won't start w lights on?

[Dale .D]

is this normal.History.!Head light system totally rebuilt.New fully charged battery.New 45 amp alternator.Bypass on ignition do to normal ignition problem so I have a push button start.the car starts great but if I have the lights on it won't even try to start .No clicking or diming of lights or anything.I can live with this but just want to know if this is normal for this 71 gt.Thanks for any info.

[kwilford]

Nope.

What does it do, or rather NOT do? When you say you "...have the lights on..." do you mean they are open, or do you have the normal headlight headlight bucket switches bypassed and are using a manual switch as part of being "...totally rebuilt..."? It sounds like you have done a bit of creative wiring, so I wonder if that is the source.

It should be pretty easy to track what circuit goes dead when you turn on the headlights that (in your car) would otherwise supply the starting circuit.

[Dale .D]

Hi again Keith.so I guess this is not normal.It won't try to start only when the headlights are open.It's ok if the driving lights are on from the panel button.I had a local GM dealership rewire the old head light system so don't know exactly what they did.Don't ask what that cost me!

[Dennis Texas]

Originally Posted by Dale .D Hi again Keith.so I guess this is not normal.It won't try to start only when the headlights are open.It's ok if the driving lights are on from the panel button.I had a local GM dealership rewire the old head light system so don't know exactly what they did.Don't ask what that cost me!

It sounds like that was an expensive maneuver I would take it back to the dealership and have them correct it if it was working before they rewired the lights. Somehow the wiring for the solenoid is running thru the roll over switches probably under dash on the fuse box. You imply the car runs after it is started with no lights then with lights on after the start it runs as it should?

[Dale .D]

Yes.The car runs & starts fine.Just can't start it with the headlights up.I just have to put the lights up after I start it.Just something wired not quite right or possible something with the soliniod.Maybe I should take it back or wait & see after I get the ignition rebuilt at OGTS.

[kwilford]

It sounds like the headlight wiring is somehow interfering with the "start" circuit, as that only causes the engine to crank not run. Very odd that the "headlight" circuit, when energized, causes the "start" circuit to NOT be energized. It usually takes a specific circuit design (incorporating a solenoid) to disable a second circuit when the first is energized. Hmm, maybe they did that intentionally, perhaps to prevent the headlight draw from reducing cranking power? Odd, and not likely, but what else could it be?

Hey, when the car is running and the headlights on, do the headlights shut off when you turn the car off? That is what happens OEM, and I wondered how similar the new circuitry is.

[Dale .D]

Yes the headlites shut off when you shut the car off with the headlites up.Could it simply be just an old soliniod needing more power to functionI do have a new one.

[Dennis Texas]

Originally Posted by Dale .D Yes the headlites shut off when you shut the car off with the headlites up.Could it simply be just an old soliniod needing more power to functionI do have a new one.

If the car starts fine with headliights closed it is not an solonoid problem if you want to test take a jumper and 12 volt cable is on starter jump across to solonoid with headlights up and off. Something is miswired and looking at a few drawings it seems that somehow the roll over switches are wired into your start circuit.