Headlight motor help needed...
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 16,499
Likes: 2,384
From: Out Where the Buses Don't Run, Eglin AFB/ Niceville FL
2025 C8 Z06/7/E-Ray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 Corvette of the Year Finalist -- Modified
2021 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
2020 C7 of the Year Finalist -- Modified
2020 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Headlight motor help needed...
My headlights operate normally but the motors continue to run for roughly 15 seconds after the headlight cycle is over. This happens during opening or closing. I can see the manual ***** spinning as well. On occasion the headlights don't open or close in sync with each other. Am I looking at a relay problem (changed in 1993) or a motor problem or something else? Thanks in advance. :seeya
Racer
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 413
Likes: 0
From: glendale Arizona
Re: Headlight motor help needed... (89ragtop)
My 89 roadster did the same thing, it would continue to run after words for about 15 seconds and finally didn't work at all and the fix was the little white bushings in the motor gears, they were almost powder, not a bad job but take whole light assembly out and work on this on a bench, since I replaced them all has worked well
:jester :jester :jester :jester
:jester :jester :jester :jester
Racer
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 452
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa Ok, Racing the wind
Re: Headlight motor help needed... (89ragtop)
I had exact same problem, fixed it real quick with the $4.00 nylon bushings. Mid america and Ecklers have them. They work great, mine were power before I changed them out. Better buy two sets, your other headlight will do the same thing. :yesnod:
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 16,499
Likes: 2,384
From: Out Where the Buses Don't Run, Eglin AFB/ Niceville FL
2025 C8 Z06/7/E-Ray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 Corvette of the Year Finalist -- Modified
2021 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
2020 C7 of the Year Finalist -- Modified
2020 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Re: Headlight motor help needed... (Curtis629)
Thanks everyone. Bushings are on the way. I appreciate the help. :seeya
Racer
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 266
Likes: 7
From: Sumner WA
Re: Headlight motor help needed... (89ragtop)
Definitely the bushings. I had the same exact symptoms and replaced mine last weekend. I'm surprised the headlights came up at all because all I had left of the old bushings was dust.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 69,020
Likes: 0
From: Bagpipes put the "fun" in "funeral"
Re: Headlight motor help needed... (LT5FIRE)
Kind of a peculiar design, the thing that normally turns the motor off is the stall current spike (motors draw the most current when they're stopped, the circuitry senses this and shuts off power). If there's slippage due to worn bushings, the motor never stalls so the circuit just keeps it running until it times out, which grinds the bushings down even faster.
Pretty soon they'll start slipping, seem loose, get stuck halfway, etc.
