CDOvette

Been hanging in the shadows for quite some time and have e-mailed some of you guys individually for advise/help. Great site with great resources! Got my first Vette this spring - 1980 with a rebuilt 350 (mild cam) and a four speed. Been loving it and waving at every chance.
Problem occurred last night where none of the headlights work on low beam and all four of the bulbs are lit on high beam.
Don't know if it's related but also noticed last night that the relay that turns on the interior lights when the ignition is shut off kept the interior lites on for over 15 minutes - don't know how long they actually stayed on.
Does anyone have experience with such things and/or know how that relay works or even where it is? Thanks! (Sorry for being so wordy.)

Neo Fender

I believe the low beam lights have two filaments. When high beams are selected, different filaments are used on the low beam bulbs. Try changing your low beam headlights.

Ingar, Norway

You find all schematics at my site. Not likely to be the bulbs if both lights went simultaneously.

Does the interior light stay on forever also if you just open and close a door? (should come off after less than 30sec)

Scott78

For the headlights, check the dimmer switch for bad contacts. I had a car with the same problem(not the vette) and thats what the cause was.

Scott

CDOvette

Neo Fender - Thanks for your input. Do you think it would be the bulbs considering both went at the same time? Power surge?

Ingar - Great site, thanks. I read it all and bookmarked it because I will be needing more references in the future. Checked out the repeatability of the light delay last night. The doors seem to make the lights stay on about 30 seconds. The turning off of the ignition made the lights stay on 5 minutes one time and almost 10 a second time. I'll have to check the connections later as you suggested. Would a failing capacitor cause the inconsistency?

Scott - Thanks for your input. Any suggestions on how to check the dimmer switch? Does the column come apart relatively easy?

Curt

Neo Fender

I don't know about a surge but it would certainly be the easiest to check/verify. I doubt they both would go at the same time but I'd rather eliminate the obvious things first before tearing into anything else.

emsrescu

pull one of the headlights and use a test light to see if you have power before you go out and buy new lights. i had the same problem with my interior lights so i had my interior out of the car and just rewired it all into a switch. I was unable to fix the dimming delay so that is what i did.

Scott78

I don't have a '80 wiring diagram but the '78 and '82 I have show same wire connections.

At the base of steering column there is a 3 wire connector, it has a 14g yellow, 18g tan and 16g light green wires in it. The yellow is power to the dimmer, the tan is power out to low beams and the lt. green power out to high beams. If you seperate the connector and test the dimmer switch you should have continuity thru yellow-tan pins at low beam and yellow-lt.green at high beam or with power on 12v at tan in low beam and 12v in Lt. green at high beam . By the way that is the dimmer switch that connector plugs into, it's on the outboard side of the column and is tripped by a rod leading down from the turn signal lever. Hope that helps.

Scott


[Modified by Scott78, 4:59 PM 8/7/2002]

73454

I have had the same experience with the dimmer switch also, they are cheap so I never tested - just R&R.

Good Luck

Ingar, Norway

Thanks Curt!
Since it works normal when just open/closing doors it doesn't really sound as if the cap is broken, but it doesn't hurt to replace it.
And inspect circuit board carefully for broken solder joints.