Headlight noise question
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 48
Likes: 3
Headlight noise question So not too long ago I went to a high rated shop so they can install some LED Halo headlights and Halo fog lights. I don’t use my car often. Used it about once at night and the pop up headlights were good. The other day I turned the lights on and only the right side popped open. Went to the shop to explain, the guy messed with it for like 5min and got the driver side to pop up but when i turn them off the driver side makes a grinding noise for 5sec. Long story short, I had appt with them so they can check it out and one of the guys tells me that’s not their problem, I need a new motor and that was not their fault, all they did was place the new lights in. Not their problem.
My question is before I rant. Lights had been fine prior to installation. Was it possibly something they didn’t do right ? Or something that was bound to happen?
94 trans am
My question is before I rant. Lights had been fine prior to installation. Was it possibly something they didn’t do right ? Or something that was bound to happen?
94 trans am
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 680
Likes: 7
From: Clearwater
Those gears are super fragile and breakage is inevitable. They could break from manually adjusting the lights up and down too far or just from loose joints causing the motor to bind from winding up and down. At least fifteen years ago someone was selling brass replacement gears for something like $30 and don't remember who it was and if they're still available but they work amazingly well. With those you're more far more likely to break off the nub that stops the arm than replace another light motor again.
EDIT: looks like WS6store and hawksmotorsports sells them for like $50. they look a little different from what I remember but should do the job.
EDIT: looks like WS6store and hawksmotorsports sells them for like $50. they look a little different from what I remember but should do the job.
I used this one on my passenger side 12 years ago, getting ready to order another one for the driver's side:
http://rodneydickman.com/product_inf...roducts_id=151
http://rodneydickman.com/product_inf...roducts_id=151
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 79
Likes: 5
From: Houston, Texas
Not sure if you ever figured this out or just went with the brass gear, but the headlight motors only have 180 degrees of travel. So you can take the 10mm nut off of the motor snout, remove the headlight arm, rotate the motor 180 degrees by hand, then reattach the arm. You now have a brand new gear half that the motor worm gear has never touched before. It's not permanent as that side will eventually strip out as well, but it is a free fix that will last you for quite a while.
