I turn the headlight switch on the parking lights work but no headlights

Asked by Alvarado Feb 19, 2014 at 10:30 AM about the 1995 Buick Century

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 1995 Buick Skylark with the same exact problem I think. If I turn the headlight
switch on the parking lights work but no headlights. But the passing beams, (pulling the
blinker lever toward steering wheel), still operate. However it is pretty difficult to drive
having to hold the passing beams lever the whole time. The headlights did this about a
year and two months ago, they stopped working for about three weeks then just out of
the blue started working again. However they have always had an issue with the high
beams not coming on when pulling the lever back, the headlights don't operate at all but
then when you pull the switch to go back to low beam they would come back on. I'm
totally baffled by this and would totally apprectiate some helpful advice on what to do to
fix the problem. I'm tempted to rewire the headlights with my own toggle switch but I
don't know if I cut the wires for the headlights if all the lights on the vehicle are wired in
a "series" I'll lose my parking, turn, tail, brake lights. Does anybody have any advice
please

DwB44 answered 10 years ago

Hey,before you get an expensive repair,first check the fuse,then the both bulbs. Since i've heard one bulb going out will cause the other one to draw all the power and go out as well,but not at the same time. More than likely your having the same problem as my 1998 Century which has a bad "relay switch". Unfortunately,i was told this only after the mechanic had already replaced the "headlight switch" and charged me about $450 total! Then said the "relay" part alone runs about $500?! But you can maybe go to a salvage yard and find a used steering column from a Buick or very similar GM model car which has the whole relay/light switch setup already attached. Don't ask me how since i didn't even understand it all.Only that it was about 1/2 the price or less than having a new one installed. But this is supposedly common in various Buick models,so again your taking a chance with one even older than yours. Good luck either way. -D.B.

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I turn the headlight switch on the parking lights work but no headlights

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