1992 PA - headlights and warning dash
Dr. Pimento
12-12-2008, 10:22 AM
A few specific issues I wanted to bring to the community, which has been invaluable time and time again, to see if anyone has any thoughts.
Symptoms:
1) Headlights suddenly stopped working. No high beams, no low beams. Parking lights turn on when headlights should be. Side lights (the white lights on the side that are normally off in straight driving) will light when turning, as usual.
2) Low coolant, traction control, and ABS warning lights all stay on.
3) Engine failure while 'idle-cruising' at low speeds
4) Rough starting
Further details:
(1) I've been having an issue with the high-beam selector. For the better part of six months, when "rocking" it back to click up to high-beams, it seemed 'mushy'. I could not get it to click - it would just travel back into the steering column and 'float' at the extreme end of its range.
When I would do this, rather than the high-beams coming on, all headlights would go out. When the selection lever was returned to normal position, the low-beams would return to operation.
About a month ago, I attempted to use my highs to 'warn' an oncoming vehicle of a freshly pancaked deer and the low-beams never returned. I turned on the hazards, but when I signaled right to get to the shoulder, everything came back on again.
Last night, the headlights stopped working, abruptly. They do not come on, no matter how I move the selector. Parking lights still activate when the headlights are switched on, and I still have those 'side' lights that come on with the turn signal.
I am able to just barely 'signal' left with the stick, to a point where the left side-light comes on, but NOT the blinker. When I hold this for 30 seconds or so, I can smell what sounds like an electrical short near the column. I can't hit that 'sweet spot' when signaling right.
(2) I have certainly lost ABS. I believe traction control is likewise off, because I sometimes get an overspeed warning (intermittent console dings during acceleration until I let up on the gas for a second or two). However, the coolant is absolutely at a normal level! The coolant light has been lit for nearly a year, now, but the ABS and traction control lights turned at the same time, last summer.
(3) At times, the engine will idle down and kill itself, if I have no acceleration applied and am coasting at a low (<40 MPH) speed. This isn't preceded by any symptoms, and it has happened after both a 20-minute drive and pulling out of the parking lot after a day at work.
(4) When initially starting the engine, it will fire normally, but then idle so far down that it kills itself. This usually happens two to three times before the engine stays under power. This happens reliably whether from a hot or cold start. Incidentally, this is the least of my worries, as the '96 LeSabre had similar issues which were 100% solved by replacing the MAS.
Random Thoughts:
Are all these things, taken together, indicative of a wiring or electronics issue?
Or is the headlight thing specifically an issue with the whole column assembly, and the others all unrelated and unconnected?
I want to assume that another air-flow sensor replacement would solve both the laggy start, as well as the random dying at low cruise speeds - would that be way off base?
Thanks in advance guys, for any and all comments!
Symptoms:
1) Headlights suddenly stopped working. No high beams, no low beams. Parking lights turn on when headlights should be. Side lights (the white lights on the side that are normally off in straight driving) will light when turning, as usual.
2) Low coolant, traction control, and ABS warning lights all stay on.
3) Engine failure while 'idle-cruising' at low speeds
4) Rough starting
Further details:
(1) I've been having an issue with the high-beam selector. For the better part of six months, when "rocking" it back to click up to high-beams, it seemed 'mushy'. I could not get it to click - it would just travel back into the steering column and 'float' at the extreme end of its range.
When I would do this, rather than the high-beams coming on, all headlights would go out. When the selection lever was returned to normal position, the low-beams would return to operation.
About a month ago, I attempted to use my highs to 'warn' an oncoming vehicle of a freshly pancaked deer and the low-beams never returned. I turned on the hazards, but when I signaled right to get to the shoulder, everything came back on again.
Last night, the headlights stopped working, abruptly. They do not come on, no matter how I move the selector. Parking lights still activate when the headlights are switched on, and I still have those 'side' lights that come on with the turn signal.
I am able to just barely 'signal' left with the stick, to a point where the left side-light comes on, but NOT the blinker. When I hold this for 30 seconds or so, I can smell what sounds like an electrical short near the column. I can't hit that 'sweet spot' when signaling right.
(2) I have certainly lost ABS. I believe traction control is likewise off, because I sometimes get an overspeed warning (intermittent console dings during acceleration until I let up on the gas for a second or two). However, the coolant is absolutely at a normal level! The coolant light has been lit for nearly a year, now, but the ABS and traction control lights turned at the same time, last summer.
(3) At times, the engine will idle down and kill itself, if I have no acceleration applied and am coasting at a low (<40 MPH) speed. This isn't preceded by any symptoms, and it has happened after both a 20-minute drive and pulling out of the parking lot after a day at work.
(4) When initially starting the engine, it will fire normally, but then idle so far down that it kills itself. This usually happens two to three times before the engine stays under power. This happens reliably whether from a hot or cold start. Incidentally, this is the least of my worries, as the '96 LeSabre had similar issues which were 100% solved by replacing the MAS.
Random Thoughts:
Are all these things, taken together, indicative of a wiring or electronics issue?
Or is the headlight thing specifically an issue with the whole column assembly, and the others all unrelated and unconnected?
I want to assume that another air-flow sensor replacement would solve both the laggy start, as well as the random dying at low cruise speeds - would that be way off base?
Thanks in advance guys, for any and all comments!
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