'04 L300 DIMMING HEADLIGHTS and dash lights!

RebelGal · 05-26-2004, 05:59 AM

[b]Recently purchased our 3rd (technically our 4th) Saturn. Had previously owned a '97 SL1 and an '01 SL2.
Took the car into the service dept and was told it was a "NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC".

While driving at night the headlights and dash lights got dim to the point we thought we were going to completely break down in the middle of the interstate.

Took the car into the service dept at the dealerhip. We were told there was a bulletin (found out what a TSB was...technical service bulletin...that the technicians have access to.....secret warranty!) on the problem and it wasnt considered anything but normal.

How can the headlights dimming be normal? They keep referring to it as an "intermittent flickering". Think of your intermittent wipers....The headlights and dashlights seem to have a mind of their own.
The other drivers on the road think I am blinking/signaling them about something. What happens when it is a tractor trailer that thinks Im giving him the go ahead to come over into my lane?! The new Saturn commercial where all the safety vehicles are folling them around??? Thats because someone is going to need them when the lights "flicker" and they get into an accident.
And its been going on since the L series was introduced??? I think its way past time that the problem should have been fixed. Or are they waiting for someone to get into an accident and get serioulsly injured or killed??

Whelan · 05-26-2004, 06:21 AM

I know on most cars when you apply the brakes and such the lights tend to dim a slight bit. But doing so at the rate you are talking about seems very odd. I would personally try to upgrade the battery to something more high end. It worked for my dimming issue on my 94 SL1

afsaturn1 · 05-26-2004, 06:36 AM

Yeah my lights tend to dim when I apply the brakes, it's really weird.

ke6960 · 05-26-2004, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whelan

I know on most cars when you apply the brakes and such the lights tend to dim a slight bit. But doing so at the rate you are talking about seems very odd. I would personally try to upgrade the battery to something more high end. It worked for my dimming issue on my 94 SL1

either that or ur alt or all the ground wires in the engine bay cant hurt either (and the wires kant cost all that much)

Robert-sl2 · 05-27-2004, 05:36 AM

I have heard of several other cases of this too. I do believe one person was pursuing legal action. I dont know if they ever fixed it on their own or even foudn out specifically what the problem was.

Robert

cgeaghan · 05-27-2004, 02:19 PM

Hi Guys,
I had an L200 with this same problem. I had to get rid of the car because the headlights would dim to the point that you couldn't see. Saturn told me that this was "normal". I fought with them for months, I even tried arbitration with the BBB and Saturn. Unfortunately, when the BBB sent someone to evaluate the car, it was in the day time, and they couldn't see the problem. I ended up dropping the case and trading the car for an ion.

Vendetta · 05-30-2004, 05:25 AM

hey, i purchased my saturn last july and had this issue for some three months (all the time going back to the dealership and gripe'n) and in the end it turned out that the contacts to the battery and one of the battery posts were loose! OMG i wanted to kill them all! cant hurt to check it out!

**Ssicarman** · 05-30-2004, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RebelGal

[b]Took the car into the service dept at the dealerhip. We were told there was a bulletin (found out what a TSB was...technical service bulletin...that the technicians have access to.....secret warranty!) on the problem and it wasnt considered anything but normal.

It is not a secret warrenty!!!
If you are in the warrenty period of your car the warrenty pays for the repair. No warrenty you pay.
TSBS are availible from many sources and they are problem solutions for things that come up in different car lines with some regularity.
You want to see TSB's check here.

http://www.nhtsa.com/

saturnsubohio · 05-31-2004, 09:08 PM

i've got the same problem on a 98SC2...cept it happens usually with the DRL's instead of the Headlights

i've got a brand new alternator and new battery.and it still dims every once in a while for no reason but also dims ALOT every time i hit the brakes