Headlight Actuator Module
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Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 44
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Headlight Actuator Module
I started by rebuilding my driver side headlight motor. Everything was fine. then The right headlight stopped tilting up. I rebuilt that motor and it all worked fine for awhile. Then the right headlight stopped tilting down. It got stuck in the up position.
I rebuilt the motor again and I could get it to tilt up fine. At some point, it got stuck in the up position again. then I replaced the tilt mechanism and the motor. It tilts up and down just fine when I jump the leads in the wiring harness.
This led me to the actuator module. I discovered a short pulse of power comes out of the module and goes to each light motor separately. That pulse was coming out of the module and energizing the driver's side motor and not the passengers side. Easy fix right? Replace the module. Unfortunately this is a corvette and nothing is that simple.
I have replaced two actuators with used ones I got from Ebay at about $100 each. The second one worked both lights but the passenger's light tilted up slower. I could live with that. It only worked about five times then the passenger's light got stuck in the up position.
I bought another one and again, both lights tilted up. this time, the driver's side light came up slowly. I could live with it but again, about two cycles later, it stopped working. this time smoke started coming out of the actuator. I disconnected it, let it cool down and hooked it up again. this time no smoke but the driver's light doesn't tilt up.
Now I have one module that will actuate the left light and one that will actuate the right light. I have spent $200 on actuators and gotten about 15 tilts out of the two combined.
In case you're getting the bright idea to splice the two sets of wires together, so the pulse that goes to the one motor that works will go to both motors, I already tried that. I ended up with some chewed up insulation.
Any ideas?
I rebuilt the motor again and I could get it to tilt up fine. At some point, it got stuck in the up position again. then I replaced the tilt mechanism and the motor. It tilts up and down just fine when I jump the leads in the wiring harness.
This led me to the actuator module. I discovered a short pulse of power comes out of the module and goes to each light motor separately. That pulse was coming out of the module and energizing the driver's side motor and not the passengers side. Easy fix right? Replace the module. Unfortunately this is a corvette and nothing is that simple.
I have replaced two actuators with used ones I got from Ebay at about $100 each. The second one worked both lights but the passenger's light tilted up slower. I could live with that. It only worked about five times then the passenger's light got stuck in the up position.
I bought another one and again, both lights tilted up. this time, the driver's side light came up slowly. I could live with it but again, about two cycles later, it stopped working. this time smoke started coming out of the actuator. I disconnected it, let it cool down and hooked it up again. this time no smoke but the driver's light doesn't tilt up.
Now I have one module that will actuate the left light and one that will actuate the right light. I have spent $200 on actuators and gotten about 15 tilts out of the two combined.
In case you're getting the bright idea to splice the two sets of wires together, so the pulse that goes to the one motor that works will go to both motors, I already tried that. I ended up with some chewed up insulation.
Any ideas?
1st Gear
Joined: Jul 2023
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
I started by rebuilding my driver side headlight motor. Everything was fine. then The right headlight stopped tilting up. I rebuilt that motor and it all worked fine for awhile. Then the right headlight stopped tilting down. It got stuck in the up position.
I rebuilt the motor again and I could get it to tilt up fine. At some point, it got stuck in the up position again. then I replaced the tilt mechanism and the motor. It tilts up and down just fine when I jump the leads in the wiring harness.
This led me to the actuator module. I discovered a short pulse of power comes out of the module and goes to each light motor separately. That pulse was coming out of the module and energizing the driver's side motor and not the passengers side. Easy fix right? Replace the module. Unfortunately this is a corvette and nothing is that simple.
I have replaced two actuators with used ones I got from Ebay at about $100 each. The second one worked both lights but the passenger's light tilted up slower. I could live with that. It only worked about five times then the passenger's light got stuck in the up position.
I bought another one and again, both lights tilted up. this time, the driver's side light came up slowly. I could live with it but again, about two cycles later, it stopped working. this time smoke started coming out of the actuator. I disconnected it, let it cool down and hooked it up again. this time no smoke but the driver's light doesn't tilt up.
Now I have one module that will actuate the left light and one that will actuate the right light. I have spent $200 on actuators and gotten about 15 tilts out of the two combined.
In case you're getting the bright idea to splice the two sets of wires together, so the pulse that goes to the one motor that works will go to both motors, I already tried that. I ended up with some chewed up insulation.
Any ideas?
I rebuilt the motor again and I could get it to tilt up fine. At some point, it got stuck in the up position again. then I replaced the tilt mechanism and the motor. It tilts up and down just fine when I jump the leads in the wiring harness.
This led me to the actuator module. I discovered a short pulse of power comes out of the module and goes to each light motor separately. That pulse was coming out of the module and energizing the driver's side motor and not the passengers side. Easy fix right? Replace the module. Unfortunately this is a corvette and nothing is that simple.
I have replaced two actuators with used ones I got from Ebay at about $100 each. The second one worked both lights but the passenger's light tilted up slower. I could live with that. It only worked about five times then the passenger's light got stuck in the up position.
I bought another one and again, both lights tilted up. this time, the driver's side light came up slowly. I could live with it but again, about two cycles later, it stopped working. this time smoke started coming out of the actuator. I disconnected it, let it cool down and hooked it up again. this time no smoke but the driver's light doesn't tilt up.
Now I have one module that will actuate the left light and one that will actuate the right light. I have spent $200 on actuators and gotten about 15 tilts out of the two combined.
In case you're getting the bright idea to splice the two sets of wires together, so the pulse that goes to the one motor that works will go to both motors, I already tried that. I ended up with some chewed up insulation.
Any ideas?
