[quote]Originally posted by SAINT WS6:
<strong>Now I know why they only give 3 year warranties!! Argh! Anyway, here's my problem. I've been painting some of my interior pieces and I just recently finished the door pieces. Well, after I removed my right side door piece, my headlights have started doing something really weird. When the car door is open, i can lock and unlock it without a problem. However, if I lock the car, then shut the door, the headlights pop up, then prompty close, and then I can hear a grinding from the left one as if it's still trying to close it after it's down. After a few seconds, the motor stops and the lights stay down. Now if the door is locked and closed, and I unlock it with my key fob, it does the same up/down/grind/stop procedure. Also, if I use the lights, then close them with the light switch, it grinds after it closes, then stops. Any ideas on what I've done?? And should I just take it to the dealer? I just don't want to pay $10000 on parts that don't need to be replaced. <img src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" border="0"> </strong><hr></blockquote>

Sounds like you stripped a gear in the motor...
Been there..done that...
With any kinna 'entry system' like an alarm, they will pop up and down when you least expect it..
This all happened on my 'ol 95...

There is a trick to fixing it without having to replace the whole motor.

It involves unbolting the arm that attaches to the motor, turning ing 180 degree's and reconnecting.
What this does is use the other side of the gear thats not chewed up.
I did this on the 95..it was easy enough to do.
No need to pull the light or anything. Just manually jack it up, and wiggle your way in there and do it.
(there is a web page that explains this..but I'm at work and dont have time to hunt for it)

On the 98, the gear gave out a few months ago.
I looked at it, but the setup was different, I couldnt see how to get in there and do the same thing. But I had it fixed under warranty anyway (5 year 50k contract).

Again, there is a site that explains this for pre-98 cars. I imagine the concept is the same for 98+ but just harder to get at...

Good luck!

If your able to do the gear trick with it, We'd be curious as to how much more difficult it is with the 98+ cars...

 

I just got home from work..
Poked around...

Here ya go!
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/
Check this link..

Again, I was goinging to do this on my 98 but had it fixed under warranty...

Its seems a bit of a different setup..
Granted, I spent a whole 30 seconds looking at it, but it looked different... <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">
If you do this, report back and let us know how it went...

[ February 15, 2002: Message edited by: DóòD ]</p>

 

Now I know why they only give 3 year warranties!! Argh! Anyway, here's my problem. I've been painting some of my interior pieces and I just recently finished the door pieces. Well, after I removed my right side door piece, my headlights have started doing something really weird. When the car door is open, i can lock and unlock it without a problem. However, if I lock the car, then shut the door, the headlights pop up, then prompty close, and then I can hear a grinding from the left one as if it's still trying to close it after it's down. After a few seconds, the motor stops and the lights stay down. Now if the door is locked and closed, and I unlock it with my key fob, it does the same up/down/grind/stop procedure. Also, if I use the lights, then close them with the light switch, it grinds after it closes, then stops. Any ideas on what I've done?? And should I just take it to the dealer? I just don't want to pay $10000 on parts that don't need to be replaced. <img src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" border="0">

 

Did this work for you?

I'm having the same issue too.

 

I said F it, I'll try it anyway.

It worked!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

Sweet. <img border="0" alt="[Firebird]" title="" src="graemlins/formula.gif" />

 

Yeah, it worked. BUT.... a few weeks later the motor decided it wanted to strip the other side of the gear too, so I had to take her in and get the motor replaced. Hopefully this wont happen to you.

 

I just found this post using the search. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> I wired up my Harlan window switch and a bottle heater last night and my headlights started doing EXACTLY what SAINT WS6 wrote. Coincedence? I have no clue but I did not tap into any wiring other than the tach line from the PCM and a switched +12V wire from the radio. If it is a stripped gear in the headlight motor, how can it still pop up and down when I lock/unlock the doors with the remote? Anyone with any info, please advise! Thanks

 

The reason it does this is that there is a sensor that detects the position of the internal cog. If the section of the cog the sensor reads at the end of the "down sequence" is stripped, the sensor will never report that the headlight is down, and will continue to try and close the headlight. Click the link up above for the fix, it worked for me. It ended up having nothing to do with me messing with some wiring.

 

Thanks Saint, I guess that means I didn't screw up the electrical system after all. Damn, this thread is almost a year old. Heh.

 

Yeah, I hate those stupid headlight motors. I had to replace both of them about a month apart from each other. The motors are about 100 bucks a pop. Those things are just ticking time bombs. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" /> Next time they go out i'm getting the metal gears. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

 

You can buy brass gears for the motors for $70 a pair. I posted about it a few days ago, just scroll down the posts and you will see the site you can order them from.