1995 LeSabre Tail Light / Dash Light Problem.

[COLOR=red]My tail lights and dash lights went out and now the driver door chime rings even when there is no key in the ignition and the lights are off (previously it would only ring if the key was in the ignition or the headlights were on.) Turn signals and rear brake lights work fine. All the fuses appear to be good so I suspect a relay but am lost here. Any help woudl be appreciated! Thanks![COLOR=red]

i am having the exact same problem in my '93 le sabre. i have spent around $150.00 in diagnostics - i was told that there was a power module in the dash with power in but no power out. part is $250.00 and another $400.00 for labor, with no guarantee that that would solve the problem! some one else checked the tail lights only - every time he replaced a bulb or fuse it would blow. i am wondering if there is a problem in the head light switch? i hope someone sees this and responds with a cheap easy anwer - or is there a way to bypass the original wiring to the tail and dash lights and jerry rig a different switch?

I will attempt to help you. Keep in mind that if you test the wiring to the tail lights to ground, they will show as being grounded because in effect they are because one side of the wiring from the light bulb goes to ground, while the other goes to power.

Anyhow, your problem is likely not your headlight switch (but it might be as I don't know yet EXACTLY how the TAIL lights get their power). I'm not certain whether your headlight switch sends a separate signal for headlights and taillights. Here is how your system works as far as head and park lights (those I am certain about):

When you depress the headlight switch, the switch connects ground to a light blue wire, which goes to the Light Control Module (the connector the wire connects to is called "C2" (it is the small black connector) and the spot the light blue wire connects is "A5" (the connector is marked A and B so you can figure it out--the fifth wire down on the A side is your wire--and it's the only light blue one)). When the LCM gets the signal that the light blue wire is now connected to ground, the LCM knows to give you your headlights, so it sends 12V to the yellow wire on the other LCM connector. [The other connector is called "C1" and is easy to spot since it is the only other connector hooked up to the LCM, and because your have to use a 7mm socket or wrench to disconnect it from the LCM.] So, anyhow, get at the LCM and pull it down and then disconnect the two connectors to it. The LCM is the plastic box directly above the fuse box on the same plastic bracket that holds the fuse box--it slides up and then toward the front of the car (away from you). It is about 1 1/2 inches tall, maybe four inches wide and 5-6 inches long. It is either black or brown. Now, with the two connectors disconnected, hook up a multimeter between ground and connector A5 (light blue wire) on the now disconnected C2 connector of the LCM using the resistance setting (any range will do). To test whether your headlight switch is okay, check your multimeter while the headlight switch is turned ON. Your meter should show 0 ohms resistance, or continuity to ground. Turn the switch OFF, now the meter should show infinite resistance to ground, or no continuity to ground. If that checks out okay, move on the following check of the wiring from your LCM to your taillights and headlights. Now, take a jumper wire with alligator clips on it and connect one side to a known 12V source (I think the red wire on connector C1 has 12V at all times, but if not, then check all the wires in your fuse box with a multimeter set to volts and the negative tester wire touching ground and find a hot wire with 12V). Clip the other end to the yellow wire on the C1 connector that was connected to the LCM with a 7mm bolt. When you do this your headlights should immediately come on. This yellow wire goes to your low beam/high beam switch, and then directly to the headlights. If the yellow has 12V, your headlights will too and light up (unless you have a wiring problem). Similarly, your park lights light up if the brown wire on the C1 connector has 12V applied to it. Try the same test as above except with the brown wire and check proper functioning of the park lights. I am not certain at this moment whether your tail lights light up when the head and park lights light up in the above tests. If you do the tests, post the answer!

As mentioned, the preceding will check your headlight and park lights, but I'm not certain about what specifically powers your taillights! I did not write that part down when I was troubleshooting my own system. Therefore if the proceeding was a waste of time, I am sorry. I will look into it further and post again tomorrow.

is the light control module in the dash - as i described in my previous post? and if so is $650.00 a reasonable price to fix it? i sure appreciate your help - and i will pass on the info you gave to my mechanic, that is after i find out that we are talking about the same thing and if he is asking a reasonable price.

The tail and dash lights in my '92 went out several years ago. It ended up being a short where the tail light wiring was pinched between the tail light assembly and the trunk lid. Of course I spent a few days beating my head against the wall, tearing apart the dash before I went for the simple solution.

One more thing, I don't remember what the chime was doing during this incident, but I do know the chimes and the heat/AC controls get a little flaky when you start blowing fuses.

Good luck.

Yes, in my previous post I describe exactly where the LCM is. It is directly above the fuse box. You can see it if you look above the fuse box. $650 may be the price a mechanic would charge, but it is excessive in my book. Why? Well, it is a part that with some doing you can change yourself. It is not THAT hard. You don't need to disassemble the dash. You simply need to push the LCM up, then outward. You may need to do some aggresive wiggling as you do so, but it can be done. Second, the part new from the dealer is $177, so $650 reflects a huge labor cost which I think is largely unnecessary. Also, a salvage yard will have one much cheaper (I paid $50).

Check for obvious fixes like the previous poster said. Pinches of wire in the trunk area seems like a likely cause.

I broke down and took my car to the buick dealership - there was a wiring problem - not the light control module - they only charged me $180.00 total - i couldn't have done the job in the time that they did it or at that price! just thought i would pass on the info