Headlight Doors - 89R
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 858
Likes: 6
From: Hobe Sound FL
Headlight Doors - 89R
I just bought this C-4. Tonight the headlight doors quit at 1/2 way open. I can swing them manually, but no set up by themselves. Can I fix ? I just sold my C-3, and now a new ballgame. Any advice would be appreciated. Also, under hood lights out.....fuse ?
Thanks,
Boatman
Hobe Sound, FL
Thanks,
Boatman
Hobe Sound, FL
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Congrats on your new C4. 
A common problem with C4 headlight doors is that the three nylon bushings in the gear housing wear to powder. You can get replacements from Mid America.
Check voltage to the hood lights with hood open. If wiring is ok the lights will need to be replaced. They are fused by the CTSY/CLK fuse, which is used by the lighter & glove box lights also.
A common problem with C4 headlight doors is that the three nylon bushings in the gear housing wear to powder. You can get replacements from Mid America.
Check voltage to the hood lights with hood open. If wiring is ok the lights will need to be replaced. They are fused by the CTSY/CLK fuse, which is used by the lighter & glove box lights also.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,448
Likes: 1
From: Tracy CA
Welcome, Boatman!
The headlights are a common problem on these cars. Welcome to the club! The good thing is, once you fix 'em, they usually stay fixed!
Do a search for headlights. You should find quite a few threads about fixing them. I think there is also an article someone scanned in (?) about replacing the bushings.
What year do you have? Oh, an '89. Good choice! You have bushings that probably disintegrated. You can buy the fancy brass gear if you want, but you probably don't need it (I didn't need it
). What you DO need are the 3 little "delrin" bushings (per side). That, and a little patience (or a lot of beer) and you'll have those lights flipping in no time! Took me, no more than, what, 4-5 hours. But I have ADD, and I think there was a football game on, or something!
Anyway, it's one of those "Rites of Passage" things that we all go through. But once it's done, every time you turn on your headlights you'll get a warm, fuzzy feeling watching them flip up, lighting your way!
-Eric
The headlights are a common problem on these cars. Welcome to the club! The good thing is, once you fix 'em, they usually stay fixed!
Do a search for headlights. You should find quite a few threads about fixing them. I think there is also an article someone scanned in (?) about replacing the bushings.
What year do you have? Oh, an '89. Good choice! You have bushings that probably disintegrated. You can buy the fancy brass gear if you want, but you probably don't need it (I didn't need it
). What you DO need are the 3 little "delrin" bushings (per side). That, and a little patience (or a lot of beer) and you'll have those lights flipping in no time! Took me, no more than, what, 4-5 hours. But I have ADD, and I think there was a football game on, or something!Anyway, it's one of those "Rites of Passage" things that we all go through. But once it's done, every time you turn on your headlights you'll get a warm, fuzzy feeling watching them flip up, lighting your way!
-Eric
Last edited by EPiC Vette; Jan 26, 2005 at 09:04 PM. Reason: Found year!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 858
Likes: 6
From: Hobe Sound FL
Thanks for headlight door fix answers
Thanks to all. I can handle that. I sold a mint 79 L82 that a neighbor bought before I advertised. Found this drop dead red on saddle 89 C4 roadster, in storage covered. All docs from day one, owned by aerobatic pilot, dealer serviced from day one. Time capsule new. I feel good about this one.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,440
Likes: 705
Saves money if you take headlights to repair shop
I had the same problem with the headlights in my 1990 Corvette. It got worse and worse until I couldn't keep them up manually. I tried to repair them, but needed a special tool to open the casing that contained the bushings.
A Corvette repair shop in Richmond, Virginia, dropped the price from $150 per headlight to $90 per headlight because I removed the headlights and took them to the shop, thus saving them that time and labor.
They put the crumbled bushings in a bag, and it looked like a bag of sand.
The previous owner had given me a complete kit consisting of bushings and brass gears. I went ahead and had the shop install the brass gears, which probably weren't necessary. However, the old nylon gears had a few teeth missing.
Now, the headlights pop up fast and with lots of power. -- Eric M.
A Corvette repair shop in Richmond, Virginia, dropped the price from $150 per headlight to $90 per headlight because I removed the headlights and took them to the shop, thus saving them that time and labor.
They put the crumbled bushings in a bag, and it looked like a bag of sand.
The previous owner had given me a complete kit consisting of bushings and brass gears. I went ahead and had the shop install the brass gears, which probably weren't necessary. However, the old nylon gears had a few teeth missing.
Now, the headlights pop up fast and with lots of power. -- Eric M.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,193
Likes: 1
From: Meadville PA
if you are handy you can fix both sides for about 30 bucks.. you get the nylon bushings from mid america or such.. i did mine in the drive took about 2 hours for both that was 4 years ago and they work fine.. i did both just because they should wear the same.. when you get it apart you will find alot of whitish powder.. people think its ground up plastice but these were really filled with a gel .. as time went on the gel dried up and turned to the powder and also quit functioning as well.. hope this helps
Racer
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 293
Likes: 0
From: Benoni Gauteng
Originally Posted by 65Z01
Congrats on your new C4.
A common problem with C4 headlight doors is that the three nylon bushings in the gear housing wear to powder. You can get replacements from Mid America.
Check voltage to the hood lights with hood open. If wiring is ok the lights will need to be replaced. They are fused by the CTSY/CLK fuse, which is used by the lighter & glove box lights also.
A common problem with C4 headlight doors is that the three nylon bushings in the gear housing wear to powder. You can get replacements from Mid America.
Check voltage to the hood lights with hood open. If wiring is ok the lights will need to be replaced. They are fused by the CTSY/CLK fuse, which is used by the lighter & glove box lights also.
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Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
Hopfully you will not have the problem of the spline shaft slipping on the gear... the shaft that holds the gear sometimes and I mean sometimes strips itself... then you have to install a pin through the shaft and gear to keep it from slipping... Most of the time that's not the case also do a search for ball bearings instead of bushings... I have them on mine and they work great....
Florida turtle advocate
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,280
Likes: 6
From: Gulfcoast Salvage Englewood, Fla
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Sounds like they both quit
Originally Posted by boatman
I just bought this C-4. Tonight the headlight doors quit at 1/2 way open. I can swing them manually, but no set up by themselves. Can I fix ? I just sold my C-3, and now a new ballgame. Any advice would be appreciated. Also, under hood lights out.....fuse ?
Thanks,
Boatman
Hobe Sound, FL
Thanks,
Boatman
Hobe Sound, FL
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 858
Likes: 6
From: Hobe Sound FL
Bushing's and Relay
Originally Posted by Daffy427
At the same time...it's NOT the bushings....It's probably the relay on the LH front wheelwell.....The bushings fail one side at a time...Just my .02
Does this relay control both sides? Only has 51K miles on it, driven only 1400 miles in the last 5 years, and only to keep it lubed, etc.
Can I identify the relay?
Thanks,
Boatman Hobe Sound, FL
Florida turtle advocate
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,280
Likes: 6
From: Gulfcoast Salvage Englewood, Fla
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Originally Posted by boatman
Daffy - 427. Thanks for the info. I have bushings on the way. Yesterday, I had the hood up, I cycled the headlights, and they worked great, open to close several times, etc. Put the hood down, open to close 4 complete cycles, then drivers side would only come up half way, as original problem. Passenger side cycled full about 6 more times, then went south again, both opening 1/2 way, motor runs about 5 seconds, then stop. No funny noises.
Does this relay control both sides? Only has 51K miles on it, driven only 1400 miles in the last 5 years, and only to keep it lubed, etc.
Can I identify the relay?
Thanks,
Boatman Hobe Sound, FL
Does this relay control both sides? Only has 51K miles on it, driven only 1400 miles in the last 5 years, and only to keep it lubed, etc.
Can I identify the relay?
Thanks,
Boatman Hobe Sound, FL
Last edited by Daffy427; Jan 29, 2005 at 10:25 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,448
Likes: 1
From: Tracy CA
Originally Posted by Daffy427
As far as the hood lites go,you might check if they have been unplugged, I unplug them on all of mine since all they do is run the battery down
I keep my hoodlights unplugged. They don't give out much light, anyway. I use a dropcord or flashlight. If I'm out somewhere, I can always plug 'em back in.
-Eric
