Sometimes when I turn on my headlights, the headlight doors dont open. Half the time they do, half the time they dont. sometimes I have to turn them off and on again. But once they are open, they are fine. Is there a headlight module or relay that normally causes this type of intermittent malfunction?

Car is a '98 C5 btw.

 

Sounds like you have the "stripping" gear problem. Read lots of posts on here about people replacing they motor gears with bronze ones.
As time goes by, the plastic gears just wear out. It isn't the motor itself. Search for headlight gear replacement. You'll get your answer quick. It's an easy job, I did both motors on my formula fiero.(before that SOB hit me in the **** and totaled it)
HTH.........and from a desert storm vet to you, thanks for being there doing what we know doesn't need to be done anymore.

 

If it were a stripping gear though, wouldnt I hear some sort of noise telling me the gear is stripping out? Both dont come up but the lights come on...like it's not getting a signal to the headlights to pop up. So I didnt think that was the problem...

 

sounds more like your switch may not be working properly to me, but I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Exress last night....

 

Me neither

 

you mean the switch on the turn signal lever? The lights come on... it's just the headlights dont pop up sometimes...

I guess it depends. Is there more than one circuit that goes through the switch when I turn it on? Like a switch to power the parking lights, and another to power the headlights, and another to power the headlight motors? I figured the headlight motors would have been the same circuit as the headlight power, with a relay or something...

 

Here are the stages my "stripped gear" went through.

1) Problem with right headlight not popping up all the time, but light was on. You could ensure it always popped up by loosening the manual headlight **** a few turns before trying.

2) Took a long while but much later, then it would make a machine gun noise after closing for 4-5 seconds. This was obviously the stripped gear sound.

3) Things now got crazy. Sometimes my headlights would pop up when I just turned on my parking lights, but they would not be on.

4) Replaced right stripped plastic gear with brass one. Everything fine. I have left gear but did not put it in yet.

There is a solid state headlight module. It is expensive from the dealer (over $200). I am told these rarely go bad. It is located under your passenger side headlight. It works by sensing the high current when a headlight motor hits a stop and turns off power. That is the cause of the stripped gears, the metal worm gear trys to keep turning until the module turns it off, putting stress on the plastic gear. Oh, there is a rubber shock absorber piece that the motor drives the gear through, it usually goes bad also. Rodney Dickman includes new rubber piecies with his kit. Cost of kit is $90 for 2 gears, rubber piecies, gaskets, lube and if later year includes expoxy and braces (they are a little more $).
Here is the link for Rodney Dickman's kit:

http://www.rodneydickman.com/retail_new.html

choose "electrical" and scroll down to your year

It contains all pieces: brass gears, rubber shock absorbers, lube, gaskets, expoxy. Note braces for later years.


The multifunction switch on the steering column does go bad, try cleaning it by using electrical tuner cleaner (WD40 works also). It controls all current for headlights, motors, parking lights, turn signals (through relays of course).

 

awesome info. Thanks! Looks like the switch is having contact issues then. I will check it when I get home next month.

I just bought the car, I dont know if the previous owner installed bronze gears or not yet...