C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

headlight stuck

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Old May 7, 2014 | 08:47 PM
  #1  
Hairy W Bush's Avatar
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Default headlight stuck

my passenger side headlight just started getting stuck going down. if I lift the hood up and turn them off again it will go back in. what the hell??
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Old May 7, 2014 | 09:08 PM
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sounds like it is time for gears and bushings
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Old May 7, 2014 | 09:15 PM
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are you sure?? because I'd want to order something tonight.
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Old May 7, 2014 | 09:22 PM
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Check the passenger side under hood area for any obstructions, recovery hoses to the recovery tank or any oil containers or the recovery cap laying there loose.
Yes there is a lot of room for people to put things there that do not belong.

Look at the clearance of the lamp cover to the hood, they can get close and jam on the hood with the wear in the bushes.
That may explain the difference with hood open and closed, i have had that with my vette and made the mistake of hitting the light assy with my hand as it was stuck and took a bit of paint off.

Get someone to operate the headlight switch and take a close look at the clearances, feel if the headlight assembly is loose or wobbles.
The bushes wear with the headlight rotating up and down, and the headlight cover can get loose so check the torx bolts are tight.
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Old May 7, 2014 | 09:33 PM
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there is no way to be sure untill a full diagnose is made I posted what I did because just the short description you gave that is the most common problem
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Old May 7, 2014 | 09:37 PM
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well i went back out. nothing is in the way. I mean i kinda moved a wire and the coolant line but the wire i never touched previously and the line was pretty much in place but i moved it just a hair and it looks me be operating smoothly. the headlight always worked great since I got the car. just odd because i used them last night and they worked fine and never even popped the hood in between then and tonight. if it happens again I will report back. also its not wobbly when I checked in the closed position.
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Old May 7, 2014 | 10:28 PM
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When the headlight sticks does the door close if you open the hood without operating the light switch?? Why I ask is because with the switch off there should still be power to close the door.. If it sticks again open the hood and see if it still stays open, if anything is binding it should be obvious.. Also try turning the **** to manually move the door. One last thing to try would be to disconnect the motor and manually operate the motor to check for bushing play or bind..

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Old May 8, 2014 | 12:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Hairy W Bush
The headlight always worked great since I got the car. Just odd because I used them last night and they worked fine.
Yep, things usually work fine until they fail! If this is a '95 you're talking about, it's probably time for new delrin pellets in the drive gears inside the headlight motor. Not a tough job to fix. There are many tutorials on this forum, if you're interested.

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Old May 8, 2014 | 07:59 AM
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Originally Posted by ccrazor
When the headlight sticks does the door close if you open the hood without operating the light switch?? Why I ask is because with the switch off there should still be power to close the door.. If it sticks again open the hood and see if it still stays open, if anything is binding it should be obvious.. Also try turning the **** to manually move the door. One last thing to try would be to disconnect the motor and manually operate the motor to check for bushing play or bind..

I can try that. but what was happening is if I opened the hood it would stay until I turned them on and off again. I did try moving it with very little force when the hood was shut and it was not budging.
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Old May 8, 2014 | 10:37 AM
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I had the same issue about a month ago, it was the coolant overflow bottle return hose. I moved it and used Gorrilia tape to keep it out of the way.

Chris
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Old May 8, 2014 | 03:44 PM
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I did try moving it with very little force when the hood was shut and it was not budging.
Try to move the HL open close with the manual ****. Slight motion should be immediate in both directions; if not it's time to pull the assembly for diagnosis & repair.

You can use the manual **** on the other light to get a feel for how is should respond.
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Old May 8, 2014 | 05:46 PM
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Check the metal line going to the overflow tank. If the hood is closed and the headlight sticks, but doesn't when the hood is up....more than likely the cause.
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Old May 8, 2014 | 07:55 PM
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it's still working fine right now so I'll just leave it before my bad luck dawns on me again.
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Old Jul 29, 2014 | 06:51 PM
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There is also a pellet kit that goes in there as well. That can cause your problem. Hope that helps a little
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Old Jul 30, 2014 | 06:25 AM
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Tolerances are so close on both sides so anything in the way will stop your light flipping. Also check the connectors and blow them out with some contact cleaner. Do the simple stuff first before rebuilding the gears and bushes.

Good luck!
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