Headlights making sounds!
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 70
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From: Louisville KY
Headlights making sounds!
My head lights make a sort of a knocking sound when I open or close them. Funny that it also does this when I turn just the running lights on or off. Can anyone shed some LIGHT on the subject?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Cape Coral FL
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
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From: Irvine Ca
But since it is a '92...I can't tell you exaclty how to fix it. there are Stickies at the top that have directions.Here it is......
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1848666
Thread Starter
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Joined: Feb 2008
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From: Louisville KY
update
The operation of the headlights opening and closing seems to be fine. After I turn the switch to "OFF" the arm that connects to the headlight
housing jostles around and makes the knocking sound. It moves slightly and it does this on both lights simultaneously. It does the exact same thing whether I am just turning off the running lights or the headlights. Is that really the bushings going out?
housing jostles around and makes the knocking sound. It moves slightly and it does this on both lights simultaneously. It does the exact same thing whether I am just turning off the running lights or the headlights. Is that really the bushings going out?
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2006
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gnawlidge,
My 90 seems to be doing exactly the same thing. Sometimes when go out to the garage a while after parking, both headlights are jostling. The motors' manual ***** seem to be trying to turn. If the bushings were bad, I would think they would be spinning. Did you find the problem?
My 90 seems to be doing exactly the same thing. Sometimes when go out to the garage a while after parking, both headlights are jostling. The motors' manual ***** seem to be trying to turn. If the bushings were bad, I would think they would be spinning. Did you find the problem?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
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From: Irvine Ca
Wow, 30 days later and the answer or advice is still the same.
Your bushings are out. See the sticky thread at the top of the page for the fix.
Understand...and for future reference (anyone else checking this thread) There is a switch in the Headlight circuitry that reads the voltage....when the headlight hits the stops....it creates a voltage spike....the switch reads that spike and tells the motor to stop running. If the gears are grinding inside the motor due to the gears being stripped or the bushings being out (early years and later Years respectively) the spike never occurs and the motor keeps cranking along creating the noise you hear and the hopping you see.
Read the sticky and fix your headlights. it is a two hour job that cost less than ~$50
Your bushings are out. See the sticky thread at the top of the page for the fix.
Understand...and for future reference (anyone else checking this thread) There is a switch in the Headlight circuitry that reads the voltage....when the headlight hits the stops....it creates a voltage spike....the switch reads that spike and tells the motor to stop running. If the gears are grinding inside the motor due to the gears being stripped or the bushings being out (early years and later Years respectively) the spike never occurs and the motor keeps cranking along creating the noise you hear and the hopping you see.
Read the sticky and fix your headlights. it is a two hour job that cost less than ~$50
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,648
Likes: 1
From: Denham Springs Louisiana
You can easily do this fix yourself for under $10.00. You can get the bushings at Autozone. They are the same bushings used in the power window motors of Fords. After buying the bushings...all it takes is time and patience while following the directions in the thread.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 313
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From: Laurel MS
You can easily do this fix yourself for under $10.00. You can get the bushings at Autozone. They are the same bushings used in the power window motors of Fords. After buying the bushings...all it takes is time and patience while following the directions in the thread.
Better yet...measure the ones @ AZ then buy them in bulk @ Lowe's.
So you've got to cut them to length...you've only got a dollar invested anyway!
Cheers
Check your 6
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jhammons01,
Wow, 10 days later and the answer or advice is still wrong!
All,
I supported my local vette parts store and bought the bushings from them. I installed them last night in about an hour and a half. The second side was much easier and quicker. The old bushings looked pretty good. Maybe a little out of round but solid and unbroken.
Symptoms remain the same: Lights work, open and close, little manual ***** do not set and spin, headlights jostle and make a knocking sound after they close.
Any other suggestions? I hate being a "parts changer".
Wow, 10 days later and the answer or advice is still wrong!
All,
I supported my local vette parts store and bought the bushings from them. I installed them last night in about an hour and a half. The second side was much easier and quicker. The old bushings looked pretty good. Maybe a little out of round but solid and unbroken.
Symptoms remain the same: Lights work, open and close, little manual ***** do not set and spin, headlights jostle and make a knocking sound after they close.
Any other suggestions? I hate being a "parts changer".
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Fort Knox, KY
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jhammons01,
Wow, 10 days later and the answer or advice is still wrong!
All,
I supported my local vette parts store and bought the bushings from them. I installed them last night in about an hour and a half. The second side was much easier and quicker. The old bushings looked pretty good. Maybe a little out of round but solid and unbroken.
Symptoms remain the same: Lights work, open and close, little manual ***** do not set and spin, headlights jostle and make a knocking sound after they close.
Any other suggestions? I hate being a "parts changer".
Wow, 10 days later and the answer or advice is still wrong!
All,
I supported my local vette parts store and bought the bushings from them. I installed them last night in about an hour and a half. The second side was much easier and quicker. The old bushings looked pretty good. Maybe a little out of round but solid and unbroken.
Symptoms remain the same: Lights work, open and close, little manual ***** do not set and spin, headlights jostle and make a knocking sound after they close.
Any other suggestions? I hate being a "parts changer".
6th Gear
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6
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headlight noise
mine are making noise also, its like the motors continue to turn when i turn the lights off, this also happens when i disconnect the battery and when i reconect the battery the motors engauge not raising or lowering the lights
Le Mans Master
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
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Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Phoenix Az
I had same problem, part of it was the gear the bushings went in.
did you check the gear ?
My guess is that could be part of the problem, I changed both of them when I changed the bushings, everything works fine.
did you check the gear ?
My guess is that could be part of the problem, I changed both of them when I changed the bushings, everything works fine.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 26
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As noted above my bushings and gears were fine. I replaced the control module located on the left fender liner. It took about 2 minutes. Now they work fine. The key to diagnosing if it is bushings/gears or the control is if the motor **** continues to spin. It is also fairly easy to hit the wires going to the motors with 12v and then reverse the polarity and hit them again. If the lights work fine, the problem may be upstream of the gears. Someone hamfisted might want to put a fuse in the line before trying that. I do not know how robust the motors are.