NatB

Lately and on an intermittent basis, the driver's side headlight on my 2002 Z06 does not raise ( open) when I turn the headlights on. The passenger side headlight works A'OK.

When I turn the light switch a second time both headlights pop open. No problems closing either side and I do not hear any unusual grinding noises.

I have Rodney Dickman's brass gear replacement kit on my shelf but do not want to replace the parts unless for certain that is the problem.

Any ideas on what is going on with my driver's side headlight causing it not to open on a random/intermittent basis ?

Corvette_Ed

Try turning the bumper stops over. If that fixes the problem you need to order a set of new ones from Rodney Dickman. I have a full set on the way to me to fix the exact same problem you're having.

NatB

Thanks ! Where do I find or locate the bumper stops? Do I need to take the headlight assemble apart to get access?

Corvette_Ed

You can reach them all if you remove the headlight cover and the surround. Each light has four of the bumper stops.

NatB

Thanks !

Yup, I see the two rear stops with the hood open- they look A'Ok. I will have to remove the shroud to see the other two.

Funny, the issue is very intermittent. I cycled the headlights open/close probably 30 times and they work A'OK and motors quiet. Hopefully, it is one of the bucket stops and they are an easy swap .

n8dogg

Maybe a headlight motor issue? Flat spot like a starter going bad?

NatB

OK, I pulled off the headlight shroud and inspected the Bucket Stops. All four look in very good condition.

Since the passenger side works 100 percent of the time and the driver's side is randomly failing to open on the first turn of the switch I am concluding the internal plastic gear is beginning to fail ( maybe one tooth is broken). Since I have the brass gear kit I may as well go ahead and replace and see what happens.

Seems this is the most likely cause of the intermittent issue. Once the headlight shroud is removed ( 3 phillips screws) it looks like it will be easy to pull the motor . For safety, I think I will disconnect the battery once the light is opened so it does not close on my hand.

Corvette_Ed

Try turning them over anyway. Mine looked good too; until I tried to turn them over and they started falling off because the plastic had "bent" over the years. My replacements are on the way; I'll let you know how they work once they arrive. Install is only a few minutes work.

neutron82

after I did the brass gear swap my driver side does the same thing... what happens is they close too hard and get jammed on the stops... if I pop the hood and manually crack them loose the lights come up first try but it's annoying having to do that every time... my stops are fine but I think it's the soft material that allows it to get jammed... I wish someone offered a billet piece or something like that to replace the factory bumpers that way the lights can't close too far and get jammed

Corvette_Ed

They soften up over time. I just received my shipment of new bumper stops from Rodney Dickman. They are much more rigid than the stock bumpers in my car right now. I'm expecting they'll solve the problem as they did for another member.

neutron82

I want a permanent fix... mine were all in good shape, I tried swapping them around but that didn't help... if we could get some new stops machined out of metal or maybe even a really hard plastic then we wouldn't have to worry about it ever again

Corvette_Ed

This is what I'm trying to say. The Rodney Dickman replacement stops are made from hard plastic and are an upgrade from stock. Rodney put quite a bit into R&D of this part so it would last.

neutron82

oh ok, I was thinking they were just factory replacements... I will check those out

Plasticman

Below is from a post a year or so ago that I made. Since the repair (I eventually did the tab repair as stated below to the other side, but did not need to replace the gear to that side), they have worked as they should:

Just going through this & I think I can see where the real problem lies (in my case):

The motor on the later C5's (I don't know about the earlier version) is held to a plastic gear box via 4 metal tabs. My driver's side headlight began to "stick" and would not raise electrically. If I turned the manual **** one turn (to loosen it), it then would electrically raise when the switch was turned on. At the urging of a fellow forum member, I got the brass gear kit, and took it apart today. Low and behold, the instructions state also to tighten up the tabs that retain the motor to the plastic gear box. My gear definately was jamming when it came to a stop, and I can see from the loose motor / gear box fit that the gears were barely making contact (the motor worm gear would move away from the plastic gear due to the force of stopping and had minimal gear tooth engagement). This loosness (of the motor / gear box) is probably the real cause of the plastic gear stripping that most owners see.

In my case (besides replacing the gear with the brass gear), I tighened the 4 tabs, but also added a high strength epoxy to the motor / gear box tabs & interface area (& will paint it semi-gloss black to hide the epoxy).

My passenger side headlight is working fine (for now), but I tested it for the motor / gear box looseness (manual **** must be turned a turn or so to relieve the pressure off the gears), and see it is loose as well. I will just tighten up those motor tabs, and then epoxy that side also.

Hope this helps,
Plasticman

neutron82

well I just got some of the RD stoppers and after just a few times of opening and closing my headlights you can clearly see an indentation on them where the lights close... they seem to be about the same as the factory stoppers so I'm not sure these will hold up over time... I think a billet stopper might be a better solution

jer1807

I had the identical intermittent failure of my driver's side also. The passenger side opened and closed 100%. After a while the driver's side started to fail intermittently to close also. If I turned the **** the slightest amount it would open or close correctly. I replaced the gear and did not solve my problem. I replaced the stops and still would fail. I contacted "Corvette Magazine" and they suggested that the module may be at fault. I replaced that and still would fail. Try the stops first which is the cheapest. I took my motor apart which is not for the faint of heart as the magnets in the motor are very strong and difficult to get back together. I have some experience with electrical motors and could not find any thing wrong with the brushes or commutator, no dead spots and still would fail after reassembly.
Replacing the motor was the cure for mine.

Good luck,
Jerry

LoneStarLizzard

Two weeks ago my C5 experienced the above-described "headlight bucket won't open" problem. So...I proactively ordered the replacement bump stops ($10 for a set of 4 bump stops) from Rodney Dickman - I hate having to wait for parts once I've started. Got them in the mail Wednesday. Today I opened up the offending headlight unit. Sure enough, one of my bump stops (a bottom one) was horribly dented, brittle and ready to fall off. But I also noticed that the pivot pin that connects the swing arm to the motor and housing had dislodged itself and the swing arm was dangling, disconnected, underneath the motor. The offending pivot pin and compression clip were nowhere to be found....

My theory: the failing bump stop caused the headlight unit to repeatedly bang against the mounting surface, and this repeated banging caused the pivot pin's compression clip to work loose which, in turn, allowed the pin to dislodge itself.

I immediately called a local Chevy dealer and asked if they had a replacement pin and compression clip. Nope...Chevrolet doesn't stock such trivial, common sense parts. But they would gladly sell me was a complete headlight frame unit for $700. None of the aftermarket parts houses would sell that pin and compression clip either...everyone was greedy and wanted $600 or $700 for a complete replacement unit. BS. I went to Home Depot and bought a 2" #8 screw plus assorted nuts and washers for $3 and used them instead of the pin and compression clip. One hour later the job was done. It works fine and my headlight now works just like new.

Note to self: a failing bump stop may cause collateral damage if it isn't immediately replaced. Lesson: I bought a second set of bump stops (and screws, nuts and washers) and put them aside for the time when the other headlight bucket starts to act up. I'll be ready. (Of course, the other unit will likely never fail, but the incremental $13 parts investment is cheap insurance.

The Lizzard