'91 Bonneville Headlights

Hey again everyone. Just one more question about the '91 SSE. It came standard with both Daytime Running Lights and automatic headlights, but neither of these features work. Does anyone know about this kind of stuff? Is there a hidden fuse or relay somewhere?

Thanks everyone

Reply to
80 Knight
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I'm not sure what to check for DRL's. Is there a DRL module or relay to check you can check?

Check the headlight bulbs, sockets, wire harness, fuses & relays.

Check the lght sensor in the dash for the automatic lights. Check the headlight switch too, the righthand portion for the twilight sentennial might of burned up.

Good Luck.

========= Harryface =========

1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE 3800 V6 ( C ), Black/Slate Grey _~_~_~286,395 miles_~_~_

~_~_~_~_U.S.A._~_~_~_~_~_

~~~The Former Fleet ~~~

89 Cavalier Z 24 convertible 78 Holiday 88 coupe 68 LeSabre convertible 73 Impala sedan
Reply to
Harry Face

Does your high beam indicator light up when they are on? It could be the drl/twilight sentinel module. I have changed a few of these. I don't think there is any fuse or relay that will solve your problem. As Harry Face said, I would also check the headlight switch. Sometimes the terminals are burned due to high resistance. Pull the connector off the swich and look for melted or discolored terminals.

Reply to
R

Not that I can find.

All headlight bulbs and sockets seem to be fine, as do the wire harness's, and I have checked all the fuses that I can find.

Thanks for the info :)

Reply to
80 Knight

Hmm, now that you mention it, the high beam indicator does not come on when the HB lights are on. Where would I find this 'drl/twilight' module?

Reply to
80 Knight

Thanks for the info, I will check it out tomorrow, as it is rather dark now. Thanks again :)

Reply to
80 Knight

Thanks again for the info R, but I tried replacing the entire headlight/twilight/dash lights switch (I assumed you were talking about those switches) today (I went to a junk yard and tried 2 or 3 different units, even mix matching a few) and still no luck. No DRL's, no auto lights, and no High Beam indicator. Any other suggestions? Are there relay's or fuses that I may have missed that could have blown that would make the DRL's and the auto lights not work, but still let the lights work manually by the switch? Thanks again for your time. :)

Reply to
80 Knight

headlights,

Reply to
R

Someone wrote a while back that the dealer can program the computer to disable these functions. Don't know if that's a possibility, in this case. H

Reply to
Hairy

I apologize for you having to repeat yourself. My brain is not what is used to be, and I misunderstood you. I thought you were talking about the actual Twilight switch (the one you turn up and down) as well as the headlight switches, so that is why I tried to replace those. As for the module, I found something hooked up, but it was hooked up from the opposite way you were talking about, but it does sit like a book on it's edge. I took it out and it did not affect the car at all, so if that is what you were talking about (also, it was behind the main fuse cluster just below the headlight switches), I will go out tomorrow and try another one of those.

Thank you again, and I apologize for the misunderstanding. :-)

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Reply to
80 Knight

Hmm, I hope it is not a possibility lol I really want these features working. I know it sounds petty, but out of the 5 cars I have owned, 4 have had the auto-headlights. Thank you for your help as well. :)

Reply to
80 Knight

Hi again. I could still use some help. I took the car into a GM dealer today, and all they could find (and what I was actually replacing at the junk yard today) was the cruise control module. I took the car home, and ripped the entire under (and some upper) dash apart, and still found no module. As I said, even the GM guy couldn't find it. He printed out a picture for me of where it should be, but I still can not find it. Any other suggestions?

Thanks again

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Reply to
80 Knight

Harryface throws up his hands and shouts " Mamma Mia "!

If you bought this car used, it sounds like the previous owners disabled and or removed parts ( or cut up wires ) from the vehicle that operate the systems in question.

Just pretend its 1974 again when cars didn't have auto headlamps and you had to manually turn them on. I think you said the lights work by turning on manually. I know you'd like the things to work as they should, but sometimes you got to say " Ah the hell with it".

Its probably going to cost more time & trouble & $$$ to get the system to work again. The car is almost 14 years old. I never bothered having the trip meter in my car fixed & it died in

1995.

If you need DRL's on seeing your in Canada just turn the headlight On manually.

Last resort - Have Canadian Tire fix it !

PS - I looked at your website at the car photo's , looks like mine only with body bulges down low.

Good Luck

========= Harryface =========

1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE 3800 V6 ( C ), Black/Slate Grey _~_~_~287,124 miles_~_~_

~_~_~_~_U.S.A._~_~_~_~_~_

~~~The Former Fleet ~~~

89 Cavalier Z 24 convertible 78 Holiday 88 coupe 68 LeSabre convertible 73 Impala sedan
Reply to
Harry Face

Thank you for the help Harry Face, and I totally understand what you are saying. The problem is that I am not one to let a problem go unsolved. I will rip apart that car every day until I fix it lol That's just the way I am. But, as I said, I do understand what you are saying, and there is no law about having DRL's on older cars over here, so I can get over it...it just takes time :-P Thanks for your help though!! :-)

BTW, the Bonneville on my website is my old 1990 SSE. I have a new one now, as I loved the 1990 so much (but had to sell it) I bought another one. However, no one but me would be able to tell the difference between the two, so its all good, and thanks for looking!! :)

Reply to
80 Knight

Would be interested in hearing what fixes problems.

The only difference I can see between a 90 and 91 LE is the different style front seat & a slightly different contour line in the bottom of the bumper cover.

========= Harryface =========

1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE 3800 V6 ( C ), Black/Slate Grey _~_~_~287,124 miles_~_~_

~_~_~_~_U.S.A._~_~_~_~_~_

~~~The Former Fleet ~~~

89 Cavalier Z 24 convertible 78 Holiday 88 coupe 68 LeSabre convertible 73 Impala sedan
Reply to
Harry Face

That is about all I know of, besides the fact that (over in Canada anyways, I do not know if it is in the USA as well) my '91 Bonnie has a brake-shift interlock, which means you cant shift from park without the brake pressed down, whereas the '90 Bonnie did not have that. No big pain there though. How do you like your Bonnie, Harry Face? I loved my '90, and I love this one as well!! :-)

Reply to
80 Knight

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who helped me in repairing the Auto Lights and the Twilight in my '91 Bonnie. The problem turned out to be that the Passive Headlight Control Module (that is what it says on the module) was actually missing from the car, and the wire harness that went to it was hidden behind the Heat/Air-Con control box in the dash...A bugger to find, let me tell you. So, obviously, with no module, the Auto Lights and what not did not work. I went to a wreckers, tore apart the entire dash of the wrecker car, and found the module. Brought it home, installed it, and it has been working fine ever since. Even the Twilight and the High Beam Indicator works.

Thanks again everyone!! :-)

Reply to
80 Knight
80 Knight wrote : The Passive Headlight Control Module was missing from the car.

Hmmmm, No PHCM......I guess I can remove the PHCM in my next new car so the Auto Lamps & DRL won't work......not a big fan of the auto stuff.

Next time you go to the junk yard pick up a few of those headlamp switch bulbs. The SSE has two of them. The bulbs are not available through the dealer anymore.

Be careful cleaning around the headlight switch, any water that gets behind the switch, blows the bulb as soon as you start the car. This bulb is dimly lit during the day so the Headlight switch can be seen in a dark garage.

Glad your Lights problem are now overwith.

Good Luck

========= Harryface =========

1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE 3800 V6 ( C ), Black/Slate Grey _~_~_~287,664 miles_~_~_

~_~_~_~_U.S.A._~_~_~_~_~_

~~~The Former Fleet ~~~

89 Cavalier Z 24 convertible 78 Holiday 88 coupe 68 LeSabre convertible 73 Impala sedan
Reply to
Harry Face

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