Chevy Tracker Lights and Headlights

gomezy3k

1998 Chevy Tracker 4WD 2 Door Soft top

I was driving down the freeway and a car just in front of me had a tire blow. It pulled over to side and I kept going. Later I saw a wheel weight sticking out of what was left of the glass in my passenger side headlight.

I found a headlight assembly and bought it but need to get info on what I need to do to change the whole assembly.

Do I take the whole front grill off? and what else do I need to change and then I presume I need to have the headlight aimed... This seems to be a major production LOL...

I looked in a cheap "how to" manual but it doesn't have much on body work...

Any online suggestions or how to suggestions.

And I love my Tracker...wish they still made them...

szushin

I have an 01 Tracker, installed an aftermarket radio and now no dash, heater, or shifter lights work. All the idiot lights and guages work, just no dash lights. There were a couple of wires leftover that had nowhere to plug into the aftermarket radio (both are hot). Is this the problem? or did I fry something? The fuses seem to check out.

Any Ideas?

aaronlane

We have a 2002 Tracker and the same thing is happening now. The interior and exterior (including headlights) are dimming and going back to normal for a while (30 seconds or so) then it goes back to normal for a while... then it starts blinking again for a while, etc.

The check engine light is also on. Having had the code checked at my local shop, they said it was the front O2 sensor, but they have no idea how that could cause any blinking...

I removed the ground wire up against the chassis and brushed it well, tested the battery to no avail.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

marlboro3333

2000 chevy tracker,my head an dash lights flicker while driving,at idle everything is fine.i had the battery an alternator checked both are ok.what could be causing this?

trackerenvy

I was just wondering if anyone ever helped you guys with this because I also have been having this problem. Had the Alternator and Battery tested both checked ok.

trackerenvy

I got this from an electric forum pro:

It sounds to me like the voltage regulator in your alternator is spikeing. A normal alternator test may not show this. The easiest way to find out is to connect a cheap "analog" voltage
gauge to the output terminal of the alternator and extend it into the vehicle so you can watch it while driving. The wire from the alternator to the plus side of gauge. The negative side to ground. You can't use a digital gauge or meter because they won't show a "pulse" Where an analog gauge with the needle will. If the lights spike with the gauge needle, it's the regulator for your alternator.

Twigg

I just installed an aftermarket radio in my daughter's '99 Tracker, and some of the dash lights and the shifter light no longer work. Does this vehicle somehow route the dash light circuitry through the radio? Is there an easy fix? Did you ever get yours working (Szushin)?

bill_colwell

My 2001 Tracker had the same issue. I passed along the recommendation to my mechanic to use an analog voltage meter and look for a "pulse" when the blinking begins. My mechanic was able to catch the steady light go into blinking mode and see the meter's needle start to pulse. It was the regulator that was bad and warranted a alternator/regulator replacement. This so far has resolved the problem in my Tracker.

This problem is a tough one to resolve. Initially the alternator tested fine (as others had reported in this forum and other Tracker forums). The bad alternator/regulator caused other problems to materialized that the auto's computer was trying to compensate for. Once the new alternator/regulator was installed the blinking/flicker lights stopped and other problems disappeared. My other recommendation is to buy a new alternator rather than a rebuilt. The cost for the part was only $30 more than the rebuilt and I believe will make a difference in the long run.

palko

My 2004 chevy tracker has started to experience the same problems you describe. I put a digital and a multimeter on the battery while starting up cold and the headlights and dash lights and dome light started flickering until the vehicle came off fast idle. At idle these conditions didn't exist. As i wenr sown the road the flickering started again. It's not much flickering but it's there. Acceleration is fine. The digital meter shoed at no load 15.5-15.7 volts. With all the loads on the meter never went below 13.0 volts. To me the alternator and regulator are working. I even ran a test light from the alternator output to ground and it flicked as i rev'd the engine up in speed. Does this mean my regulator is going bad? My price for a rebuild is $165 plus tax. A new one is $471. (Pittsburgh,pa) I'd appreciate some guidance. Thanks..palko

palko

This is a follow up reply to my oct. 14 message. I had installed a test light from the alternator output to ground. When I reved the engine , the test light began to flash. There was no doubt the alternator was causing the blinking lights. i replaced with a rebuilt alternator and the problem is solved. No more blinking headlights or dash lights.

bill_colwell

Palko,

Good to hear that it was the alternator/regulator combo that was causing the problem.

My decision to go with a new alternator verses a rebuilt was that in another posting in this forum on the same problem had issues with rebuilt alternators going bad in short notice (I hope you have better luck with your rebuilt alternator).

reb1844

gmc 2007 work truck 1500,
changing the low beam headlight, i started this job thinking what a nothing chore,
wrong i had to remove several components from the engine compartment, i had to wedge a block of wood between the washer fluid tank to allow access to the light bulb.
this may work for others, grab the light bulb insert with a pair of pliers and twist counter clockwise. it needs about 1/4 turn. the wiring harness may have to be stretched.
good luck. changing a sealed beam use to be a nothing job. listen up automakers

papa_george

'99 Yukon- headlights have poor focus and do not light road well. Front end wreck a few years ago. Replaced lens assmby with GMC but no improvement.

They take halogen bulbs and I am considering replacing them with old style glass sealed beams. Anyone have this problem or find a fix?

Papa George

vanner1

I want to ditch the daytime running lights and auto-on lights on my 2000 Tracker. Anyone know if t's possible, and how? I just want to turn on the lights all by myself when I need them, and I don't want DRL. That simple.

vanner1

Facing the blinking lights issue at 133K miles, as have others, I took my 2000 Tracker to our city's most respected auto electric specialist. Of course they couldn't find any problem and even test drove it ten minutes on city streets! Digital meter showed them nothing. In short, they didn't listen, and they're the best in town. One day wasted.

So I told them to replace the alternator/regulator (original, I have to add) anyway and in a Midwest metro area of 1.2M people, there isn't a new one or rebuilt one to be found! Not even looking under Vitara, and not at Chevy or Suzuki dealers. (I checked and found the same, although I could order rebuilt ones from a couple of chain parts stores with 2-3 day delivery IF this snowstorm hadn't crippled the East!) Since this shop rebuilds "in house" as a specialty, I let them do that. Took two more days to get the stator and regulator they needed! Okay - three full days out! (I will say they are nice folks and this job cost me less than the price of a chain-supplied rebuilt alternator! All their work is warranted two years.)

Got it back yesterday and haven't had a chance to get out on the highway the required 10 minutes to get it to act up. Today, maybe, once the roads are cleared of ice.

I DID find out the DRLs can be disabled by removing the DRL Relay and bending over one tab then putting the relay back in. I will not discuss which tab. I think you'd better know what you're doing and better have a spare relay on hand in case you make a wrong move and also break that tab. (I have a spare and intend to try it today.) There is information elsewhere on the Net. Maybe one reliable post.

The auto-on lights "can" be disabled at the photo-sensor on the dash, but this requires some knowledge and some electrical skill, so I won't go very far into that either other than to explain you have to remove a couple of wires at the cell and insert a rather large in-line resistor of a certain size, between the two wires, and put the whole mess back inside the dash. I imagine it would pay well to test it first. Then you should secure those wires somehow up where you can get to them later. Again, a lot of searching on the Net will get you two mentions, one of which is not correct. Resistor comes from Radio Shack and you'll want a couple of cheap connectors so the change isn't permanent.

I'll report back later.

At 133K miles, this being one of the very best vehicles I've ever owned, and easily my favorite out of dozens, it's plenty worth a few repairs, to me. (We have a 2007 Kia Rondo right now that is quickly edging the Tracker as the best and my favorite!)

vlipke

I have the same problem, just installed a cd player, and now I have no dash lights. There is as far as I can tell, only one fuse for this, and it is also the fuse for the side marker lights, so I dont believe its a fuse problem, as the side markers still work. There is voltage going to both illumination and dimmer wires that comes out with the radio wiring harness, I cut and capped both of these wires and am not using them with the radio install, I never do when I install a radio to be honest, feel no reason to dim dash lights to begin with. Anyways did you guys solve the problem with yours?

twiggrav

No, I never did, I suspect they did some funny business wiring through the factory radio to discourage aftermarket additions. I even asked some people at Crutchfield, and they had no solutions.

sbrudzsmith

The lights on the dash, headlights, and even the lamp inside flickers when your accelerating.
This is caused by an EGR Valve vacuum leak. I think it cost me about $300-$500 to fix.

jdungy

Hey Vanner1
I had the problem with my lights blinking. I think I finally found out the tension idler was not holding the belt tension tight, and it lets the belt slip.
When the alternator is pulling hard, the belt slips and re-catches. I have changed my tensioner and it seems to have cured the problem
Hope this works for you
Jesse

saddledust

Summer 2011 I took my 2001 ZR2 2dr conv tracker (153K miles) into have the AC checked as it occasionally ran cold. He checked it and said the levels were fine, but thought it was strange a fuse was missing from beneath the hood (beats me). So he replaced the fuse did maintenance on AC and all was well...for 2 days! (I live 75 miles from the AC place). So, I needed my smog certificate so I took it into the fellow who normally does the smog check. I explained the AC.

I returned for the Tracker and he said the AC looks fine, I replaced the serp belt, sparkplugs, and smog. Everything is good. Okay.

I received no satisfaction regarding the AC issue with him either, so I took it back to the original AC place. He did some more checking and found that the previous owner had installed an alarm system (which was removed when I purchased it) and said that there was a bare wire, so he capped/taped it. He says strangly the AC compressor was surging 20 seconds on then 20 off, and so on as it cycled. He told me not to run the AC as it was damaging the new serp belt, and not to run defrost as it cycles through the AC compressor. Now, driving the 75 miles home, the 4 wheel driver dash light flickered off and on when I turned on the fan---whether using the defrost or AC. It flickers. Turn off the fan...no flicker. Now What?

I take it back to the AC fellow and have the compressor replaced. I could survive the 110 degree heat in his town, but not being able to use the defrost come this winter would we disaster. I live in the mountains/snow. So, I was happy! But, the light still flickered! And the AC still surged! I took it back and he said he couldn't figure out why the flickering, but removed all the wiring harness from the previous alarm install. Still a flicker, still a surge. Some days no surge...some a lot. You can hear it click on and off, especially if standing outside of the Tracker.

AC fellow researched on line to no real help. Said possibly the $500 AC 'board' 'brain' may need replacing, but wasn't sure. So maybe?

Anyone with any idea? Anyone with a wiring scmatic to the 4wd light and fan switch? Or where to find it?

There you have it. I love this little ride, but ready to rid myself of it. 2 transmissions in last 4 years, acuator pump, rear seal, this ac.... nickel and dimes keep falling. Almost out.

comacazi

This also happened to me when a friend installed a stereo on my 1991 suzuki sidekick. No dash lights!!!! Did anyone figure out how to get the lights to work again? If so please let me know how to do this. Thanks it would be much appreciated

pkripper

need info on removing dash on a 2000 tracker-like what tools are needed,and are there any clips you have to watch out for so not to break them off?

blacktrac

would anyone know if the alternator was good but the regulator was bad if it would hurt the tracker if I did not replace it? The lights are pulsating and owners of trackers on this forum say it's a bad regulator. I just don't have the cash right now.