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

Headlight Motor

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Old Oct 8, 2022 | 07:15 PM
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So today I put in new headlights on our 91. Now when I **** them off the driver's side motor keeps clicking and will not shut off at all until I unplug the harness for the lights.
any ideas what could be causing this.
The lights flip up and down just fine so I wouldn't think the motor is bad.
Any help would be appreciated.
Also does anyone know of a good C4 technian/mechanic in the Springfield Missouri area?

Update. It's both sides making the clicking noise and will not shut off.
I swapped the H6054 for the Holley LED lights.
​​​

Last edited by MrHillTPI; Oct 8, 2022 at 07:23 PM.
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Old Oct 8, 2022 | 07:46 PM
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Do a search. There are a bunch of threads about headlight issues. I went the extreme route to fix mine. I removed the isolation and the ripple relay and replaced them with two 5 pin relays in a new relay box I got off ebay. So my headlight motors are controlled by a small 3 position toggle switch inside the car. This eliminated so many headaches. But not everyone likes the idea of adding a switch for up and down.


Also do you like the new LED's?
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Old Oct 8, 2022 | 08:46 PM
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The bushings in your motor is bad. Rebuild both of them. I did mine recently with a kit off eBay. A guy was selling new bushings and a new gasket. I'd recommend getting that kit as the gasket will be trashed. There are plenty of threads on rebuilding these motors and there are articles on the internet. It's not too bad. I used compressed air to help clean out the old grease and I used contact cleaner to help clean up the old grease. I used high temp brake grease to lube everything back up. The kind that you get in those little packs at Autozone. I used two packs per motor, though really could have used three packs per motor. You can buy that grease in a tube. Some may recommend using lithium grease, but that's not what the factory used. The factory used something like high temp brake grease based on what it looked like when I cracked open a factory sealed motor.

In rarer cases, the bushings are fine and it's the center shaft rotating inside the plastic gear where that's not supposed to happen. You'll have to open them up, or you could buy a new motor. Rebuild will be a lot cheaper.
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Old Oct 8, 2022 | 09:01 PM
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Tomorrow I'm going to try putting the original lights back in for heck of it and see if that fixes it.
then dig deeper. I really despise wiring issues.
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Old Oct 8, 2022 | 09:42 PM
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Originally Posted by MrHillTPI
Tomorrow I'm going to try putting the original lights back in for heck of it and see if that fixes it.
then dig deeper. I really despise wiring issues.
It's simple. The bushings in the headlight motor are bad. You'll either have to replace the motors, or take them apart, clean it up and put in new bushings with new grease and a new gasket. Though as mentioned, in rare cases the problem is the shaft is rotating inside the plastic gear. No point in putting back in the old headlights as that has nothing to do with this.

Do a search on Youtube and you'll see what you need to do. Though only look at the motors that are for 88-96 Corvettes as earlier motors are different and don't apply for your year.
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Old Oct 8, 2022 | 09:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Phobos84
Do a search. There are a bunch of threads about headlight issues. I went the extreme route to fix mine. I removed the isolation and the ripple relay and replaced them with two 5 pin relays in a new relay box I got off ebay. So my headlight motors are controlled by a small 3 position toggle switch inside the car. This eliminated so many headaches. But not everyone likes the idea of adding a switch for up and down.


Also do you like the new LED's?
The motors in your 84 are different than for 88-96.
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Old Oct 8, 2022 | 09:55 PM
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I forgot to mention that you'd also want to buy new pins. The press in pins that you have to hammer out. You can get plated pins in the Help section at Autozone. A pack will have two that you'll need.

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