This is question with the '84 GSL-SE.

If I turn on the headlight the motors don't pop them up. But if I use the pop up switch they work. Than if the headlights are on they will stay up even if I turn the pop up switch back off untill I turn the headlights off than they retract.

What could be wrong with it?

 

electrical gremlin? lol

 

I just don't understand why they would go up and down with the switch on the dash but not go up with the headlight switch.

 

id start with some aerosol electrical cleaner and spray the crap out of the switch on the steering column and the connectors in and around the motors

 

Dash "Up" switch and lights switch on the column use two different power sources, & the dash switch overrides the column switch. In normal operation, if the dash switch is set to "up," the lights will be up regardless of the column light switch position.

Your problem's in the combo switch or it's supply/wiring. Your best bet is to clean the contacts on the column switch, and download the wiring diagram in case that doesn't fix it.

 

aaaaa good to know, the car did sit for quite a few years.

 

This is good for cleaning switch contacts:

http://www.eastwood.com/fiberglass-rust-brush.html

 

there is probably a holding circuit that once is energized it will hold the circuit closed until power is cut from both switches... how it gets energized has no effect on it staying energized. but i would have to say devinedriver is correct.. probably your combo switch or wiring to it.

 

The light motors actually pull no power when they are up; the motors switch off and await a power feed from another wire to go back down. No "holding circuit" involved. They are "power up, power down."

Done that way probably so that electrical failures in the motors can still be manually overridden to leave the lights up... they can be cranked up by hand using a **** under the rubber cover on top the motor.

 

So it is getting power down but not power up with the light switch?

 

I was looking through the wiring diagram. It looks like the problem would be in the combination switch like DrivenDriver says or it is associated with the red wire coming out of the combination switch and conecting with the red wire coming out of the closer switch.

 

It did turn out to be the switch contacts. I was able to turn the lights on and off a bunch and the started to work. Thanks everyone.

 

Bingo! it would be the swith inside the counsel

 

Nice thats good info to know! Thanks If i ever have that issue ill know where to start looking.