pop up headlights going up and down by theirself!!
 

We were in my wifes 1997 firebird 3.8l today and I had to make a quick u -turn. Well when I did that I noticed the headlights had popped up. By the time I had a chance to look to see if I had turned them on, they went back down. I thought it was strange, but I did stop and turn awfully fast :cool:

So we stop at a resturant, and when we leave, the headlights do it again. THis time they went up and down by theirself about 6-7 times!! I noticed if I turned the headlight switch on they would stay up.

SO I pulled over to investigate. When they pop up by theirself the headlights are on as well. Also about this time I am starting to hear some popping, clicking relay type noises from behind the radio.

So I am thinking somehow the DRL module is starting to freak out on me. Now all this module does on a firebird is turn on the yellow DRL. But I imigine on the camaro they turn on the headlights too. But it seems if it tried to turn on the headlights it would do just that and not pop them up as I didnt think the DRL had anything to do with the pop up part of the headlights. I have heard of people having their alarms turn the lights on with out them pop up. THe aftermarket stuff. At least I think I have.

So what do you guys think? DRL module on the fritz thinking the car is a camaor? :) haha. Have any of you guys ever had this problem before?

THanks for any help

Jason

Re: pop up headlights going up and down by theirself!!
 

I'd say play with the sensor a bit.. It's in the center of the dash, in a little flat spot, around the grille somewhere.. with the car on, cover it up.. See what happends. Uncover it, see what happends... Shine a flashlight on it, and see if anything changes. I'd have to say a shadow probably went across the sensor, and triggered the relay, causing the headlights to popup. Then the sun got on it again, and they went down. This makes sense, in a U-turn, because if the sun was on the side of you, As you turn, the sun would be in a new position, and could cause a shadow to cast from your pillars, or roof, or something.. Then as you complete the turn, the sun would be back on the same spot, except shining from the opposite side of the car.

I imagine it probably would popup the headlights. On our 2001 camaro, the headlights do come on at night. There's no use for the headlight switch, at all. Turning the knob while the lights are on does nothing. So, I imagine the headlights would popup on a firebird.

Re: pop up headlights going up and down by theirself!!
 

Perhaps your headlight gears are stripped?

Re: pop up headlights going up and down by theirself!!
 

It's blinking!

Re: pop up headlights going up and down by theirself!!
 

I dont think it is the gears, since they both raise and lower just fine. And also the drl are just he yellow lights on the firebird. The headlights should never pop up for drl on a firebird. I am thinking its just the drl module has freaked out since I heard it clikcing and carrying on yesterday while driving. I mean at times it was quiet and then all of a sudden it would start clikcing on and off really fast. Of course it wasnt effecting anything at the time since I had the headlights on.

thanks for the replies though.

Jason

Re: pop up headlights going up and down by theirself!!
 

I suppose it could be the photosensor in the dash (if there is one on her car) that's sending a false reading to the DRL.

Did her headlights pop-up and turn on automatically at night?

Re: pop up headlights going up and down by theirself!!
 

I pulled the drl module out today. Is basically is a circuit baord inside a black plastic box. The box clips to the back of the ventalation system behind the radio, on the right side. WHen I pulled the circuit baor dout of the box, the box had water in it. Water and elctronics just dont go to good together. After thinking about it I relized where the water came from. We were on our way back from FL, so this was long periods of driving. When my wife fell asleep , she closed off the two vents in the middle that were pointing to her. So all that air wasnt making it out on the two "right" side vents. Since the box is on the vent system on the "right" side, the condensation formed in that area and got inside that box.

I just dried if off really good with a hair dryiner and put it back in that box and sealed it up really good with rtv. And it works fine. So the moral of the story is, if you are cold point the vents away from you, and dont close them (On really long trips).

The baord has two relays on it. One to turn on the yellow drl lights that the firebird uses only. And the other relay turns the lights on. THe camaro is the only car that uses both relays. In fact the camaro has the phot sensor that tells it when to turn the lights on. Firebirds dont need that since we have to pop up our headlights. So the water freaked out the little ic chip (brain) of the circuit baord and was telling the wrong relay to come on.

I am glad the hair dryer thing worked though.

Jason