#@$%& Headlight!!!
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
From: Victoria - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
#@$%& Headlight!!! My driver's side headlight won't pop up anymore, just started all of a sudden. The motor is spinning, but nothing happens. Cant manually lift it either. HELP! What should I start checking?
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 267
Likes: 1
From: Fishers, IN
Does the manual turn **** turn at all? Or is it turning and nothing's happening? Do you hear a grinding noise when you try to pop up the headlights? In most, if not all, cases the headlight motor gear is stripping (it's nylon) and not raising the headlight anymore.
You can fix this in a few ways....
1) you can just buy a brand new motor and replace it.
2) you can take it apart and rotate the gear inside (as the motor only uses half of the gear to raise and lower the headlight)
3) you can get a metal gear and replace it, which would eliminate the problem all together (which is what I did)
It's hard to tell what exactly is happening, but it could be the gear inside that is stripped, or even the arm that attaches from the motor to the headlight is stuck or something. Since you can hear the motor turning, it's mostly likely the gear that is your culprit.
You can fix this in a few ways....
1) you can just buy a brand new motor and replace it.
2) you can take it apart and rotate the gear inside (as the motor only uses half of the gear to raise and lower the headlight)
3) you can get a metal gear and replace it, which would eliminate the problem all together (which is what I did)
It's hard to tell what exactly is happening, but it could be the gear inside that is stripped, or even the arm that attaches from the motor to the headlight is stuck or something. Since you can hear the motor turning, it's mostly likely the gear that is your culprit.
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
From: Victoria - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
I took the cover off of the ****, and the thing is definately spinning, but nothing happens. Lots of noise, no go! Tried spinning it manually, still nothing. Tried to PULL the headlight up (use to work on my fiero) and its STUCK. Will NOT move, at all!
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 267
Likes: 1
From: Fishers, IN
Hmm....well if you can clearly see the motor spinning and you can hear the grinding noise, then you are definitely experiencing a grinding gear. It's basically grinding away at the nylon gear inside and that's what the noise is you hear.
I would suggest you take the motor off and make sure that 1) the arm connecting you headlight to the motor moves freely 2) you can remove the motor and play with it, see if the shaft spins when you turn the manual ****.
If you experience play in the shaft (insert joke here) while turning the ****, then the gear is not making full contact with the spiral gear inside and it is stripped. Again, you can fix this by replacing the motor, taking the motor apart and turning the nylon gear 180 degrees around (temp fix) or buying a metal gear from the BFranker.
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/index.htm
I would suggest you take the motor off and make sure that 1) the arm connecting you headlight to the motor moves freely 2) you can remove the motor and play with it, see if the shaft spins when you turn the manual ****.
If you experience play in the shaft (insert joke here) while turning the ****, then the gear is not making full contact with the spiral gear inside and it is stripped. Again, you can fix this by replacing the motor, taking the motor apart and turning the nylon gear 180 degrees around (temp fix) or buying a metal gear from the BFranker.
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/index.htm
