:banghead:

I'm having an issue with my headlights on my 2000 Impala too (mileage approx 120K) during the day the dim lights are on as they are normally with this model (automatic) but once it gets dark they go out and won't come back on. The brights, turn signals, and emergency lights all work fine. We've put in new bulbs and checked all fuses. Every one keeps telling us it would have to be the control module with the turn signal but I don't believe it..... If the lights work in the day time they should work at night and if not then why? Any suggestions?:banghead:
Check post # 21 above for a similar problem I had . Replacing the headlight switch fixed my problem as described in the post . I have another tip that I'm going to private message you , so watch for it ! Good luck !

Check post # 21 above for a similar problem I had . Replacing the headlight switch fixed my problem as described in the post . I have another tip that I'm going to private message you , so watch for it ! Good luck !
Thanks for the suggestion, can check out the connections behind the headlight switch... wouldn't hurt. But I was thinking if it was that the dims should come on when you pull the switch.... we still have brights at night even without pulling the switch on.

Too bad the OP wouldn't update their situations, I have been making a point of doing this when I can for my posts.

My mom has a 2004 Chevy impala and its bright lights aren't working at all how can we fix it. we tried replacing the bulb it didn't help

2000 or 2004?

Does your flash to pass work?

Its a 2004 and idk

Just bought a 2000 Chevy Impala from my son, it has the automatic headlights so you don't have to turn off and on.
Started it up and the park lights came on but not headlights. I tried to use the brights but it only flashes unless you hold it.
Any idea what could cause it to work sometimes?

Do the headlights function normally if the headlight switch is used?