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It's dark and I cant see!!!


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I have a 1994 sts 4.6L Northstar

yesterday both of my headlights went out at the same time so i dont think its the bulbs

my mechanic says that its the switch but I dont think it is because if i pull the switch the rear tail light turn on and the park light turn on, the hi-beams aslo work

what I was wondering is could it be the switch? because i dont want to buy a switch if that not the problem, I have also checked all of the fuses and havent found any blown ones....

anyone have any ideas?

I havent found another question like this in the fourms

thanks...

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I'm not sure but i wouldn't rule out the switch just yet.

It could well be that it switches the rear and the front light on a seperate circuit.

I would pull out the switch and start pushing connectors together to rule out the switch.

If you are in complete control..... you are not going fast enough....

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I have a 1994 sts 4.6L Northstar

yesterday both of my headlights went out at the same time so i dont think its the bulbs

my mechanic says that its the switch but I dont think it is because if i pull the switch the rear tail light turn on and the park light turn on, the hi-beams aslo work

what I was wondering is could it be the switch? because i dont want to buy a switch if that not the problem, I have also checked all of the fuses and havent found any blown ones....

anyone have any ideas?

I havent found another question like this in the fourms

thanks...

Your headlights are fused, and they have a circuit breaker switch, that if there is a short, your headlights flash on and off for safety reasons rather than just go dark. Check to see if anything else is not working, if you do they might have a common ground. Look for chafed wires around the radiator and headlight area, that might be pinched, follow the wires, look for grounds attached to the frame or supports, unscrew and clean them up. If you have a service manual look to see if the all of the headlights are grounded to one location. Look at this from page 316 of your glove compartment owners manual:

HeadlightSwitch.jpg

In addition you have four fuses, see page 312, not likely the fuses given that there is one for each headlight (high and low), but there might be a common ground

Headlightfuses94.jpg

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

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Your headlights are fused, and they have a circuit breaker switch, that if there is a short, your headlights flash on and off for safety reasons rather than just go dark.

Really? I never knew that.

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Your headlights are fused, and they have a circuit breaker switch, that if there is a short, your headlights flash on and off for safety reasons rather than just go dark.

Really? I never knew that.

Yes, I have seen headlights with the circuit breaker engaged, you see a persons headlights just going on and off, you have never seen that? However if its a hard short, it will blow a leg. Don't you find it interesting that they thought NOT to use a single fuse, but fused the L LOW, R LOW, L HIGH and R HIGH separately? I have that dream at night sometimes, I am driving along and either I run into a FOG and can't see or my head lights go out.. I am sure that means something to dream analyzers LOL.. something like, IM LOST :wacko:

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

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In the jargon of the electrical world they are referred to as 'thermal breakers'.

Thermal breakers are designed to open the circuit as a result of the the heat generated by the excessive current draw through a bimetalic strip arrangement. When the current reaches the "trip" value, the bimetalic strip expands - curls and opens the circuit. They are also designed to close the circuit after a xx second cooling period that allows the bimetalic strip to uncurl and close the circuit again. Common in headlamp circuits as well as household appliances such as refrigerator compressor motors.

In household appliances you can hear the breaker opening and closing as the temperature rises and falls.

Dream analysis is not something I am qualified to comment on.

Jim

Drive your car.

Use your cell phone.

CHOOSE ONE !

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thanks guys i'll check the wires, that common ground sounds like it could be the problem because I just had the motor replaced maybe there are some loose wires around I already found that the temp sensor was unpluged thanks to you guys,

now just got to figure out the cam sensor and the abs pump and I should be rock and roll'in...

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Check out this thread. It may help. http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...94&hl=light

If I remember correctly I also had an issue with a broken wire right under the radiator like BBF suggested. The broken wire wasn't openly visible. But rather where the wire went into the back of the clip. The clip was located around the underside of the radiator. Ken (mechanic) had a hunch and lightly tugged (I was right there watching) on the wire he suspected where it met the clip. It fell right out and we could see plainly that it was burnt and charred on the end. Never would have known had Ken not tugged on it. Hope this info helps.

"Burns" rubber

" I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. "

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Yes, I have seen headlights with the circuit breaker engaged, you see a persons headlights just going on and off, you have never seen that?

Nope never seen that Mike. Closest thing to it I ever saw was what JimD mentioned.

Thermal breakers are designed to open the circuit as a result of the the heat generated by the excessive current draw through a bimetalic strip arrangement.

I had a set of DC8 landing lights (13v) on a '96 Riviera. If I left them on too long, the breaker would trip and they'd go out. I lived in the city at the time so they where more of a novelty, but used them on an occasional trip to northern Wisc. That's where I found out about the breaker.

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Check out this thread. It may help. http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...94&hl=light

If I remember correctly I also had an issue with a broken wire right under the radiator like BBF suggested. The broken wire wasn't openly visible. But rather where the wire went into the back of the clip. The clip was located around the underside of the radiator. Ken (mechanic) had a hunch and lightly tugged (I was right there watching) on the wire he suspected where it met the clip. It fell right out and we could see plainly that it was burnt and charred on the end. Never would have known had Ken not tugged on it. Hope this info helps.

Yeah Regis, that is perfect! Great info

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

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Yes, I have seen headlights with the circuit breaker engaged, you see a persons headlights just going on and off, you have never seen that?

Nope never seen that Mike. Closest thing to it I ever saw was what JimD mentioned.

Thermal breakers are designed to open the circuit as a result of the the heat generated by the excessive current draw through a bimetalic strip arrangement.

I had a set of DC8 landing lights (13v) on a '96 Riviera. If I left them on too long, the breaker would trip and they'd go out. I lived in the city at the time so they where more of a novelty, but used them on an occasional trip to northern Wisc. That's where I found out about the breaker.

Hmm, now looking at my words, when I say circuit breaker engaged, by engaged I mean, that as a result of the overload it has cut the power to the circuit. That was a bad choice of words.

How it cuts power to the circuit in our cars is with the bi-metallic strip, as Jim mentions, but in the Hafler DH-220 amp that I built it has magnetic or electronic overload circuit breakers on the speaker outputs. A few years ago my friend had a back up seat switch break in the [ON] position and the seat of course hit up against the stop and the motor's thermal breaker was cycling in his 76 Eldorado. Once I pulled the switch and tested it with a test light it was obvious.

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

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I thought the switch just powered a relay. you should check the relay's too. Was any work performed recently (inside or outside the car)?

am I the only one who notices when I turn the dome light on by tuening the headlight switch, there is about a .5 second delay between the time I turn the switch, and the dome light turning on. it's all relay's, and that's how the PZM? is able to control the lights, horn etc.

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I thought the switch just powered a relay. you should check the relay's too. Was any work performed recently (inside or outside the car)?

am I the only one who notices when I turn the dome light on by tuening the headlight switch, there is about a .5 second delay between the time I turn the switch, and the dome light turning on. it's all relay's, and that's how the PZM? is able to control the lights, horn etc.

Hmm I have to get my stopwatch out, :lol: But you raise a good point. If I wasn't so lazy, I would get the schematic out, the switch probably shows a bi-metallic strip in it based on the statement from the owners manual, but it might be too complicated for them to explain actually what is happening, so that said it in that way. I do believe that switches in the past has similar breakers in them, we once had a head light problem in a 64 Caddy and the switch clicked as the lights cycled on and off.

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

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