horist

Anyone have any ideas on where to start?

I hit lock or unlock on the remote and the pop-up headlights flip up and flip down... never used to do it...

Also my driver side motor makes a grinding noise... it's all the way down but the motor doesn't stop and grind grind grind when I manually put the lights down (switch) or when they pop up and go down w/the remote... any ideas what to look for here?

TransAm98

iTrader: (3)

You have a stripped gear in your headlight motor. I'm on my third. This one is a brass gear to replace the plastic one. I bought it from Brent Franker on CamaroZ28.com. So far its holding up.

horist

sweet! (well sux about the gear )

You're the second person that's said this so I'm sure that's what it is now....

So now... does anyone know WHY this happens???? How does a stripped gear cause the lights to go up and down when hitting buttons on the keyfob???

Also rotating the gear 180 degrees will work right?

Figures that 18 days after my 3 year warranty is over this happens.. and my passenger window motor is getting slower than normal....

TransAm98

iTrader: (3)

You can do the 180 fix. It will last for a while. After mine wore out again i decided to use the brass gear. I've had nothing but problems with the lighting on the front of these cars. Why they go up and down like that I don't understand. Maybe they want us to get the full effect of the grinding

Chris99WS6PWTMET

Mine did the same thing when my driver side motor went out. I never found out why. All I could figure was that it was a glitch in the system or it is actually designed that way to let you know something isnt right (as if you couldnt tell from the grinding of the motor!! LOL!!).

It's the Service Headlamp Soon code!!

TransAm98

iTrader: (3)

Ain't that the truth.LOL!

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

The stock gear strips out becasue when the lights go up and down the motor dosent stop turning untill like a second after the head light is all the way up or down. That puts stress on the gear and it eventually strips.

WILWAXU

iTrader: (6)

If you haven't already done it.. you can rotate the stock plastic gear. From what I've read, it only uses one side.

Here's a metal gear replacement:
http://my.execpc.com/C4/4A/rodney1/firebird/

They're not cheap.. but better than buying a new motor.

MOBE

Horist,

Can you actually hear the gear grinding, or are the lights just flipping up and back down when you use the keyfob?

St Pete 99 T/A

Mine is doing the same thing and it started today, i think ill go ahead and get the metal gears. Will the dealer install them or is it easy to do yourself??

YOOFORMULA

iTrader: (6)

Mine just started doing the same thing 2 days ago.. Thanks for the post Horist saves me the time of posting/searching!

MacGyver

iTrader: (5)

FWIW The reason that they go up and down when hitting your remote buttons is that by default when pushing the buttons your parking lights flash. For some reason they are tied into the same circuit and when you do it your headlights pop up as well. All you have to do is look in your user manual and you can program the security system to not flash the lights when it arms/disarms This will keep it from popping up the lights whenever you hit the remote. Of course you'll still have the problem with the motor gear


Will

slowtan

My car starting doing the same thing yesterday.
This should be a factory defect that we can talk to GM about.

Stephen