Hi im new to the oldsmobile world, but ive fallen in love. I am, however, experiencing a few issues. The headlights just stoped working all together when i turned my engine off at the gas pump and turned it back on. Every other light on the car works and i cant even get the brights on. In the same day the cigarette lighter stopped working and blew its fuse and now blows every one i put in it. Can anyome here help me please??

 

Hi i just got my second custom cruiser and the headlights just stopped working along with the cigarette lighter a day after i took it to the car wash, im assuming that event is related to the lights not working but im not sure why. I got a new dimmer switch and plugged it in but didnt put it back in its place. Every light on the car works flawlessly except the headlights and brights. Please help because i cant drive home from work in the dark with no headlights!!! Any info will be greatly appreciated!

 

There is a self-resetting circuit breaker built into the headlight switch. The breaker may be bad, or you may have a short in a wire that is causing the breaker to remain open. The dimmer switch may also be bad. I've had one get stuck between high and low beam settings. Unfortunately, this requires logical troubleshooting, using a test light or VOM. Do you have voltage at the power wire into the headlight switch? If so, do you get power out? Do the park lights work? Do you have power into the dimmer when the headlight switch is on? Do you get power out at the low and high beam settings? Etc, etc. You need to chase the circuit, starting at power and continuing to the bulbs.

 

I can't remember if the dimmer switch is on the floor for an 83. If it is, I'd start by checking voltage to it. There is a fusible link feeding the headlight switch (red wire). I'd say check the grounds, but its a slim chance that all would be bad.


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Welcome. I merged your two identical threads. It isn't necessary to post the same question in multiple threads, and you'll actually get a better answer if all responses can be seen and fact checked in one place. For example, your dimmer is in the column, not on the floor.

 

I had a friend of mine check the wires connecting to the headlight dimmer switch. I believe all lit up except a solid black wire. He said something about it not being grounded but ive never had to rewire anything so far on this car so im inexperienced. Every light works except the headlights and brights. Parking light, tail light, turn signals, dome lights and courtesy lights work. I could barely get the brights to come on by halfway clicking them and that got me home but now it doesnt even click when i try to activate them. And im refering to the **** that activates the headlights/interior lights as the dimmer switch so please correct me if im wrong. Its on the bottom left of the dash under the air vent

 

I bought a new switch that the **** goes into and plugged it in and no difference. Please excuse my lack of technical terms as i am learning.

 

The **** on the dash is the headlight switch. Rotating it dims the instrument panel lights, but people refer to the high/low beam switch as the dimmer also. This sounds like your problem. You obviously pull the turn signal lever to activate high/low beams. The switch itself is lower down on the column and is activated by a rod inside the column. I've actually had this rod pop out of place on one GM column.

 

And thank you for the wiring diagram, ill give it a look. There was no power to the headlight and there is no power in the solid black wire on the switch

 

Would the rod popping out of place cause the headlights to stop working all together?

 

Also, when i could get the brights to work one last time, they were flickering and as soon as id hear the "click" for toggling them on/off they would flash on for a split second and go back off. I had to click it halfway for them to stay on and like i said they were flickering

 

Before spending any more time and money replacing parts that are good, try some simple troubleshooting.

Pull the three wire connector off the dimmer switch on the side of the column. With the headlight switch on, do you get 12V on the yellow wire?

With the headlight switch off, jumper the yellow wire in the connector to the light green wire in the connector. Turn the headlights on. Do the low beams come on? Try this again, but jumper from the yellow wire to the tan wire. Do the high beams come on? If this works at all, replace the dimmer switch.

 

I will give that a try, would you suggest getting a wire with a fuse in the line? I cant test anything at the moment as i am at work. And, quick newbie question. How do i get the cover off of the column shrouding the dimmer wires without breaking it off? The car is in mint condition and i already broke the cover off of my other custom cruiser attempting the same thing by accident. I doubt i could find that cover in surplus

 

Does this car have Twilight Sentinel? It will say so on dash around H/L switch if it is. Troubleshooting a T/S is considerably different.


You need the 1983 Oldsmobile Electrical Troubleshooting Manual. Makes life with one of these cars much easier.


To get at the dimmer switch you have to take the bottom trim panel off the dash and drop the steering column a couple inches. 8-10 screws holding it on IIRC. Also the trim panel around the speedo cluster, and to get that off you have to remove the one around the radio and A/C controls. The 1983 88/98 Chassis Service Manual shows you how.

 

Thanks guys, it was, in fact, the dimmer switch. I didnt bother taking apart the whole steering column because i could get to it by going up underneath the dash. I appreciate all the help very much! Now its time to figure out why the engine ticks. Thank you again!