GT Headlights Won't Come On (Was recently painted)

[bosco]

I just had my car painted.....yesterday after reinstalling all the lights and bulbs and bumpers I flipped over the headlights and ....nothing. I had the car painted with the headlight buckets installed and now I'm thinking the micro-switches must have paint on them. I tried flipping them over a few times to see if that would break the paint loose but it was no help. I am pretty sure I didn't mix up any wiring reinstalling the other lights as when I turn on the parking lights the correct bulbs burn front and back as do they when I use the turn signals. When I flip the headlights over it stops the stereo for a second, as it always did, but neither the headlights or taillights come on. And the fuses appear to be in order.

If it is paint on the switch contacts has anyone had this happen then had it correct by spraying in contact cleaner or some other method without removing the buckets??? I've never had them out because they worked and align perfectly so I'm not sure whats in there making contact and where. Plus now I'm concerned that getting them out will surely nick all my new paint.

Would it be a good idea (or not), and is it possible to wire the headlights, bypassing those switches, into the parking light switch on the dash??

Any help appreciated as.

Mike

[bosco]

Also........when I flip the headlights to the on postion the white indicator light behind the steering wheel comes on....

[nobody]

what year is the car?

[bosco]

73 GT......very stock

[nobody]

In your profile it lists 71 so I'll go from there. first is to flip them up and confirm they are locked in place by hand. Next is to be sure all the connections are good on the headlight relay. On an early 71 there were two switches on the drivers side and late 71 they added the passenger side switch, unfortunately if the first two suggestions don't help the bucket will have to came out. I know timing is the pits, tape off your light edges and you might be ok. Remember to turn them half way to make it easier after removing the 8 bolts.

[namba209]

Mike, just for grins and giggles, before you tear out your headlite buckets, check the 4 studs in the center of the fuse panel for corrosioin and tightness. The power lead for the headlight relay comes from one of those studs and also powers the parking lites, bypassing the parking lite switch. Just a thought.

[bosco]

thanks nobody and ron......

it is a 73......i previously owned a 71. also, are the switches clean-able should I take the buckets out?

maybe my omc picnic driving will all have to be during daylight hours......so much for leaving vegas before sun-up.

[bosco]

Also not sure where the headlight relay is...

[namba209]

Mike,the headlight relay is attached to the rear of the fuse panel, held on with a nut. The hi-lo beam relay is next to it. The lite relay is the one with the most wires on it. The micro-switches on the back of the rotating mechanism are sealed units, the only thing you can do to them is make sure the contact button moves and the arm make contact with the button to operate the switch. These are really stout switches and very seldom fail, they are used in the aircraft industry for a myriad of uses. Referring to my DESTEC schematic, the only bucket you'll have to mess with is the driver's side. The yellow/black wire is the one that puts power to the relay solenoid to turn on all the lites. You could run a jumper from the red wire to the yellow/black wire on the relay to see if the problem is the microswitch or the relay. If the lites come on with the jumper the relay is o.k. and the problem is with the microswitch. Make sure there is 12 volts on the red wire first. HTH.

[markandson]

Based on where the switches are in the car I doubt very much that paint is your problem. The jumper idea is the first thing you should try as it avoids having to take the bucket out with your brand new paint job.

[nobody]

Ok back to headlights 101. On a 73 they will come on as soon as the switch changes state. the other 2 will produce the white light if one isn't locked. The light activation is on the drivers side and if it doesn't change then no lights. With the lights up try moving them by hand to be sure they are locked. if they don't come on as soon as you start to rotate them you have a stuck swith, broken wire or a bad connection or relay. Yes paint will affect a switch. I just got done fixing this same issue on a 73 so I do have a clue. I also have a rotator assembly in my hands.

For the white light on you have a switch or connection problem if they are locked.

Et al this is a varieing area on GTs so year specific is important. A one fits all print won't work for the headlights. It don't work that way, they changed almost every year.

[kwilford]

The GT headlights aren't all that complicated. Just get a FSM for the year you have (Dave is correct, the '69 & '70 are different than the later years; I know the '71 and '72 are the same, but I believe the '73 was also the same as the '71 & '72, and so does the FSM's of those years). Then do some simple checking with a test light. I am following the '73 FSM for reference.

The white light indicates a problem with one of the indicator microswitches. Perhaps the headlight is NOT fully latched open. The white light comes on when the headlights are in the "in-between" position (not latched open or closed). I might start there.

If you are SURE the headlights are latched open (particularly the driver's side, which has the relay microswitch), do some checking on the relay and relay microswitch and wiring. Make sure that there is power to the main relay (the red wire from the centre pole on the fuse box to terminal "30/51" on the relay); it should be hot all the time.

The power feed to the relay microswitch is the black wire from the second fuse position, and is only hot when the ignition is on (that is why the lights go out when the ignition is turned off). Make sure the fuse isn't blown (powered by the 15 amp fuse in # 3 position). If that wire has power, it goes to the relay switch (the second microswitch in the driver's headlight, with one black wire and one yellow with black stripe wire). The yellow with black stripe wire is the wire BACK from the relay switch TO the relay. It connects to the "85" terminal on the relay. If you have power to the "30/51" terminal, and power to the "85" terminal (and the relay is grounded), the relay is "energized", and should be putting power out on all four of the terminal "87's". If not, then the relay is not making contact inside, and needs to be repaired or replaced.

If you have power at the "87" terminal of the relay, it in turn puts power via the white with yellow stripe wire to the dimmer relay and the other wires power the taillights, parking lights and dash lights. It sounds like your problem is in front of the dimmer relay. If you DO have power at the dimmer relay, and you still don't have headlights, either the dimmer is not working, the wiring is broken or crossed on the way to or at the headlights, or the bulbs are both blown.

HTH

[namba209]

I'll have to concur Dave, my 72 headlites would come on as soon as they started to rotate open and would turn off after they were locked closed. I remember Dean or Jared having the same problem with stuck microswitches and it took quite a bit of opening and close the buckets to finally get the buttons unstuck. But the arms just don't have that much stiffness to unstick a painted button, IMHO, the bucket will have to be pulled to clean it up. As far as Mike"s problem with no lites, could he just run a jumper from the red wire on the relay, or any hot wire, to the Yellow/Black solenoid power lead on the relay as a temp measure to make it out here for the OMC festivities and have lites?