I just picked up my '99 Sunfire and have a few problems I'd like to work out. Before I take it to the shop, I'd like to get an idea of what needs done and if it would be something that I could do myself.

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Headlights

Essentially, the headlights don't work. The brights will work if I pull the lever back, but I was told that they may require some time to warm up. I can't confirm that right now since I just picked up the car a few hours ago. I did a quick search of the forums and there was one post about something similar to what I'm going through. The replies said that the switch was gone and needed to be replaced. Does that sound like it could be my problem and how much would that typically cost?


Turn Signals

My turn signals work from the back, but the front turn signals don't work. I would have guessed that the bulbs went out, but I can't imagine them both going out at around the same time. Otherwise, could it be a fuse or something? Again, would it be an easy repair to do on my own and how much would parts cost?


Doors

Neither of the back doors open. I can't open them from either side. I can't imagine a way to fix it myself so I'll probably either take it to the shop or have my friend take a look at it. If there is an easy way to open up the door panel and take a look, I wouldn't mind checking it out. I'm not counting on that, though.


Trunk

The trunk won't close so it is tied down from the inside right now. A friend of my sister told me that it wasn't hard to fix and that it was just a switch or something that got messed up. I haven't untied the trunk to look at it. I wanted to get a basic idea of what to look for. I want one of the doors and the trunk fixed before Friday because I'm taking my car to get my sub and amp installed (assuming everything arrives before then).


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That about sums everything up. Aside from the turn signals and headlights, I could live with most of the problems. I'm not experienced with car stuff and don't know a whole lot, so I appreciate all of the help.

headlights - if both your high beams work and the drls work then i would assume its your headlight switch. i just replaced mine and it was like 45 bucks from autozone. make sure you get the right one for your car. check to see if you have cruise control or not. its a simple install. takes about 5 mins.

turn signals - bulbs are cheap like 2 bucks a piece. id start there and just replace them anyway.

doors - do they not open from the inside either?

trunk - open your trunk and slowly close the lid. get down by the latch and take a look to see if its hitting the latch when closing. if not, its simple to move the latch on the lid.

Thanks for the tips. I ordered the switch with cruise control last night and will install it when it arrives. I have to work tonight but after that I'll take a look at the trunk.

As for the doors, that is true. I can't open them from either side. My friend's dad is a good with car repair stuff so I'm going to ask him what he thinks.

As for the turn signal lights, I'll look for those and try switching them myself. I don't suppose it could hurt too bad to switch them and see what happens.


Another problem I've come across is that the rear license plate light doesn't work. I was told that when it went out, they had it checked and the mechanic said that the bulb wasn't getting any power. Could that be related to the switch or am I going to have to get some new wiring put in?

the license plate light would be easy enough, you could just wire up an LED strip above it facing down and power it... that would be in the case you just needed it to work... im sure that it is wired with the headlights though, try turning on your headlights and see if the plate lights light up. if not, check the wire and replace if ya need to. the led was a thought i had for mine, thats just because im tired of getting pulled over for the light burning out and getting a fix it ticket.

i think they are just feeding you bs. get a new bulb and go from there. bulbs are so cheap.