Parking/Rear/Dash lights not working sometimes

[92BonneSE]

Before we start I do have a resistor on my automatic headlights so they aren't automatic anymore (preference)

When I switch on my headlights (I'm not sure if the same happens when I only turn it to parking lights, don't use them much) sometimes only the headlights will come on. No parking lights, no tail lights, no dash illumination. I can usually get them working by jiggling the knob a little or turning them off and on. Sometimes the headlights will come on and nothing else for a few seconds then everything else will turn on.

Where can I start looking? BCM? (That already needs to be replaced) Headlight switch? Maybe clean the ground busses?

Thanks for your help, electronics aren't my strong point in cars

[spoiledred94]

My heater blower was intermittent. Jiggling the connector got it running most every time. Turned out to be the blower-replace your switch imo

[02ssei]

check the easiest first. the switch would be the culprit in my opinion.

[92BonneSE]

Well I took the switch out today. There was noticeable heat marks on some of the pins for the switch. The plug is a little deformed from the heat. I was going to try cleaning the pins, but I took some of the screws out on the switch and before I knew it I was left with a bunch of springs and parts that I had no idea where they go. So off to my local junkyard. Spent 15 minutes in 200 degree car pulling a switch and they tell me $40 when I come to the office with it. I LOL'd all the way out the door telling them that is the price of a brand new ACDelco switch and that I will never be back, and then my floor mat must of accidentally got caught on my gas pedal in their parking lot (this use to be a great junkyard. either how they manage it or the owners have changed in the last few years. use to be able to walk out with a box full of parts for $50, not just 1 switch. not the mention quality of service, i wont be back)

Then off to junkyard 2, I called them since I have never been there and they said $25 and they pull it. Figured I'll bite since I won't have head lights otherwise. Went and got it and tested it and it worked great. Got back home and started putting it all back together but before I finished I tested it again and had the same problem! Pulled it back apart and test it again and then all the lights work.

At this point I'm thinking I have a good switch but something else somewhere isn't working right. Or I could of just gotten another bad switch? I was thinking maybe something in the plug might be shorting out because it has melted a little bit? Opinions?

[Bugsi]

Have you checked your ground connector under the driver's side carpet for corrosion?

[04Bonnerville]

My 95 SLE has this same problem. I posted about it years ago before my account went inactive. I originally replaced the switch which solved the problem for maybe 6 months. I put in another switch. I too had a melted connector and scorched wires & switch. I cut off the burned ends of the wires, made new ends, and bought a new connector harness (about $7 at the time). For some reason, too much power is going to the switch. The fix was temporary. I kept the old switches. I started cleaning up the scorched areas with alcohol and q-tips and swapping them out every 6 mos or so. 1 switch won't light up my tail lights, though. Then, I found I could get everything to work by using Twilight Sentinel. That worked for 5 years. Now, I can't get any of the switches to work. I'm leary of buying another $50+ new one or a junk yard one. The car has 284K on it! I've moved on to an 04 SE this year. We've been trying to get to the root of the problem so I can sell the 95. My mechanic thinks it is a short in the wiring harness somewhere behind the dash in a tunnel area that we can't easily reach. I'm curious about the suggestion of the ground under the carpet. I've been blowing out blower fan switches this past year or so. ($100 part) Maybe the root causes are related. Before I quit driving it everyday, I resorted to an LED light plugged in to an outlet in order to see my gauges at night.