infamous805187 Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 I was entering an on ramp last night and the lights just shut off. I was cruising down the on ramp braking because I could see little. I did pass under a bright street lamp and I had the automatic senser set to min. would this have caused it or should I get it checked out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Pull the switch and see if they go out as a test, they are protected by a circuit breaker that will flash them on and off if you have a short. It is probably related to the Twilight Sentinel, did you check for codes? I think you will set a code with an intermittant sensor. I dont think a bright street light will turn the lights off, it needs to be bright for some time... I think its a sensor problem. Someone confirm, this is this related to the SUNLOAD sensor? Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infamous805187 Posted August 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 I was sitting under the light for a few seconds, waiting to make the right turn onto the onramp. No codes... I actually pulled the manual light switch when this happened and the lights did NOt immediatly turn back on. they did turn back on after a few seconds, but when going 50 in the darkness on an onramp a few seconds seemed like the end of the world!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infamous805187 Posted August 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 actually happened again tonight on same exit, It has only happened here so I assume that it is just the bright area shutting the sensor off. very freaky though, not being able to see for a while...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fred Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Man I know what that can be like good lord back when I was a young young boy I was riding in my grandfathers Cadillac on the highway and the lights died and wouldn't come back... I still don't know how he found the shoulder and parked right on it...... we didn't even go a couple inches off the road to find the grass edge. We ended up following some idiot by his tail lights back to home. I sure was scared half to death - I was seven or eight. I tell you another thing too there was this road, on the way to my ex womans home, it was so darned dark that if you switched your lights off it was BLINDNESS.. The sentinel on the Cads I have had they work real well and they're touchy- a good tip to remember is that if you lose the headlights you can always click on your turn signal and the cornering lamp will light up that shoulder so that you can make it over there. (When I was with my grandparents that night we lost all of the lights, even the corners) MerryChristmas Be a Capitalist or work for one. Work for a Capitalist or be one. MerryChristmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 The SUNLOAD sensor has nothing to do with the Twilight Sensor; the sunload sensor is an HVAC input exclusively. The Twilight Sensor, however, will turn your headlamps off unexpectedly in high ambient light conditions (the delay is 8-20 seconds and is NOT adjustable). A brightly lit 'Jersey Turnpike toll plaza is a good example of this. Park head-in at a Seven-Eleven under bright lights and you'll see something similar happen even with the Sentinel set for minimum sensitivity. Most often, your headlamps will FAIL to illuminate after an engine start during a period of time your car has been sitting under the bright lights while you were inside. Under any and all circumstances your headlamps should light when you pull the headlamp switch on the dash. If that's not happening your troubleshooting should begin there. For troubleshooting purposes you can simulate night conditions by placing a piece of black electrician's tape over the dash photocell to simulate night conditions. As an aside, I'd be interested in hearing what happens if you try flash-to-pass when your headlamps fail to illuminate. a good tip to remember is that if you lose the headlights you can always click on your turn signal and the cornering lamp will light up that shoulder so that you can make it over there. Yup, you just reminded me of another reason I like those cornering lamps. Glad to hear the EU finally caught on to that. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 My dealer recommeds that I keep the Twilight Sentinel sensitivity slider under the headlight switch at about 1/4 of the way from the left. If the lights go out and you need them back immediately, first pull out the headlight switch and then slide it to OFF (all the way to the left, including the detent). This will disable the Twilight Sentinel. The Twilight Sentinel can be fooled by a bright light shining directly down on it but not illuminating the area in front of the car, which might be the problem at that particular freeway ramp. Barring that, if the headights cut off in light too dim to see by, move the slider to the right until they come back on and leave it there. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 The NS high speed endurance engines run for almost 300 hours at continuous full throttle, max load, max RPM. No idling, no part throttle...just flat out running. I have often, of late, seen a SC Northstar or LS7 in the dyno cell at full load/6500 RPM screaming away when I left for the day and it was sitting there, still screaming away the next morning when you come into work...and this happens day after day to accumulate 300 hours. That's from the guru, right? Jeeze, I miss that guy! Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 That's from the guru, right? Jeeze, I miss that guy! Regards, Warren He appears from time to time. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 He appears from time to time. There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 The SUNLOAD sensor has nothing to do with the Twilight Sensor; the sunload sensor is an HVAC input exclusively. The Twilight Sensor, however, will turn your headlamps off unexpectedly in high ambient light conditions (the delay is 8-20 seconds and is NOT adjustable). A brightly lit 'Jersey Turnpike toll plaza is a good example of this. Park head-in at a Seven-Eleven under bright lights and you'll see something similar happen even with the Sentinel set for minimum sensitivity. Most often, your headlamps will FAIL to illuminate after an engine start during a period of time your car has been sitting under the bright lights while you were inside. Under any and all circumstances your headlamps should light when you pull the headlamp switch on the dash. If that's not happening your troubleshooting should begin there. For troubleshooting purposes you can simulate night conditions by placing a piece of black electrician's tape over the dash photocell to simulate night conditions. As an aside, I'd be interested in hearing what happens if you try flash-to-pass when your headlamps fail to illuminate. a good tip to remember is that if you lose the headlights you can always click on your turn signal and the cornering lamp will light up that shoulder so that you can make it over there. Yup, you just reminded me of another reason I like those cornering lamps. Glad to hear the EU finally caught on to that. Regards, Warren Thanks Warren, I couldnt remember if the sunload sensor was responsible for the this, Mike The NS high speed endurance engines run for almost 300 hours at continuous full throttle, max load, max RPM. No idling, no part throttle...just flat out running. I have often, of late, seen a SC Northstar or LS7 in the dyno cell at full load/6500 RPM screaming away when I left for the day and it was sitting there, still screaming away the next morning when you come into work...and this happens day after day to accumulate 300 hours. That's from the guru, right? Jeeze, I miss that guy! Regards, Warren It sure is, isn't it beautiful? Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterset Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 can it be a defective thermal fuse? - possibly taking the same time to heat up & cool down, so it happens in the same spot on a lighted road? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davedog Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 I had to replace the sensor in my 92 eldo, there is a test you can do if you are willing to dig the sensor out of the dash and you have a voltmeter. Let me know if you are interested and I can post the procedure from my shop manual. Oh, and if it's the sensor you will pay, I think mine was about $50 Crystal Red Tintcoat Exterior | Shale/Brownstone Interior | 32k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Wait a minute guys. That slide switch under the headlight switch is not a sensetivity switch. It is a delay switch for how long the headlights stay on after shut down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenMachine Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Wait a minute guys. That slide switch under the headlight switch is not a sensetivity switch. It is a delay switch for how long the headlights stay on after shut down. was just about to type that in, the first notch activates the automatic headlights and a short headlights on after engine off period. Moveing it farther right increases the headlights on after engine off time. The Green's Machines 1998 Deville - high mileage, keeps on going, custom cat-back exhaust 2003 Seville - stock low mileage goodness! 2004 Grand Prix GTP CompG - Smaller supercharger pulley, Ported Exhaust Manifolds, Dyno tune, etc 1998 Firebird Formula - 408 LQ9 Stroker motor swap and all sorts of go fast stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschelle Posted September 7, 2006 Report Share Posted September 7, 2006 On my 99 Deville the headlights would not come on no matter what I tried. It turned out to be the terminal ends in the "Underhood Relay Center". The relays that were affected are the two of the five relays in the bottom row at each corner. Theses relays get hot from the current draw and lose their tension. I had to pull the plug and remove the relay terminals. I could see the two terminals were collapsed and I had to retension them with a small screwdriver. This is a temporary fix and I am now in the process of getting new terminals and replacing them. Just my 2 cents worth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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