Visiting a pick and pull spot in town this week to obtain some relays for the 86 Fiero with strangely schizophrenic headlights.

Have a three-week old GM installed right lamp motor. It stopped 'working' last week. The left lamp was left standing.

A few days later the right headlight started working again with the left now inactive. Read up in the archives here about what could be happening but frustrated.

Wondering if I could just visit one of those aftermarket shops and get some bright driving lights melded into the front spoiler. Would that be legal?

Thinking separate on/flip switch tied into the parking lights. Love the pop ups but this is insane. Car is clean, well maintained, no rust, little rain exposure, 70k miles, so not expecting this.

Could be relays or wire connection issues. There are many folks here who can probably help you fix the factory healights. At worst case some people leave them up all the time. Using running lights is illegal in many places because of the height off the ground requirements for the lights.

quote Originally posted by 2.5: Could be relays or wire connection issues. There are many folks here who can probably help you fix the factory healights. At worst case some people leave them up all the time. Using running lights is illegal in many places because of the height off the ground requirements for the lights.

Ditto

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't



Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

Some years ago I came across this '88 coupe with an Ecotec swap at a local auto-x. The owner had installed driving lights into the front fascia, and with the '87-'88 style they fit in nice.



However yes you do need to be warned that there is a DOT requirement for headlight height, and if your lights are not at least to the lowest point allowed then you can be cited for it in most all jurisdictions. I too would also echo above that you can likely resolve the problem with simple diagnosis and at the most a complete rebuild of the headlight assemblies (which isn't hard nor expensive to do).

I think there are still some people out there selling flush mount kits to replace the headlights.

I'm not sure how the newer ones are, but I know the design I have really requires driving lights.


I'm kind of surprised no one has found an electric actuator to replace the stock motors.

Thank you all for the deep thinking. Will replace the relays. Headlight height should not matter- maybe length of light beam and breadth of coverage. Met a gentleman today walking out of Safeway with a black late 50's Tbird. He parked right across from the Fiero. Was menacing, huge and glorious. Batmobile like. A Herman Munster car. Dude appeared to work at Ace Hardware given is shirt, said to me "'86 huh? Have not one seen in awhile." (I said I have not seen your car around much either. How did you know it was an '86?) . He ignored the question and said, "Northstar V8 bolts right in.". Said I'm planning to hot rod it out in a couple years but enjoying the low mileage on the V6. He said, "It's a new car then." I laughed and headed to the post office to mail two Mother's Day cards.

Driving lights, like fog lights, are only allow when low beam HL are on in most states.
If you drive in other states, their rules when you do.
Many DMV have easy to read rules and are online.

Driving/fog light installed like pic in Fiero84Freak post will make park/turn very hard or impossible to see to other drivers. Meaning Turn signals are useless when drive/fog is on.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)