Firebird Headlights--ALL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS REGARDING HEADLIGHTS GO IN HERE
Ive tried that as well. 
08-27-2011, 11:02 AM
#1165
When a plastic gear in the headlight motor gets stripped, the system keeps powering the motors and thats why you hear a jackhammer/grinding type noise coming from the stripped headlight motor when you lock/unlock the doors or when you turn on/off the headlights.
Hope this helps.
Dan
Hope this helps.
Dan
Oh BTW was just going to try the easy fix first but I checked and my motor housing was loose from the gear housing so I pulled the motor and swapped the gear, crimped the tangs down - another good tip that will make the new gear last that much longer
Last edited by zman1969; 08-27-2011 at 11:05 AM. Reason: afterthought
08-28-2011, 10:59 AM
#1166
Launching!
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Ok so now I have a problem ha. Put the new motor in last week and it worked great for a couple days then all of a sudden it wont come up. I manually put it up and then looked at the arms and somehow they got past the stop and were hitting it from the opposite side now, not allowing it to come up. So I undid the nut and fixed the position and it worked fine for a day. Now its doing the same thing and it works then stops not too long after I put the arm back. Hows the arm getting past the stop and how do I fix that? What causes this??
08-29-2011, 09:51 AM
#1167
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Ok so now I have a problem ha. Put the new motor in last week and it worked great for a couple days then all of a sudden it wont come up. I manually put it up and then looked at the arms and somehow they got past the stop and were hitting it from the opposite side now, not allowing it to come up. So I undid the nut and fixed the position and it worked fine for a day. Now its doing the same thing and it works then stops not too long after I put the arm back. Hows the arm getting past the stop and how do I fix that? What causes this??
My question is hooking up the Headlights themselves. The two female connectors dont seem to line up correct with the male connectors. I have been working on these damn headlights now going on a week & man its got me so damn mad I could pull my hair out.
GM YOU SUCK!!!!
08-29-2011, 12:29 PM
#1169
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OK well im completely just beat on this headlight issue!
The LH Headlight motor doesnt work in the LH location where its suppost to go, But if I plug it in to the RH connector, The motor spins
The RH Headlight motor works in the RH location and works in the LH plug as well.
This is where im getting frustrated. Dont want to go throw money on a new motor when it might not be the motor that is bad.
Is it possbile to switch motors & turn the gears in the RH motor to work in the LH location & vice versa?
Im pretty sure I know the answer is no cause of the headlight connectors are measured out to the length & route only to the side for the headlights its supposed to go to.
Any ideas as to why the LH motor works when plugged in to the RH connector but wont work in the LH side where its suppost to go & what should I use to clean these connectors out
The LH Headlight motor doesnt work in the LH location where its suppost to go, But if I plug it in to the RH connector, The motor spins
The RH Headlight motor works in the RH location and works in the LH plug as well.
This is where im getting frustrated. Dont want to go throw money on a new motor when it might not be the motor that is bad.
Is it possbile to switch motors & turn the gears in the RH motor to work in the LH location & vice versa?
Im pretty sure I know the answer is no cause of the headlight connectors are measured out to the length & route only to the side for the headlights its supposed to go to.
Any ideas as to why the LH motor works when plugged in to the RH connector but wont work in the LH side where its suppost to go & what should I use to clean these connectors out
08-31-2011, 08:49 PM
#1170
Staging Lane
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Comment: Everyone say it with me..
1...
2...
3...
"MOTHERF**KER!"
I actually think the motor is toast since I'm not getting power to that left motor and the previous owner was running a 20 amp fuse through the circuit (read the cover backwards obviously because the 15 amp fuse is where that 20 amp should be). I'm getting lights and everything else, just no motor. Manually cranks up just fine (and opened fine but had moments of inop before total failure) so I'm guessing that I lost the motor.
1...
2...
3...
"MOTHERF**KER!"
I actually think the motor is toast since I'm not getting power to that left motor and the previous owner was running a 20 amp fuse through the circuit (read the cover backwards obviously because the 15 amp fuse is where that 20 amp should be). I'm getting lights and everything else, just no motor. Manually cranks up just fine (and opened fine but had moments of inop before total failure) so I'm guessing that I lost the motor.
Last edited by Zabo; 08-31-2011 at 09:16 PM.
09-03-2011, 03:43 PM
#1171
On The Tree
Brand new gear, still grinding while opening!!! Was grinding while closing!! What else could it be now!? Motor housing is tight, epoxy is holding, brand new gear, WTF?!!!!!!
09-03-2011, 04:41 PM
#1173
On The Tree
It's plastic. But I opened it back up and the gear is perfect. All the teeth are there with no wear marks.
What exactly is a sign of a bad headlight control module? I'm starting to think mine might be bad. A couple of weeks before my driver side headlight originally started to grind the driver side light would not go up. I had to flick the switch on and of a couple of times and then it would go up. Then just the other day the headlight started to grind, I chose to replace the gear instead of the temp fix. My local napa store had a plastic gear in stock so I bought it. Light worked great for a few cycles then it started to grind again. If an electrical problem existed in the module would it cause the light motor to continue to operate tearing up the teeth on the gear? Just for the record, the housing is tight and the cover is solid and sealed very well still.
Thanks Jason
What exactly is a sign of a bad headlight control module? I'm starting to think mine might be bad. A couple of weeks before my driver side headlight originally started to grind the driver side light would not go up. I had to flick the switch on and of a couple of times and then it would go up. Then just the other day the headlight started to grind, I chose to replace the gear instead of the temp fix. My local napa store had a plastic gear in stock so I bought it. Light worked great for a few cycles then it started to grind again. If an electrical problem existed in the module would it cause the light motor to continue to operate tearing up the teeth on the gear? Just for the record, the housing is tight and the cover is solid and sealed very well still.
Thanks Jason
Last edited by jastone; 09-03-2011 at 06:38 PM.
09-03-2011, 08:01 PM
#1174
When you say the motor housing is tight, do you mean the 4 metal tabs?
Even with perfect gears, that long spiral gear on the motor can get pushed sideways causing the teeth to slip.
I would also get some crimp splices and cut out the connectors. Wiring it direct can fix a lot of strange problems.
Even with perfect gears, that long spiral gear on the motor can get pushed sideways causing the teeth to slip.
I would also get some crimp splices and cut out the connectors. Wiring it direct can fix a lot of strange problems.
09-03-2011, 08:10 PM
#1175
On The Tree
When you say the motor housing is tight, do you mean the 4 metal tabs?
Even with perfect gears, that long spiral gear on the motor can get pushed sideways causing the teeth to slip.
I would also get some crimp splices and cut out the connectors. Wiring it direct can fix a lot of strange problems.
Even with perfect gears, that long spiral gear on the motor can get pushed sideways causing the teeth to slip.
I would also get some crimp splices and cut out the connectors. Wiring it direct can fix a lot of strange problems.
Yes the 4 tabs are tight and the motor has no wobble at all.
As far as the wiring goes, what exactly are you saying to wire directly? By-pass the control module all together? Would that cause any other problems?
Thanks Jason
09-05-2011, 05:46 PM
#1177
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Stripped/broke torx bolt for headlight assembly I was reinstalling the drivers side headlight after doing the free gear headlight fix and must have mis-threaded the bolt as it broke off before the assembly was completely tight. 
Any place I can order these? Or should I head to the hardware and find something similar?
pic of the good set
Any place I can order these? Or should I head to the hardware and find something similar?
pic of the good set
09-10-2011, 04:57 PM
#1178
I replaced the gear (plastic) less than a month ago and now its makings noise going up and down. Also getting the headlights up and down when i lock and unlock the doors again. I don't think its the gear. I checked the motor and the top part is loose. I bent the tabs on the motor last time it was out and it was tight, wtf 
Designed to fail 
Designed to fail
09-19-2011, 02:29 AM
#1179
I bought a reman headlight motor from autozone today and it spins the opposite direction that the stock one does. Pissed off because i messed with the arm for about an hour before i pulled the motor out again to check and sure enough it was spinning the wrong way.
So the car was winking because one headlight went up and the other would go down
some one else on the previous page had the same problem, just a heads up the motor on the passengers side should spin clockwise. otherwise the car thinks its closing the headlight when its supplying power but the motor isnt spinning the correct direction
i never checked this thread before but it should be said that if you are going to put a new motor in or swap gears its easiest just to take the whole headlight assembly out first.
Also going with a new motor because ive seen a few texas members post pictures of brass gears stripping just like the plastic ones
So the car was winking because one headlight went up and the other would go down
some one else on the previous page had the same problem, just a heads up the motor on the passengers side should spin clockwise. otherwise the car thinks its closing the headlight when its supplying power but the motor isnt spinning the correct direction
i never checked this thread before but it should be said that if you are going to put a new motor in or swap gears its easiest just to take the whole headlight assembly out first.
Also going with a new motor because ive seen a few texas members post pictures of brass gears stripping just like the plastic ones
Last edited by chrysler kid; 09-19-2011 at 02:45 AM.
09-19-2011, 05:35 AM
#1180
I also recently replaced the motor with one from autozone. I had replaced the gear (plastic) and within a month it failed again so i went with one from autozone. Everything is ok with the motor but the headlight harness is kinda short and the headlight connector is loose on the headlight.