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Firebird Headlights--ALL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS REGARDING HEADLIGHTS GO IN HERE

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Old 11-20-2007, 06:35 PM
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Default Thank God there is a fix for it.

Thank you so much for the post. I just bought my trans am and i thought the motor was going bad, but i knew there was a fix for it thanks alot
Old 11-27-2007, 06:10 PM
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Default Why did my headlight stop going up?

I haven't had any problems until today. I was following my wife home and she called me to say my driver side headlight wasn't up. I turned the lights on and off when I got home and the passenger side works fine but the driverside won't make a peep. The light comes on but nothing else. What do I need to check?

Vinny

P.S. The car is a '02 WS6
Old 11-27-2007, 06:15 PM
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there are the plugs, in front of the fenderwell.....2 plugs....check to see if one is off....." stand on driver side ...right by/in front of wheel...look down ...2 plugs."....hopefully that is all it is...........before I took my light sensor out, I used to just unplug the lights, and put them back in at nite....
Old 11-27-2007, 07:09 PM
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Are you talking about the two plugs basicly on the fuse box between the wheel well and the headlight? The only two really visable. Both of them are plugged up good.
Old 11-27-2007, 07:31 PM
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I also just pulled the rubber cap off the **** for manual operation and noticed the *** didn't spin when I hit the switch. Is there a fuse or relay for each individual motor or are they both on the same circuit?
Old 11-27-2007, 07:37 PM
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I'm sorry I sure didn't see this sticky. I even called myself looking!

Vinny
Old 11-27-2007, 08:06 PM
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would anyone know how to soften the headlamp closure? on my 97 TA they closed really soft. first time i got into my 02 and closed the headlamps i thought a car hit me or something.
Old 11-29-2007, 07:16 PM
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Default Pick a nice sunny day sooner than later...........

Here is the best advise I can give to everyone with these ,and maybe other GM, cars. Take a nice day (yes I know that maybe in the spring) park your car in the shade get some beer and unplug, clean, and grease everything that has anything to do with an electrical connection on your car. My '80 Trans am has some kind of yellowish electrical grease in most all connections and I rarely had any trouble. I am convinced that that is one of the biggest problems with our cars. Maybe effecting more things than we realize. I had a 97 T/A that almost all the taillights were ruined from corrosion and I bet I fixed and spliced a dozen more corroded conections that would have been avoided if there had been some electrical grease in the plugs and connections.

Anyway, I found the problem with my '02 WS6. You guessed it, a corroded wire at the connector going to the headlight motor. So very soon I will take the time to pull as many plugs and clean them with contact cleaner and put as much Di-electric grease as I can stuff in each one. Any suggestions to this idea would be great!

Vinny

P.S. You never know. This could make the most replaced parts, like the headlight motors, last alot longer
Old 11-29-2007, 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Vinny1
I also just pulled the rubber cap off the **** for manual operation and noticed the *** didn't spin when I hit the switch. Is there a fuse or relay for each individual motor or are they both on the same circuit?
Each side has their own fuse. One fuse may have blown or maybe the gears are locked up. Try installing an allen wrench into the top of the **** and see if you can manually turn it. The hardest part is figuring out which way to turn it, but the point is to make sure the gears are bound up making the motor stick. These are the 2 most common reasons one motor will stop working. If it's neither, then the motor itself may have burned out and stopped turning.
Old 12-19-2007, 08:43 PM
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I put the metal gears in both my headlights because my passenger side wasnt going all the way up and was grinding. Today when I put the motors & gears back in, all was good when I tested it afterwards. Well a few hours later I took my car to get inspected and the passenger side(original grinder) starting grinding again. It went all the way up and down, which it didnt before the gear, but still grinds on up and down. Also the problem with them coming on with lock/unlock/park lights came back also.

Thanks
Old 12-19-2007, 09:34 PM
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The spacing between the gears is probably too big. Either the cover came off or the motor is tilting a lot. Check those 2 things.
Old 12-19-2007, 09:37 PM
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yep check the tabs that hold the cover are secure there cant be any "play"
Old 12-19-2007, 09:40 PM
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I did before I put it back together, used a hammer and a flathead. Cover is still on.

What I was thinking is mayby when I tightened the tabs back up, mayby I tightens it slightly cocksided so mayby it tight, but with the gap there. We will see I suppose, unless anyone has any more ideas?
Old 12-20-2007, 03:09 PM
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Well apparent the cover started to come off slightly in the back, in a days time the new hardened(finish) aluminum gears(no more brass being made) had be stripped because I tightened the tabs incorrectly. But when I tightened it down with the 2 gears snug it all grabs well & fine. So working now!
Old 12-20-2007, 03:45 PM
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Old 12-26-2007, 09:17 PM
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Grinds on the up cycle now.

Will check next week when I get a chance. On the upside dropping the tranny off to get rebuilt friday.
Old 12-27-2007, 01:42 PM
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Default headlight

my right side headlight went out so i went to oreillys and bought a new motor, i know it was the because it was griding, and i fixed it for a wile buy pullin the gear out turning it 180 degrees because the motor only uses half the gear. anyway picked it up for about 50 bucks and turning in the core with discount(i work there just for the discount) ha but now its in and wont do anything. lights come on motor wont turn. i put 12 volts from the battery and it moves, iv checked the fuse its good. so thats were im at and i need help

blake
Old 12-28-2007, 01:21 PM
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sounds like a relay. Anyone know where the driver's side headlight motor relay is? my driver's side headlight doesn't always go up or down, sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't, and i just keep turning the switch until it moves.

so like i said.... where is the relay to check??
Old 12-28-2007, 01:30 PM
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Originally Posted by TallgeeseIV
sounds like a relay. Anyone know where the driver's side headlight motor relay is? my driver's side headlight doesn't always go up or down, sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't, and i just keep turning the switch until it moves.

so like i said.... where is the relay to check??
It doesn't use a relay. There is a sealed brain that controls it.

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Old 12-29-2007, 06:30 PM
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I just did the 180* quick fix, and on my one light it worked fine, except it now doesn't go all the way down, there is maybe another 1/4" more it needs to go down. Any ideas??

The other light didn't take so well, it will go up about 1/2" way, then it just sits there and grinds. I find this very odd, since the gear was rotated 180* via the manual **** that turns the motor. Be hard to believe there would be two spots close together that are stripped? (I've had the car since day one also w/ no issues)

What epoxy is everyone using, and where do you get it for the housing?


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