That said, I'm not overly-mechanically inclined and I was able to do it with relative ease. Good luck! 
Headlight motor making noise
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 50
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From: Charlotte NC
Headlight motor making noise
I went to turn off my headlights this morning and my driver's side headlight made this loud noise like something was stuck in a fan blade. I assume this is the motor.
I turned it off and on several times and it continued to make the sound. I let it continue while looking for the source and after a few seconds it stopped.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I turned it off and on several times and it continued to make the sound. I let it continue while looking for the source and after a few seconds it stopped.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Houston, Tx Got traction?
CI 5-6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07-'08
The plastic gear in your headlight motor is missing a few teeth.
Is a very easy repair. Lookup brass headlight gears on the forum, there's a few good vendors for replacement brass parts.
Is a very easy repair. Lookup brass headlight gears on the forum, there's a few good vendors for replacement brass parts.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Newberry FL
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,421
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From: Lake Mary Florida
Ha, mine started doing the exact same thing a week ago. It sounds horrible.
Mine is under warranty and I have a $100. deduct. So I checked with my GM parts guy on the price of a new one which was about $160. and I decided to replace it myself since the warranty would only cover the 60. plus labor. (Yippee I get to use my tools again, been awhile since the '93 has been gone!) Anyway I have the Factory Service Manuals and reviewed the procedure. Amazing what has to come off first to swap the motor out. Hope to have this done this evening. I figured it wasn't worth the aggrevation of sitting at the dealers for several hours and letting someone unknown to me swap it out. I know I'll have it out and in within an hour or so, and I know the quality of my work!
GOOD LUCK on yours.
Mine is under warranty and I have a $100. deduct. So I checked with my GM parts guy on the price of a new one which was about $160. and I decided to replace it myself since the warranty would only cover the 60. plus labor. (Yippee I get to use my tools again, been awhile since the '93 has been gone!) Anyway I have the Factory Service Manuals and reviewed the procedure. Amazing what has to come off first to swap the motor out. Hope to have this done this evening. I figured it wasn't worth the aggrevation of sitting at the dealers for several hours and letting someone unknown to me swap it out. I know I'll have it out and in within an hour or so, and I know the quality of my work!
GOOD LUCK on yours.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,726
Likes: 97
From: Castro Valley State of Insanity
You can also do a free repair that only takes a few minutes. Locate and remove the nut that holds the headlight control arm to the motor, carefully remove the control arm, place a reference mark on the shaft where the arm mounts, with the manual ****, rotate the shaft where the arm mounts 180 degrees, reinstall arm and nut. Your motors gears are now riding on a new surface and will probably last as long as they did this time. When they die again, you'll need the new gears for sure.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 940
Likes: 0
From: Surprise Arizona
Ha, mine started doing the exact same thing a week ago. It sounds horrible.
Mine is under warranty and I have a $100. deduct. So I checked with my GM parts guy on the price of a new one which was about $160. and I decided to replace it myself since the warranty would only cover the 60. plus labor. (Yippee I get to use my tools again, been awhile since the '93 has been gone!) Anyway I have the Factory Service Manuals and reviewed the procedure. Amazing what has to come off first to swap the motor out. Hope to have this done this evening. I figured it wasn't worth the aggrevation of sitting at the dealers for several hours and letting someone unknown to me swap it out. I know I'll have it out and in within an hour or so, and I know the quality of my work!
GOOD LUCK on yours.
Mine is under warranty and I have a $100. deduct. So I checked with my GM parts guy on the price of a new one which was about $160. and I decided to replace it myself since the warranty would only cover the 60. plus labor. (Yippee I get to use my tools again, been awhile since the '93 has been gone!) Anyway I have the Factory Service Manuals and reviewed the procedure. Amazing what has to come off first to swap the motor out. Hope to have this done this evening. I figured it wasn't worth the aggrevation of sitting at the dealers for several hours and letting someone unknown to me swap it out. I know I'll have it out and in within an hour or so, and I know the quality of my work!
GOOD LUCK on yours.
If replacing the gears, you have the option of removing the headlight assemblies or leaving them in place and only removing the motors for access. I chose the latter and found it to be a fairly easy yet permanent solution to my problem.
By not removing the entire assemblies, you are working with your hands is some very tight spaces. There is one tool that makes this approach much easier...a "racheting" box end wrench for removing the three bolts that attach the motor to the bracket and disconnecting the actuator arm from the spindle of the motor (four bolts total...all 10mm I believe).
Gool luck.
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Verdad Gallardo
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
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From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,735
Likes: 14
From: Visalia CA
Here is the exact page you need.
Click here.
Edit: My mistake. You still have to click on the "electrical tab" and then click on the "1997-2004 C5 Corvette Metal Headlight Gears" link.
Last edited by WetteVette; Jul 20, 2007 at 02:10 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,421
Likes: 8
From: Lake Mary Florida
I can't believe GM (Chevrolet) was so dang lazy to basically use the same motor from the C4 generation. Why did they not realize how horrible these things were and come up with a new design. Of course we all know they did figure it out eventually, but that was a C6 and their solution was the kill the flip lamps. I bet if the C6 got flip lamps they would have used the same stinkin' motor again!
I should be done with this early this evening.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,421
Likes: 8
From: Lake Mary Florida
Well not a bad job, little tough on the lower back though. Took about two hours, that included time to figure out a quicker way shortening the FSM procedure. I didn't completely follow the FSM, they wanted you to access it from underneath removing the entire assembly. I just removed the bezel and top lid, and was able to work in the small space to get the three nuts/bolts and the center nut off. Set the new motor position to match the old, swapped out the motors and good to go. Except now my newer one comes up a hair faster then the original on the other side, LOL, but they go down the same rate. Most of all, I know how the job was done, no surprises later.
