2003 Sunfire Headlights

[whaler_99]

So I have done lots of reading on this and just want to confirm with everyone that I am one the right track.

Start the car - put it into drive WITHOUT turning on the lights. At this point the DRL should come on and the indicator should light up. In the last two days, my indicator comes on for about 2 seconds the flashes a dozen times or so and goes off - Service Engine light comes on. At the same time I can hear the relay in the driver side fuse box clicking like away till the DRL icon goes off. No DRL or low beams. High Beams work - as does everythign else.

Other option - start the car and turn on the lights before going into drive. The dash and brakes light up but no headlights. But also NO wacky DRL icon flashing, relay clicking or service engine light on. Just no headlights.

I have checked the fuses - they are ok. I assume the relay is ok as it is clicking away and then, I assume, shorting open. Doubt the lights are dead as it affect both headlights and happened at the exact same time. From reading away on here sounds like these Sunfire's have a garbage wiring system period.

So it looks like I will have a fun weekend tracing wires looking for shorts or corrosion at some point unless anyone else has some ideas on this.

Thanks!!

[quake61]

Originally Posted by whaler_99

So I have done lots of reading on this and just want to confirm with everyone that I am one the right track.

Start the car - put it into drive WITHOUT turning on the lights. At this point the DRL should come on and the indicator should light up. In the last two days, my indicator comes on for about 2 seconds the flashes a dozen times or so and goes off - Service Engine light comes on. At the same time I can hear the relay in the driver side fuse box clicking like away till the DRL icon goes off. No DRL or low beams. High Beams work - as does everythign else.

Other option - start the car and turn on the lights before going into drive. The dash and brakes light up but no headlights. But also NO wacky DRL icon flashing, relay clicking or service engine light on. Just no headlights.

I have checked the fuses - they are ok. I assume the relay is ok as it is clicking away and then, I assume, shorting open. Doubt the lights are dead as it affect both headlights and happened at the exact same time. From reading away on here sounds like these Sunfire's have a garbage wiring system period.

So it looks like I will have a fun weekend tracing wires looking for shorts or corrosion at some point unless anyone else has some ideas on this.

Thanks!!

i have a 2000 cavy and same thing happened to me

resulted 1 headlight being burnout

check that or either the connectors

[whaler_99]

Well checked the connectors - looked ok. Replaced the low beams. Pain in the butt. No after market available yet - had to go to GM to get them. But that did not help. Still have the stupid relay clicking away. Next thing will be to just replace that and see what happens...

[whaler_99]

Well the fix is in. I had to take the car in for an oil change - so I explained to them what was going on and they said they would take a look at it. The relay was good, was clicking due to a short. Long and short of it is that after an hour and a half the tech finally find a little green "goo" on a wire that is run with a bunch of them in front of the rad. When they pealed back the sleeving on the wiring, looks like it was a pin hole that was letting water in and corroded the wire. The entire wire inside the sleeving was green with corrosion. They simply replaced it, $4.00 part, and voila, all is well. Took them a while though to isolate it and the tech basically said, unless you knwo the wiring of these cars and spent all the time slowly isolating the fault, I would have never found it just by "visual" inspection.

Can't wait till the next time...

[muff34]

Originally Posted by whaler_99

Well the fix is in. I had to take the car in for an oil change - so I explained to them what was going on and they said they would take a look at it. The relay was good, was clicking due to a short. Long and short of it is that after an hour and a half the tech finally find a little green "goo" on a wire that is run with a bunch of them in front of the rad. When they pealed back the sleeving on the wiring, looks like it was a pin hole that was letting water in and corroded the wire. The entire wire inside the sleeving was green with corrosion. They simply replaced it, $4.00 part, and voila, all is well. Took them a while though to isolate it and the tech basically said, unless you knwo the wiring of these cars and spent all the time slowly isolating the fault, I would have never found it just by "visual" inspection.

Can't wait till the next time...

Well that is certainly Depressing for a 2003 .Blame that on all the salt they use on the highways in winter. I see that you are from Burlington so I will guess that they also run around down there spraying all that liquid crap on the roads as well. That stuff is really hard on the electrical system. It would almsot make a person want to start leasing if they could afford to .