T/A Headlights Open/Close When Locking/Unlocking
T/A Headlights Open/Close When Locking/Unlocking It was raining this morning and when I went to my car to unclock it the headlights opened and shut. This was acompanid by a long grind which im assuming is the headlight motor.
I am guessing an electricla connection must of gotten wet. Any ideas about where to start the search?
I am guessing an electricla connection must of gotten wet. Any ideas about where to start the search?
One of the headlight assembly motors that raises and lowers the headlight is bad. The grinding is caused by a stripped internal gear. Some people tear apart the motor and replace the plastic gear with a brass one. I replaced the entire assembly with GM replacements I bought brand new on ebay.
what you can do until you get brass gears is take the motor apart (you will have to pry it apart with a knife or something) and pull the white plastic gear out, flip it 180 degrees, place it back in, epoxy the cap of the motor back on...put everything back together and it will be all fixed. Just put some grease on the good side of the plastic motor.
I did that and it worked great until we got the brass gears. It's really easy, let us know how it goes if you decide to do it.
I did that and it worked great until we got the brass gears. It's really easy, let us know how it goes if you decide to do it.
you will have to manually raise the headlight before you take the motor off.
maybe this write-up will give you some help. It's the site I got the brass gears from. It will also give you an idea of how to remove the motor and flip the plastic gear as a temp fix like I told you about.
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/index.htm
maybe this write-up will give you some help. It's the site I got the brass gears from. It will also give you an idea of how to remove the motor and flip the plastic gear as a temp fix like I told you about.
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/index.htm
Last edited by REDHOtTransAM; Feb 23, 2008 at 01:49 PM.
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You need new headlight motor gears. I suggest buying the brass ones and getting it over and done with in one shot and never have to **** with them again. Its fairly easy to do the gear swap. Pm me if you want some info.
Buying new GM motors still leaves you with the original problem: the weak plastic gear that will just strip again and cause the same issue.
Buying new GM motors still leaves you with the original problem: the weak plastic gear that will just strip again and cause the same issue.
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Verdad Gallardo I understand baout the gears. i did a motor swap on my last trans am. I am just wondering why the headlights go up and down when I lock my car. I have had the car for almost two years and its never done it before.
When I lock the car using the fob the lights go up and down . It has never done it until this morning.
When I lock the car using the fob the lights go up and down . It has never done it until this morning.
the gears are stripped, that is what we are telling you. They do that when the gears strip. You lock the car, headlights go up and down and you hear a loud grinding sound...
DIAGONOSIS: Headlight gears are stripped, remove and rotate for now and order brass gears, will never happen again.
DIAGONOSIS: Headlight gears are stripped, remove and rotate for now and order brass gears, will never happen again.
Look at it this way, the headlights have a up and down locking positions kinda. If the gear won't lock in the down position, the headlights pop up and grind when you remotely lock or unlock the car. That's not exactly what happens, but it's the best way to explain it.
I'd be another for the brass gears. Buddy of mine bought a new motor and replaced it, it started gringing again in 2 weeks and got down right irate about it. Save the heart ache and get the brass gears. That's my .02
I'd be another for the brass gears. Buddy of mine bought a new motor and replaced it, it started gringing again in 2 weeks and got down right irate about it. Save the heart ache and get the brass gears. That's my .02
Last edited by DVS99TRANS; Feb 29, 2008 at 08:33 PM. Reason: oops
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From: Eastern MA
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: arlington,tx
I had this happen to me one day at work, and the headlight motors wouldn't stop trying to go down so it drained my battery and when I got it jumped I drove it home where whenever I tried to lock the door they would go up and down again and drain the battery.
Needless to say it sucked horribly and I went 2 weeks without being able to drive my car until I saved up enough money for a shop to butt rape me with the bill to fix it.
Needless to say it sucked horribly and I went 2 weeks without being able to drive my car until I saved up enough money for a shop to butt rape me with the bill to fix it.
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Mt. Airy, Maryland
yeh if u hear a grinding its the headlight motor. but headlight motors cost 300 bucks, i just recently did mine and i found a cheap fix for it. since the motor only uses half the gear to raise and lower the headlight. its easy just take the arm that raises the headlight off the motor and turn the shaft (on the motor) 180 degree's and put it back togethor and it should stop it. mine did the same thing when u unlock it or lock it the lights would come up and it started all of the sudden. but after i did that cheap fix haven't had another problem with it. if u dont know what im talking about just type it in at yahoo or something like cheap firebird headlight fix. it worked like a dream for mine.
thanks for the help guys. I will order the brass gears. I figured the headlight motor was bad but the last time a motor died on me it just quit working.
I had never heard of the lights opening/closing. thanks for the explanation about the sensor.
I had never heard of the lights opening/closing. thanks for the explanation about the sensor.
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Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Eastern MA
Maybe it should be a sticky in this forum too, since alot of members dont check the Firebird forum