Headlight motor knocking
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,145
Likes: 2
From: Antigonish Nova Scotia
Headlight motor knocking
Just got home and shut the vette off, turned off the lights and heard a knocking noise coming from the driver's side headlight. Knocked for about 10 sec. and than stopped. Turned lights back on and it repeated again. Lights open and close OK, Cap spinning freely, but motor knocking. I'm guessing motor gear is starting to go. Before I order gear could it be something else. Thanks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,091
Likes: 45
From: Albuquerque New Mexico
i just did the fix of the gears in my lights as per one of these threads, replacing the three plastic things in each gear. And, now my lights open ok, but i get the knocking too....the motor continues to spin after it is open or closed and continues to try to open/close it. Would love to hear what the solution is?
7th Gear
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Chesterfield Virginia
i just did the fix of the gears in my lights as per one of these threads, replacing the three plastic things in each gear. And, now my lights open ok, but i get the knocking too....the motor continues to spin after it is open or closed and continues to try to open/close it. Would love to hear what the solution is?
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
From: Taylors SC
i just did the fix of the gears in my lights as per one of these threads, replacing the three plastic things in each gear. And, now my lights open ok, but i get the knocking too....the motor continues to spin after it is open or closed and continues to try to open/close it. Would love to hear what the solution is?
Racer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
From: Grapevine TX
This happened to me took six months worth of looking and trying different things and finally found out what was going wrong. It was simpler then what i was thinking it would be and looked in all the wrong places maybe this will help!!! on the spur gear that holds the three bushings which u can get from a local hardware store etc if they need to be replaced.. there is a metal shaft that goes thru the spure gear. that shaft is connected to the other half of the spur gear housing. its connected by a metal press to hold the two parts together. I pulled the two parts apart put some metal glue on it put them back together and the knocking was gone. over time it worn down the press and would slip a bit. Thats what was causing mine hope that helps some
Taylor T
Taylor T
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,700
Likes: 298
From: Ft. Lauderdale Fl
Just got home and shut the vette off, turned off the lights and heard a knocking noise coming from the driver's side headlight. Knocked for about 10 sec. and than stopped. Turned lights back on and it repeated again. Lights open and close OK, Cap spinning freely, but motor knocking. I'm guessing motor gear is starting to go. Before I order gear could it be something else. Thanks
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Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 96,443
Likes: 9
From: Fort Knox, KY
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Sounds like your Delrin headlight motor bushings have gone ****-up. Read this article while you wait for yours to come in off order.
http://www.corvettefever.com/howto/33098/index.html
http://www.corvettefever.com/howto/33098/index.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,838
Likes: 31
From: Australia
There are limit switches that shut of power when the end of travel is reached.When things are worn the armature does not load up on the limit switch and the motor continues to draw power.
When the headlight is closed try opening it with the manual ****; if you can feel the motor "fighting " back it is still drawing power from not being shut off. Also a source of the mystery battery drain.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,091
Likes: 45
From: Albuquerque New Mexico
replaced bushing, my knocking didn';t come till after i replaced them.
also, i disconnected my negative on my battery and the thing went bonkers, knocking like crazy....any thoughts on that one?
also, i disconnected my negative on my battery and the thing went bonkers, knocking like crazy....any thoughts on that one?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,145
Likes: 2
From: Antigonish Nova Scotia
If it was the module wouldn't you think it would have the same problem on both lights.
Thanks for all the info, will try bushings first, as this is the least expensive.
7th Gear
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Chesterfield Virginia
It went bonkers because of the dissipation of the stored energy in the door opening clutch system. The delrin rollers are driving blocks for the delrin triangular clutch plate that is bonded to the motor side of the gear. The headlamp actuator relay senses the current draw and turns off power to the motor when the doors are fully opened or closed. When you disconnected power from the battery the motor was no longer forcing the driving blocks and they were free to move until stored energy was disapated. The knocking can occur on either headlamp actuator or both depending on which circuit in the relay is not sensing enough current to shut off voltage to the door motor. If you delrin blocks are good, spur gear and worm shaft are good then it is the actuator relay.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Columbia Missouri
It went bonkers because of the dissipation of the stored energy in the door opening clutch system. The delrin rollers are driving blocks for the delrin triangular clutch plate that is bonded to the motor side of the gear. The headlamp actuator relay senses the current draw and turns off power to the motor when the doors are fully opened or closed. When you disconnected power from the battery the motor was no longer forcing the driving blocks and they were free to move until stored energy was disapated. The knocking can occur on either headlamp actuator or both depending on which circuit in the relay is not sensing enough current to shut off voltage to the door motor. If you delrin blocks are good, spur gear and worm shaft are good then it is the actuator relay.
I'll probably start with the bushings unless somebody knows of some sort of test that I can perform first.
Charlie
Charlie
Last edited by VFR750; Nov 7, 2009 at 12:11 PM.
