adjusting headlight door difficulties
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,890
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From: Cocoa Florida
adjusting headlight door difficulties
Hey guys,
Im trying to adjust my headlight covers/doors so they are aligned correctly with the body panels but I just can not get it right.
The driver side I have moderately aligned, but the pass side is horrible.
NO matter how long I fiddle witht he door it rubs against the hood when opened and looks crooked when down.
Anyone else ever had a problem with this or know any tricks?
Ive spent about an hour and a half on this one light and still rubs against the hood taking chunks out of the light cover.
Im trying to adjust my headlight covers/doors so they are aligned correctly with the body panels but I just can not get it right.
The driver side I have moderately aligned, but the pass side is horrible.
NO matter how long I fiddle witht he door it rubs against the hood when opened and looks crooked when down.
Anyone else ever had a problem with this or know any tricks?
Ive spent about an hour and a half on this one light and still rubs against the hood taking chunks out of the light cover.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Did you have a wreck? There is a black plate under the cover that can also be moved around. There are TONS of ways this can be reattached, so at the very least, mark the original screw head positions so you can go back to square one if you have to. Sounds like it needs to be loosed and moved over a tad so your cover can mate up properly with the hood. Sorry I don't have a schematic to show you, but maybe someone will chime in with one. It's not hard - just time-consuming. Good luck!
Here is the piece you can adjust - It is what the top cover attaches to. You can see mine was broken in my accident and it was replaced. Just loosen the 4 bolts holding it in and move it slightly. The white hex heads can be adjusted up and down to get the tightest fit against the top cover.
Here is the piece you can adjust - It is what the top cover attaches to. You can see mine was broken in my accident and it was replaced. Just loosen the 4 bolts holding it in and move it slightly. The white hex heads can be adjusted up and down to get the tightest fit against the top cover.
Last edited by BSiegPaint; Nov 7, 2007 at 09:56 PM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,890
Likes: 0
From: Cocoa Florida
I have the diagram and moved that little piece around for an hour... I know what you are talking about and it worked onthe driver side but not the passenger side.
As far as I know and the GM history show there are no wrecks or anything... Im just wondering if something might be bent?
Maybe I need to find someone with a spare door to make sure mine isnt warped somehow?
As far as I know and the GM history show there are no wrecks or anything... Im just wondering if something might be bent?
Maybe I need to find someone with a spare door to make sure mine isnt warped somehow?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Is the whole assembly loose? I'm wondering if the attaching bolts on the assembly itself have let the whole headlight slip somehow. See if you can grab the whole thing and move it with a little effort. If you can, tighten the nuts on the wheel well.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
The gap around the edge looks correct everywhere except where it meets the fender... weird. Looks like it's been pushed back there. I'm not sure HOW you would center these - the shape of the hole does not seem to be the same shape as the lid... 
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Night Owl for life
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From: Bugs Bunny should'a made a left turn here
if you've exhausted all the headlamp door adjustments, maybe you can try adjusting the hood a bit. it swings in an arc where the gas shock bolts to the hood. this may give you more clearance so it does not rub.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Your gaps all around seem to be right - it's up front that concerns me... Sorry the pic is fuzzy - but you can tell the bottom left corner has a LOT more room than you have, and the rest seems fairly close to what you are showing.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Cocoa Florida
hmmm thats an option! I will try that tonight or tomorrow and let you guys know, thanks!
If you have any other suggestions let me know... The front where that bottom corner meets the fascia looks like its touching when down.
Also, am I supposed to be able to open/close the hood ith the lights up, because they both rub doing that...
If you have any other suggestions let me know... The front where that bottom corner meets the fascia looks like its touching when down.
Also, am I supposed to be able to open/close the hood ith the lights up, because they both rub doing that...
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Shoot, are your nose and fender lined up correctly? Your nose seems a bit pushed in, while mine looks a bit out. That's an easy adjustment...
And yes, you should be able to open your hood with the lights up.
And yes, you should be able to open your hood with the lights up.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,890
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From: Cocoa Florida
Geez, I guess I have more messed up than I thought... because both sides rub the hood when up.
As far as arcing the hood, i just looked, it wont move it back just up and down it looks like?
No, the front fender and fascia dont look like they line up perfectly. Ive had the fascia off before to do some stuff but this was as good as I could get it. Not sure what that would effect on the hood / light bit though
sigh... if its not one thing its another.
As far as arcing the hood, i just looked, it wont move it back just up and down it looks like?
No, the front fender and fascia dont look like they line up perfectly. Ive had the fascia off before to do some stuff but this was as good as I could get it. Not sure what that would effect on the hood / light bit though
sigh... if its not one thing its another.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Loosen these
Move out a bit and tighten.
I guess you would have to get the headlamp assembly out of the way first...
Wish you were closer - I love a challenge like this!!! Seriously, it just looks like you need a little panel adjustment here and there. It'll work...
Move out a bit and tighten.
I guess you would have to get the headlamp assembly out of the way first...
Wish you were closer - I love a challenge like this!!! Seriously, it just looks like you need a little panel adjustment here and there. It'll work...
Last edited by BSiegPaint; Nov 7, 2007 at 11:02 PM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,890
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From: Cocoa Florida
I have them as far as they will and still keeping all the other bolts lining up.
Maybe something on mine is bent beyond normal... ? Though this doesnt have anything to do with the light hitting the hood, it is on the list of things to fix...
It wasnt hitting the fascia until I messed with it tonight, but obviously if the driver side is hitting the hood when the light is up, maybe my whole hood is wrong, not just the lights...
if I move the hood will I have to reset the latches?
Maybe something on mine is bent beyond normal... ? Though this doesnt have anything to do with the light hitting the hood, it is on the list of things to fix...
It wasnt hitting the fascia until I messed with it tonight, but obviously if the driver side is hitting the hood when the light is up, maybe my whole hood is wrong, not just the lights...
if I move the hood will I have to reset the latches?
Night Owl for life
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From: Bugs Bunny should'a made a left turn here
the hood will move, you may just have to "unstick" it if this was the first time you have ever loosened it. it may have some paint stuck to the hinge that keeps it from moving the first time, but it will move along the arc.
i'm not sure if this will even help, and i don't want to make things worse. but if things don't work out by adjusting the headlamp doors, this could be an option.
i'm not sure if this will even help, and i don't want to make things worse. but if things don't work out by adjusting the headlamp doors, this could be an option.
Now a CTS-V Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Central Ohio
CI 5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
Thats what I did recently when installing HID and replacing gears. Had NO problems with everything going back in.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,890
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From: Cocoa Florida
I there a trick to making sure the lids are aligned by taking the whole assembly out? Meaning can we align the thing out of the car?
Tomorrow I am going to be taking the fascia off and spending all weekend trying to find out if anything is bent. What do the light attachments mount to, and can it be pursuaded with a big hammer?
Tomorrow I am going to be taking the fascia off and spending all weekend trying to find out if anything is bent. What do the light attachments mount to, and can it be pursuaded with a big hammer?
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,333
Likes: 6
From: Louisville Kentucky
I there a trick to making sure the lids are aligned by taking the whole assembly out? Meaning can we align the thing out of the car?
Tomorrow I am going to be taking the fascia off and spending all weekend trying to find out if anything is bent. What do the light attachments mount to, and can it be pursuaded with a big hammer?
Tomorrow I am going to be taking the fascia off and spending all weekend trying to find out if anything is bent. What do the light attachments mount to, and can it be pursuaded with a big hammer?
At this point, taking out the entire headlight assembly is useless in that you've already removed that headlight cover. If you had removed the entire headlight assembly before, then you wouldn't have had to remove that cover and the whole adjustment issue would have never come into play, at least as far as the headlight cover is concerned. Trouble-shooting 101 states, start were ever you touched before. If you have never removed the fender, don't go adjusting it because you'll just introduce more confusion into the problem. Only touch what you've touched before. That is what is out of whack, especially if it was correct before.
Last edited by Junkman2008; Nov 9, 2007 at 12:03 AM.