Italiankid77

iTrader: (17)

I have a qustion my passenger head light wont come up,and it also makes a like a grinding noise do I need a new head light motor??

Mtown

Yes you do. They are kinda pricey for something so small.

Duffster

iTrader: (103)

I don't have a bird or T/A, but don't they have issues w/gears (plastic) stripping out? Sounds cheaper than a motor. . .

Gordon0652

iTrader: (4)

Someone will chime in and tell where you can buy some metal gears to replace the factory ones. Damn i wish i knew the site.
Goodluck

TheGr8Schlotzky

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like the gears.

here is one place to get some nicer gears.

http://my.execpc.com/C4/4A/rodney1/firebird/

jRaskell

iTrader: (1)

I had a similar problem a few months ago with my driver side headlight motor. It was opening, but grinding when it closed. Bought the kit from Rodney in the link above. When I pulled out the original plastic gear, it was stripped in one section (that prevented it from locking the headlight completely closed). The motor doesn't use any sort of physical limit switches for open and closed position. It monitors current flow to the motor. When the motor loads up from no longer moving, the current spikes and the motor is shut off. The grinding sound is the motor grinding away at the stripped portion of the gear until some built in time limit passes (current never spikes because the motor never gets loaded).

Replacing the gear itself is pretty easy. Instructions are very good. Just don't do like me, and try to take the motor assemply out without taking out the headlight assembly. It's much quicker to just remove the headlight assembly, then the motor assembly.

I bought two kits myself, one for the passenger side as well, but I haven't actually replaced the passenger side. Just want it in the cabinet for when the passenger side does fail.

VIP1

Sticky:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-firebird-1967-2002/177470-firebird-headlights-all-comments-questions-regarding-headlights-go-here.html

Undertow74

iTrader: (45)

yea i would say the gears before the motor.....esp if you can hear it grinding, that means the motor is atleast getting power and working. If you search for F-body replacement headlight gears im sure you will find some good metal aftermarket ones...

Italiankid77

iTrader: (17)

Thanks guys.