wssix99

iTrader: (5)

^ That was a rivet. You'll need to buy a new door or improvise with another type of connector.

EODguyJake

So I swapped the headlight gears as one of my motors were grinding. I go out and hook power back in to the car today and the side that was grinding is only closing about halfway, and doing the opposite of the passenger side.

When I turn the lights on, the passenger side comes up as normal, and the drives side tries to close, but only goes about half way. When I shut them off, the drivers side comes back up, and passenger side closes.

I've tried lowering the driver's side manually, but it stops at the same down position as when I cycle the lights. I replaced both sides, but the drivers side was the one with the issue.

I tried to search this, but I guess I couldn't find the search right words to bring up the problem.

Kevin Lee 487

iTrader: (1)

Mine was doing the same thing when I replaced the passenger side headlight motor. Turn the lights on, disconnect the battery, open the "closed" one manually by rotating the top of the motor and make sure the rotating arms on the motor match the position on the correctly functioning one.

Then re-connect the battery and shut them off and on a couple of times. The entire process MIGHT take a couple of tries. IIRC, I had to do it once or twice to get them to match up.

EODguyJake

Thanks. I'll go give that a shot.

EODguyJake

Well...when hooking the battery back up, the car decided to lock itself. With the keys inside. And the windows rolled up. I only have one set of keys. What the actual ****?

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

I thought this happens when you put the arm back on the motor wrong.

EODguyJake

They look to be in the same position, or at least they would be if the drivers side would open/close all the way. It doesn't fully open either, like it's range of motion has been cut so it doesn't go all the way up or down...and it does the opposite of the passenger side.

I'm still trying to open the damn thing up.

EODguyJake

This was the fix, once I got back in to the car. I had to use an allen key that did NOT have a rounded tip to be able to manually crank the headlight all the way up. The rounded tip was encountering too much resistance and slipping. Once I got the headlight all the way up, disconnected and reconnected the battery, everything worked.

Lesson learned, roll a window down when messing with the battery. Good god. Believe it or not, rattling the battery terminal around the post eventually popped the hatch and unlocked the doors.

Kevin Lee 487

iTrader: (1)

So you're all good then?

EODguyJake

Yup. Everything is 100%. Thanks again.

bgw70

iTrader: (1)

Are you sure? Did you order that spare key and fob? ;-)

Guitar

iTrader: (9)

Mine started doing this. I'll try that fix, thanks Kevin.
Goddamn I hate flip up lights. They annoy me so damn much I've considered going to those ugly *** static lights.

CopMagnet

Yup, I hate these lights. Hawks 3rd gen makes a nice gear set with a re-enforcing t-bar pair that I replaced mine with. Those t-bars keep the gear from wobbling and wearing on the worm drive. Yes, it's important to match the rotation arms or your car will always be winking at ya. Also, replace the long motor mount bolts on the correct side or the rotation arm will catch on the longer side of the bolt.

Guitar

iTrader: (9)

I got them to go normally. Turned them up, disconnected the battery. I think the driver's side got off rotation somehow. Fixed them up, seem to be fine now. Gotta realign the damn things, another thing I hate about them.

FU_I_AM_UltraZ

iTrader: (20)

Odd headlight issue? Maybe stripped gear? Here's whats happening...
Pass side light is giving me issues. Connectors/pigtail is not corroded to the module. Lights still turn on even when assembly doesn't flip up.
I CANNOT MANUALLY CRANK LIGHT UP!
When I turn it to pop it up manually, it makes a clunk like something inside is binding and now back on track. Then I will turn lights on and it will pop up by the light switch for a few times needed for night(which I just try to use it for the day at this point).
The motor does NOT make any sound and acts like its just not getting power. Not humming or clicking.. nothing at all. Then I un-clunk it manually works fine. SO WTF??? Need new gears?
Thanks in advance

Guitar

iTrader: (9)

Ugh, thank ****, finally got my passenger side headlight nearly perfect. Turns out (likely when removing the first motors) I bent the motor arm and it was going past the piece that stops it. I figured that was bent, not the motor. Anyways took the light off and bent it back, closes and doesn't go too far this time so stays in the right position. I even got the light almost aligned perfectly. The driver's side now looks off but don't have the patience to screw with it today.

Kevin Lee 487

iTrader: (1)

^^ Thats another common issue as I've come to find out. The arms like to go past the rubber stopping points if the rubber nipple on them is damaged or missing.

FU_I_AM_UltraZ

iTrader: (20)

Odd headlight issue? Maybe stripped gear? Here's whats happening...
Pass side light is giving me issues. Connectors/pigtail is not corroded to the module. Lights still turn on even when assembly doesn't flip up.
I CANNOT MANUALLY CRANK LIGHT UP!
When I turn it to pop it up manually, it makes a clunk like something inside is binding and now back on track. Then I will turn lights on and it will pop up by the light switch for a few times needed for night(which I just try to use it for the day at this point).
The motor does NOT make any sound and acts like its just not getting power. Not humming or clicking.. nothing at all. Then I un-clunk it manually works fine. SO WTF??? Need new gears?
Thanks in advance

FU_I_AM_UltraZ

iTrader: (20)

Ok guess the gear is stripped. I just went to adjust the stoppers, now the motor makes the clicking noise of the stripped gear sound. Ordering aluminum gear. x-ing fingers thats all it is.

MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

Seems most of the time its the connector you can get a new one from Gm . Cleaning the connectors with various electrical contact cleaners seemed to only work so so on my car permanent fix was to replace the connector.

If not connector really its not that hard or expensive to replace the motors. And guess guy could put in the better gears. I have actually not had a gear go and have several of these cars 96 Ta, 97 ta, 99ta and 2002 ta .Wonder if a lot of these are damaged by trying to open them when they are frozen with freezing rain or have heavy snow on top of them. I don't winter drive my cars so that might be reason they are not stripping out the gears very often.
I also have had a headlight stopper bolt break on one of my cars and it scratched up the front bumper cover pretty good. I used a different stopper bolt setup as gm discontinued the stopper bolts it seems but think you can still find some stock here and there.

That corroded connector problem on my drivers side did drive me nuts. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. sometimes the light would not go up or down and sometimes the light would not come on.

Expect the passenger side to go sooner or later maybe sooner but at least this time just change out the connector. Should maybe buy a few of them while they are still available don't have part number handy right now or could post it for you guys. And maybe other aftermarket companies offer it as well. Also just had to replace a driving light socket and man gm wanted like 100 bucks for that socket /pigtail. Found it at another discount place and guy gave me it for 60 bucks. Gm part.