Firebird Headlights--ALL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS REGARDING HEADLIGHTS GO IN HERE
12-28-2006, 05:47 PM
#181
Has Unresolved Sales In Feedback/12 second club
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Just outside of Springfiled Missouri.
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by vader99
Does anyone know how to quiet the racket that these headlights make when closing? Is it the actual motor making the loud banging noise or can you add some soft material to the "stops" to soften the bangs?
12-28-2006, 05:51 PM
#182
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I am not talking about the grinding sound of stripped gears. I am referring to the actual normal sound of the light banging down when you close them. Mine has done it since new as well as all other ls1 firebirds. The lt1 birds had quieter headlights when closing and the corvette ones are almost silent. What is it that makes the ls1 firebird headlights bang when they go down and is there anything a guy can manipulate to soften the "bangs"?
12-28-2006, 06:41 PM
#184
TECH Addict
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: The dirty taint of the country. ...Los Angeles
Posts: 2,498
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
2 Posts
I remember someone once say'n that they swapped out the powerlamp motor from their T/A for one from a C5 Vette. Apparently that did the trick and made her quite. Watch,...next time you see a C5 Vette,...try to listen to the sound from the powerlamp. Its not as loud as ours. All he did is swap em out. I guess that means that they're interchangable. Good Luck!
01-01-2007, 08:57 AM
#185
Teching In
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: VB
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by blu98ta
My passenger side headlight bounces when I drive. I have had friends in front of me that say they can see it bouncing. Anyone know whats causing that?
My .2C
01-06-2007, 01:57 PM
#186
Staging Lane
Join Date: May 2006
Location: puerto rico
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
motor keeps runing change my headlights yesterday and my right headlight motor keeps runing then shuts off, it open and close ok but the right motor keeps runing after i try to close them and then it shuts off, all i did was change the headlights , didn't touch anything else , i remove both fuse to keep them open , until i find out whats the problem is .1997 firebird V6
01-11-2007, 11:35 PM
#187
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: JAX, FL
Posts: 600
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well I am almost wishing I had bought a Camaro 
I just replaced my headlight gear for the second time flawlessly and its making the grinding noise in a matter of days. What the hell is wrong?
I just replaced my headlight gear for the second time flawlessly and its making the grinding noise in a matter of days. What the hell is wrong? 
01-25-2007, 09:57 PM
#190
TECH Enthusiast
Did the temp fix on my headlights, they stopped grinding when i turned the headlights off. but now they grind when i turn the headlights on 
what the ****?! I tried doing a full 360 to try and reset it but that didn't work. I did notice that the arm and the actual housing is loose when they are up. Did i miss something in the right-up? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what the ****?! I tried doing a full 360 to try and reset it but that didn't work. I did notice that the arm and the actual housing is loose when they are up. Did i miss something in the right-up? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
02-06-2007, 08:02 AM
#191
Staging Lane
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
well i did the temp fix back in dec. because they where racheting on the way down and that worked till yeesturday now they are doing it on the way up. also when my driving lights are on i have one that is bright and the other 3 are really dim, does anyone know why
02-24-2007, 12:39 PM
#192
Teching In
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Headlight Motor - past the grinding stage So I just got a '99 Firebird the other week and I heard about the headlight problem. When I bought it the headlight made the grinding noise but now, the gear is so stripped (assuming) that the headlight will not even go up or down. I'm also trying to bring it up manually but that doesn't work either. How can I get the headlight up to do the 180 fix?
PS: I'm getting a replacement part in a few days
PS: I'm getting a replacement part in a few days
03-08-2007, 07:30 AM
#194
Teching In
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Watertown, NY
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lights go up but not down The new motors seem to be fine, but they won't go back down when I turn them off. The lights go out but just stay up. I already made sure that they weren't installed backwards. When I disconnet the motor from the light and turn the switch off and on the motor spins the same way regardless of switch position. Is there a relay somewhere to make it change direction that might be bad? They are in a 93 TA
03-08-2007, 11:08 AM
#195
Teching In
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Central IL
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Need Headlight door help. I’m at my absolute last straw with my headlight problem. Any advice somebody can offer would be highly appreciated. I’ll explain everything I’ve done. Sorry if this is too long. I've searched all the headlight threads I could find and couldn't find anything that helps.
My passenger headlight door does not work at all. It’s not a motor or gear problem because I’ve tested the passenger side motor on the drivers side and it works fine. When I turn light switch to open the doors the motor connected to the passenger side doesn’t move or even try to. I suspected that it was an electrical problem, I’ve checked all the fuses and they are fine. The actual lights on the passenger side work fine. I also checked the headlight connections with a multimeter and they all registered 12.60volts which was the same as the drivers side.
So I guess my question comes down to why would the lights get power just fine, but the headlight door motor doesn’t do anything. So other than me jerry rigging some crazy electrical connections between my two headlight motors is there anything else I can try? And is this something that I could take to a GM dealer to have them try to fix? I’m at my wits end. Any advice would be appreciated.
My passenger headlight door does not work at all. It’s not a motor or gear problem because I’ve tested the passenger side motor on the drivers side and it works fine. When I turn light switch to open the doors the motor connected to the passenger side doesn’t move or even try to. I suspected that it was an electrical problem, I’ve checked all the fuses and they are fine. The actual lights on the passenger side work fine. I also checked the headlight connections with a multimeter and they all registered 12.60volts which was the same as the drivers side.
So I guess my question comes down to why would the lights get power just fine, but the headlight door motor doesn’t do anything. So other than me jerry rigging some crazy electrical connections between my two headlight motors is there anything else I can try? And is this something that I could take to a GM dealer to have them try to fix? I’m at my wits end. Any advice would be appreciated.
03-08-2007, 07:12 PM
#196
Teching In
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by av8er77
The new motors seem to be fine, but they won't go back down when I turn them off. The lights go out but just stay up. I already made sure that they weren't installed backwards. When I disconnet the motor from the light and turn the switch off and on the motor spins the same way regardless of switch position. Is there a relay somewhere to make it change direction that might be bad? They are in a 93 TA
03-09-2007, 09:46 PM
#197
Staging Lane
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NC
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Linas
I noticed a couple of posts regarding bouncing headlights. I have 01' firebird. One guy posted this:
"uhh. first off i have problems and its with both lights. while they are in the down position you can lift them up about 2 inches or so but they dont stay up. yet they work right but when i am driving they seem to bounce a little. any advice for getting them to where they are like locked down. the way it sounds is the middle part where the motor connects to the gear kinda bowtied and allows a little play. any fix for this"
Thats exactly what is happening to me. But I couldn't find solution for this in your answers. I am sure that this is not the problem with worn gear, because the motor arm rest tightly at the stopper. So the problem is with the "middle part". Any ideas how to fix it?
"uhh. first off i have problems and its with both lights. while they are in the down position you can lift them up about 2 inches or so but they dont stay up. yet they work right but when i am driving they seem to bounce a little. any advice for getting them to where they are like locked down. the way it sounds is the middle part where the motor connects to the gear kinda bowtied and allows a little play. any fix for this"
Thats exactly what is happening to me. But I couldn't find solution for this in your answers. I am sure that this is not the problem with worn gear, because the motor arm rest tightly at the stopper. So the problem is with the "middle part". Any ideas how to fix it?
03-15-2007, 11:05 PM
#198
Teching In
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Central IL
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by killerinyou
I’m at my absolute last straw with my headlight problem. Any advice somebody can offer would be highly appreciated. I’ll explain everything I’ve done. Sorry if this is too long. I've searched all the headlight threads I could find and couldn't find anything that helps.
My passenger headlight door does not work at all. It’s not a motor or gear problem because I’ve tested the passenger side motor on the drivers side and it works fine. When I turn light switch to open the doors the motor connected to the passenger side doesn’t move or even try to. I suspected that it was an electrical problem, I’ve checked all the fuses and they are fine. The actual lights on the passenger side work fine. I also checked the headlight connections with a multimeter and they all registered 12.60volts which was the same as the drivers side.
So I guess my question comes down to why would the lights get power just fine, but the headlight door motor doesn’t do anything. So other than me jerry rigging some crazy electrical connections between my two headlight motors is there anything else I can try? And is this something that I could take to a GM dealer to have them try to fix? I’m at my wits end. Any advice would be appreciated.
My passenger headlight door does not work at all. It’s not a motor or gear problem because I’ve tested the passenger side motor on the drivers side and it works fine. When I turn light switch to open the doors the motor connected to the passenger side doesn’t move or even try to. I suspected that it was an electrical problem, I’ve checked all the fuses and they are fine. The actual lights on the passenger side work fine. I also checked the headlight connections with a multimeter and they all registered 12.60volts which was the same as the drivers side.
So I guess my question comes down to why would the lights get power just fine, but the headlight door motor doesn’t do anything. So other than me jerry rigging some crazy electrical connections between my two headlight motors is there anything else I can try? And is this something that I could take to a GM dealer to have them try to fix? I’m at my wits end. Any advice would be appreciated.
I finally fixed my headlight problem by myself, cost me $60 but I'm happy to have my headlight doors working again. After testing just about everything I coudl, I decided to pull out my headlamp control module and open it up. Once I opened it up the circuit board had obvious water damage and one part looked liked it had completely been fried. So I found a used headlamp control module online for $60. Installed it in today and the headlights worked perfectly. What a feeling of relief that was.
03-18-2007, 11:52 PM
#200
12 Second Club
iTrader: (33)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: St. Cloud, FL
Posts: 756
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm sorry that I have not read the sticky, i am kinda frustrated and just want a quick answer.
tonight my friend and I deleted my air on my 99 trans am. I went out for a test drive and turned the lights on.. and wtf... the passenger side came up and the driver side did not. i am sure that my friend and i did not do anything but delete the air system. we didn't touch anything near there. when i turn the lights on... i hear the passenger motor but the driver side.. nothing.. i don't hear anything.. the light is turning on.. just not poping up. what should i look for? everything seems to be connected...
is there anyone in Orlando that can help me out? I don't want to take it to the stealership... thanks everyone.
tonight my friend and I deleted my air on my 99 trans am. I went out for a test drive and turned the lights on.. and wtf... the passenger side came up and the driver side did not. i am sure that my friend and i did not do anything but delete the air system. we didn't touch anything near there. when i turn the lights on... i hear the passenger motor but the driver side.. nothing.. i don't hear anything.. the light is turning on.. just not poping up. what should i look for? everything seems to be connected...
is there anyone in Orlando that can help me out? I don't want to take it to the stealership... thanks everyone.