The Trans Am Kid

My headlights turn on and off when I lock or unlock my car. Then, my driver side headlight makes a horrible grinding/rattling noise. This also happens when I turn my lights on and off manually. When I look at the top of my light (when it is in the down position) there is a gear looking thing that spins really fast and makes the noise. It is missing the rubber piece that the passenger side has.

Has anyone had this problem or know what to do? Thanks for your help!

phantomzer0

iTrader: (17)

Ugh, a search would have found you the answer 10 fold.

Your headlight gear is stripped and you need to either replace it or the entire motor, which ever is easier for you. Personally, I just went to autozone and paid the 80$ for a whole new motor. I didn't feel like getting epoxy and **** to "glue" the housing back together. If you do a search on replacing the gear, you will see what I mean.

The Trans Am Kid

But why would my lights go up and down when I lock or unlock my doors?

The Trans Am Kid

Sounds like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOVqS7_Ca9A

phantomzer0

iTrader: (17)

That's just what they do, it's goofy as hell. Trust me, I am correct.

The Trans Am Kid

No no. I beleive you Phantom. Thanks for the info man. I think I am going to rip them apart.

Flaring Afro

because the gear is stripped and the computer knows it. therefore, it tells you that its stripped by doing this in case you leave when its light out and will be driving later at night while out. would suck to be on a highway, try to turn on the headlights, and one not come up.

at least thats why it does it i assume. so you can't sue for getting into a bad situation.

EDIT: I remember someone selling metal gears that never strip like the oem plastic ones. might be a good investment...

pentavolvo

go to the brass gears, the vettes use the same gear and motor, just put brass gears in the c5 and way better then the platic. u can also unhook the motor from light manually rotate 90 degrees and hook it back up alot of the time, because the motor only moves like 180 degrees or somehitng not the full 360 if i recall, i was readin it on the vette forum but wasnt messin around so i put new brass gear in

phantomzer0

iTrader: (17)

The brass gears are all right. I replaced a gear once and trust me, those motors are not meant to be taken apart, at all. Gluing it back together is ghetto IMO, which is why I suggest buying a new motor. The new ones even have a slightly redesigned housing, so if the gear strips you can just unscrew the cap and change it up. The OEM ones have to be pried apart and then glued back together.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

The headlight door module determines when the headlights are off and closed by the resistance from the motor when it reaches the end of its travel. When the motor gears are stripped, the module doesn't get the correct resistance so it opens and closes the headlights to ensure that they are closed. It does this as part of the parking light flash routine when you arm the alarm.

And no, it's not the computer being nice and letting you know that your gears are stripped.

pentavolvo

Ive pried open many C5 headlight motors and glued em back together not a single issue and all have worked great, maybe they are diff motors, or maybe im just less concerned lol

VIP1

Here is my answer to your thread in the General Maintenance & Repairs section:
Here is that thread:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-maintenance-repairs/999021-headlight-problems-please-help.html

BadA$$

iTrader: (4)

Just to add my two cents!

My headlight motor went out, and I tried to turn the gear over. Well, after I did that, it didn't do the noise when the light when down, but when it came up instead.
I finally got a new motor from oriellys, put it in, and it felt like a brand new car! Untill a week later, when it started making the noise down again. This is stupid!
I am going to take it back to oriellys and get another because it is under warranty. I am also going to try the gear swap on my other old one for when the new one at oriellys goes out again.

95TAJade

iTrader: (4)

hey PHANTOM, I would love to know more about the new motor housing design. I asked the parts dept at my local dealership about a new motor and all that he said was that ech one would run me around $250, but the little diagram that he pulled up didn't show anthing about a redesign to the housing?!