Help Electrical Gurus

What model year is your car? Convertible or coupe?

By "flicker", do you mean similar to a flourescent lamp starting up, or do they stay on and off for several seconds each?

Was there any work done on the car just before you first noticed this problem?

Check the e-brake switch. I'll bet you'll find it corroded or dirty. If the lights stay out when the e-brake is on then i'd say the switch is seeing the brake come on and off,causing the lights to flicker.

If someone has modified the wiring, then I suppose almost anything is possible. For now, let's assume that's not the case, since your headlights did work OK at one time.

Whan you say you completely removed the headlight switch, yet still had flicker, do you mean the headlights still had the problem even with the switch disconnected?

If yes, my first guess would be a defective DRL (daytime running lamps) module, because it is supposed to turn off when the park (emergency) brake is applied. DRL modules were installed in vehicles sold in Canada, and perhaps certain US states as well. With the engine running, headlight switch off, and park brake not applied, the DRL module is supposed to pulse the headlights about 100 times a second. This is faster than humans can perceive as flicker (theatre motion picture projectors flash ~50 images per second on the screen, and US televisions flash 60 video frames per second). your DRL module may be the cause. The headllights should work fine without it.

Another possibility is your car did not come with DRLs, but some clever person used the DRL module connector to tap into the wiring for aftermarket accessories (like neon bulbs).

I doubt if you have a ground problem in the headlamp circuit, because the right and left side use separate ground points, and you did not say that only one side was flickering.

I have the 2001 service manual. Hopefully, 2000 is identical. It describes the DRL module location as "forward of left front fender, below horn". The wire colors to the module connector are as follows:
pink-orange stripe
blue - black stripe (2 this color)
red - black stripe
green - black stripe
black

toadleyb said:

I can't remember right now how I know but I do believe the car is from Canada. That would explain a lot. I didn't think any of these cars came with DRL's. Can I remove the module if this is the case? If so any idea where it would be located?

Thanks again for the help

Click to expand...

Yeah all cars made for the Canadian market in the last 15 or so years have to have DRL. It's probably because of all the BAD drivers we have here or something. The way it works in my 2000 GT is as soon as the parking brake is off, the DRLs come on. The problem you are having could be the switch that is triggered when the parking brake handle is down. Although I don't know for sure, I'd imagine it is somewhere around the handle itself...