Pop up and grind. Amusing headlight antics.
09-25-2007, 04:45 PM
#1
Pop up and grind. Amusing headlight antics. Well, since I bought my car, It's had a weak drivers side headlight gear. It goes up if you "assist" the motor. IE, the force of a finger to pull it up when the car is stopped, or wind resistance at 35+ MPH.
They would go down just find, assuming you weren't moving, too. I would guess the center of the gear is gone.
I read about rotating the gear in March, and finally got around to it. I did it this past Sunday, and now the nasty grinding noise is back, but only after the headlight has closed completely.
This means I will be buying a brass gear very shortly.
However, now when I lock/unlock the car via keyfob or power lock, both headlights open and close. It did not do this before. I did not disconnect anything. In addition, the lights pop up when the foglights are turned on (light on parking light switch)
WTF, mates?
Any free solution to the grinding, or merely a way to revert the headlights to their old only come on when the switch is on the headlight position.
This is getting old quickly.
They would go down just find, assuming you weren't moving, too. I would guess the center of the gear is gone.
I read about rotating the gear in March, and finally got around to it. I did it this past Sunday, and now the nasty grinding noise is back, but only after the headlight has closed completely.
This means I will be buying a brass gear very shortly.
However, now when I lock/unlock the car via keyfob or power lock, both headlights open and close. It did not do this before. I did not disconnect anything. In addition, the lights pop up when the foglights are turned on (light on parking light switch)
WTF, mates?
Any free solution to the grinding, or merely a way to revert the headlights to their old only come on when the switch is on the headlight position.
This is getting old quickly.
09-25-2007, 06:11 PM
#2
Look around, this has been addressed before. I'm fairly new here but already I've seen several of these kinds of threads 
I'm sure the "copy & paste mod" VIP1 will be here with the exact link to check fairly soon
*edit* dang.... Just joined a month ago and already have 189 posts... I talk too much
I'm sure the "copy & paste mod" VIP1 will be here with the exact link to check fairly soon
*edit* dang.... Just joined a month ago and already have 189 posts... I talk too much
09-25-2007, 07:49 PM
#4
I put this in here because I haven't heard many details about the headlights popping up with the locking/unlocking of the vehicle.
I want to know how to set it back to where it merely flashes the turn signals and foglights.
eek. That sounds like not much fun.
I want to know how to set it back to where it merely flashes the turn signals and foglights.
Originally Posted by Platinum WS6
yea, just put the brass gear in it, i did but i guess i didnt mix my epoxy right and it came back apart......
Last edited by OMGWTFBODY; 09-25-2007 at 08:04 PM.
09-25-2007, 11:39 PM
#5
Copy & Paste Moderator
Originally Posted by SparkyJJO
Look around, this has been addressed before. I'm fairly new here but already I've seen several of these kinds of threads
I'm sure the "copy & paste mod" VIP1 will be here with the exact link to check fairly soon
*edit* dang.... Just joined a month ago and already have 189 posts... I talk too much
I'm sure the "copy & paste mod" VIP1 will be here with the exact link to check fairly soon
*edit* dang.... Just joined a month ago and already have 189 posts... I talk too much
https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-firebird-1967-2002/177470-firebird-headlights-all-comments-questions-regarding-headlights-go-here.html
09-26-2007, 08:14 AM
#6
Originally Posted by VIP1
Why do my lights pop up with the locking/unlocking of my car? They DID NOT do this before I rotated the gear. I did nothing other than manually raise/lower the headlight.
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09-26-2007, 11:33 AM
#8
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Originally Posted by OMGWTFBODY
Well, since I bought my car, It's had a weak drivers side headlight gear. It goes up if you "assist" the motor. IE, the force of a finger to pull it up when the car is stopped, or wind resistance at 35+ MPH.
They would go down just find, assuming you weren't moving, too. I would guess the center of the gear is gone.
I read about rotating the gear in March, and finally got around to it. I did it this past Sunday, and now the nasty grinding noise is back, but only after the headlight has closed completely.
This means I will be buying a brass gear very shortly.
However, now when I lock/unlock the car via keyfob or power lock, both headlights open and close. It did not do this before. I did not disconnect anything. In addition, the lights pop up when the foglights are turned on (light on parking light switch)
WTF, mates?
Any free solution to the grinding, or merely a way to revert the headlights to their old only come on when the switch is on the headlight position.
This is getting old quickly.
They would go down just find, assuming you weren't moving, too. I would guess the center of the gear is gone.
I read about rotating the gear in March, and finally got around to it. I did it this past Sunday, and now the nasty grinding noise is back, but only after the headlight has closed completely.
This means I will be buying a brass gear very shortly.
However, now when I lock/unlock the car via keyfob or power lock, both headlights open and close. It did not do this before. I did not disconnect anything. In addition, the lights pop up when the foglights are turned on (light on parking light switch)
WTF, mates?
Any free solution to the grinding, or merely a way to revert the headlights to their old only come on when the switch is on the headlight position.
This is getting old quickly.
The two lights popping up and down is a direct result of the bad gear. It wigs out the system.
Get new motors or the metal gear and all your problems will stop.
AC DELCO brand new motors are cheap here: www.rockauto.com
.
09-26-2007, 06:14 PM
#9
Originally Posted by Quickin
Sometimes the gear gets stripped just a couple of gear teeth too much for the "rotating 180*" fix to work for a long time. Your gear is just eaten up too badly.
The two lights popping up and down is a direct result of the bad gear. It wigs out the system.
Get new motors or the metal gear and all your problems will stop.
AC DELCO brand new motors are cheap here: www.rockauto.com
.
The two lights popping up and down is a direct result of the bad gear. It wigs out the system.
Get new motors or the metal gear and all your problems will stop.
AC DELCO brand new motors are cheap here: www.rockauto.com
.
That answers my question. Brass gear is on order.
10-16-2007, 12:27 AM
#10
Just spreading the word as I just found out about these. HELP (motormite, Dorman) makes a replacement plastic headlight gear for about 15 bucks. Autozone can order them, but it may take a few days to get them in. Part # 42400.
https://www.dormanproducts.com/cgi-b...tegory_list=:0
There is also a metal arm that helps hold the cover in place being sold by someone. I'd have to look it up.
https://www.dormanproducts.com/cgi-b...tegory_list=:0
There is also a metal arm that helps hold the cover in place being sold by someone. I'd have to look it up.
10-16-2007, 01:08 AM
#11
Just spreading the word as I just found out about these. HELP (motormite, Dorman) makes a replacement plastic headlight gear for about 15 bucks. Autozone can order them, but it may take a few days to get them in. Part # 42400.
https://www.dormanproducts.com/cgi-b...tegory_list=:0
There is also a metal arm that helps hold the cover in place being sold by someone. I'd have to look it up.
https://www.dormanproducts.com/cgi-b...tegory_list=:0
There is also a metal arm that helps hold the cover in place being sold by someone. I'd have to look it up.
That's good info. But I think most LS1 guys will opt for the extra 30 bucks to ensure that it lasts.
10-16-2007, 02:51 PM
#13
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Ive had two of the HELP brand gears, both in the same headlight motor, both stripped out, both had been through the 180 mod and still stripped out, and still didnt last me 2 months, basically my headlight motor has been apart at least 6 times... finally broke down and spent the extra 30 for the brass gear and havent had any problems yet (been about 3 months)... plastic gears suck...brass gears all the way!!!
10-16-2007, 11:01 PM
#16
Ive had two of the HELP brand gears, both in the same headlight motor, both stripped out, both had been through the 180 mod and still stripped out, and still didnt last me 2 months, basically my headlight motor has been apart at least 6 times... finally broke down and spent the extra 30 for the brass gear and havent had any problems yet (been about 3 months)... plastic gears suck...brass gears all the way!!!
If the motor is not tight to the plastic case then only the edge of the teeth will make contact and is more likely to strip them. So make sure the motor tabs are tight to the case.
10-17-2007, 12:08 AM
#17
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headl...x.htm#Ordering
Id did take about 10 days to arrive via US Mail.
10-19-2007, 04:44 PM
#18
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Just spreading the word as I just found out about these. HELP (motormite, Dorman) makes a replacement plastic headlight gear for about 15 bucks. Autozone can order them, but it may take a few days to get them in. Part # 42400.
https://www.dormanproducts.com/cgi-b...tegory_list=:0
There is also a metal arm that helps hold the cover in place being sold by someone. I'd have to look it up.
https://www.dormanproducts.com/cgi-b...tegory_list=:0
There is also a metal arm that helps hold the cover in place being sold by someone. I'd have to look it up.
