bhclark Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 The parking lights in my 1990 have a mind of their own. Sometimes they go out, sometimes they stay on when the switch is pressed.I thought the headlight switch was the problem, so I ordered a repaired one. I am still having the same problem. I can feel the switch go in and come back out, but the parking lights still stay on?Ideas?Also, after my son's minor fender bender in the 1990, the drivers side headlight sometimes doesn't go back down. I thought the problem was usually that it wouldn't go up if the cranks were bad?I have a complete set of headlights off the parts car I took apart, just wanted to know exactly where to start to fix the issue.Thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Corvanti Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 does the '90 have a "fog lamp" switch in the center under the cassette player? on my '89, i leave the fog lamp switch on to act like a "DRL". it also lights up the parking lamps in front and lamps in the rear. just throwing it out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhclark Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 Fog light switch is on the headlight switch on the 90. Fog lights only work when the ignition is on. I guess that is the way they are supposed to work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwack Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 does the '90 have a "fog lamp" switch in the center under the cassette player? on my '89, i leave the fog lamp switch on to act like a "DRL". it also lights up the parking lamps in front and lamps in the rear. just throwing it out there.FWIW...A little off topic, but wasn't it discussed in a previous thread you can have the fog lights on all the time w/o have the taillights also on? It is a ECM modification (I think it is 154 for it to be on and 155 for off). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Corvanti Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 that is correct - fogs, etc. when the ignition is on. (for the '89).now i'd start looking at the drivers headlamp area. since it doesn't want to go down correctly, something got "crumpled" up, and may have caused a wire or two to do the same.i don't have a '90 FSM electrical diagram but i would think there are some wires up there that should be checked. if you have a '90 FSM, that may help. hopefully others will be along with better info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Corvanti Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 FWIW...A little off topic, but wasn't it discussed in a previous thread you can have the fog lights on all the time w/o have the taillights also on? It is a ECM modification (I think it is 154 for it to be on and 155 for off).yeah, it's on my "list" of things to do, but not a high priority - given maintenance needed on my other vehicles when i'm able to do so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhclark Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 I'll look into that, parking light issue far preceded the front end bump and subsequent headlight issue though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Corvanti Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I'll look into that, parking light issue far preceded the front end bump and subsequent headlight issue though.sorry for my thoughts on the issue, since i thought they occurred at the same time - from your 1st post.again, others more knowledgeable will hopefully be around soon. (i'd still check the wiring or a bad/dirty connection). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PontiacDude210 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Now, I'm not well versed in the Reatta electrical system, but from my recollection of electronics class, it sounds like a sticky relay. The switch is low power and the relay is high power, so with a sticky relay the switch could cease to provide power to the relay and the high power circuit would stay closed. It could also pop open sometimes if it is not functioning correctly. Again, I'm not a great Reatta mechanic, but I have a little background in basic electronics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhclark Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 I'll get the FSM out tomorrow and search for the location of the relay. I've got a box of spares to play with from the parts car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 On the 90's, early production had the headlamp switch directly controlling the headlamp load. Not sure if that is true of the park lamps as well. Due to electrical stress on the switch, a running change was made (no documented VIN breakpoint that I am aware of) to incorporate a relay to handle the load indirectly by the switch. Point being that the switch assembly was subject to internal damage from excessive loading in the pre-relay design.This sounds to me like the switch internal mechanism is going bad, which is made worse still by the scarcity of the switch which was unique only to the 90 Reatta. I've popped open a 91 switch (very similar in design) and it is a particularly nasty piece of work with lots of springs and contact strips and plastic spacers involved. Best not to mess with unless you are something of a mechanical genius.KDirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mc_Reatta Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Early 90 production controlled the parking lights by two means, full power was switched by the headlight switch, and the fog light switch sent an input to the BCM which caused it to ground a relay "F" in the interior relay center which independently turned on the lights. (On the right side of the console in passenger's compartment.)In later production a second relay was inserted in the circuit of the headlight switch which took the large current load out of the switch similar to what was done on the headlight circuit.This relay was inserted into the harness just in front of the interior relay center,So pull the passenger's side cover off the console and pull each of those relays and see which one turns the lights off and replace it. Edited July 17, 2014 by Mc_Reatta (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhclark Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Awesome! That I can do! Thanks fir painting me a picture....exactly what I needed.I'll report back later today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buickguy62 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I've noticed with my '90 if I just give the headlamp on-off toggle (going from on to off) a quick tap, the headlights will go off, but often the parking lights will stay on, but if I push it smartly (a British term), the parking lights go off as desired with the headlights. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mc_Reatta Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 That's because there are two distinct switches inside the module that are linked mechanically so that pushing on the headlight switch will also engage the parking light switch too. The parking light switch can be engaged without turning on the headlights though. Pushing the headlight switch again to turn them off will also disengage the parking light switch, but again slop in the mechanical linkage of the two can allow for sluggish action of the internal parking light switch in responding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buickguy62 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 That's because there are two distinct switches inside the module that are linked mechanically so that pushing on the headlight switch will also engage the parking light switch too. The parking light switch can be engaged without turning on the headlights though. Pushing the headlight switch again to turn them off will also disengage the parking light switch, but again slop in the mechanical linkage of the two can allow for sluggish action of the internal parking light switch in responding.That makes good sense, exactly how it feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhclark Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 Didn't get a chance to work on it today...son's been gone all day since I got home. I'll try again tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhclark Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 Well, changing the relay seems to have cured the problem for now. At least, half a dozen tries didn't replicate the issue.Interesting that all the relays in the '90 were made in Germany and all the ones I pulled from the '89 parts car were made in usa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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