Seems to be a rash of threads with assorted headlight failures lately...

In my case.....turned on the lights, left side comes up fine, right side stays down...several tries, same condition..I pull over, open the hood, and manually turn the **** on the back of the lift motor to raise the lamp, and continue to drive home...Once home, turn off lights, both go down just right, BUT the right unit makes a HORRID and LOUD buzzing sound for 7 or 8 seconds....then stops and all seems well....With the hood opened and access to the lift motor, I found that the motor was continuing to spin, even after achieving the park position, and the noise was the shaft vibrating axially forward and backwards about 1/32 of in inch at a high rate of speed as it continues to spin. After the requisite 7 or 8 seconds, it just stops silent. If I bang on the end of the **** while it is making the noise, pushing the shaft forward, the thing stops and stays put. It is almost as if there is too much end play in the motor and gear system resulting in the limit switch not engaging the 'off'....There is no hesitation to lift, or slow actuation either direction. This happened the night before I had to go on a road trip with the Vette..it was not cool to pull into a motel late in the evening and wake everyone up when I turned off my headlights.

One other problem.......Normally, you can rotate the headlight switch to the first position, the headlights will stay down, but you can turn on the FOG lights....Now that is haywire too...if I rotate to the first position, the headlights come up and on, as they should in the second position.......Oh yes, the multifunction switch was replaced less than a year ago..I would hate to think that it too has failed....GEESE they are expensive!!!! and poorly made over complicated things to boot...I would prefer toggle or rocker switches on the dash like OLD SCHOOL days...

So wadda ya all think? Is the lift motor just needing some thrust washer work, a limit switch adjustment, total rebuild, or replacement? As both lights go up and down with ease, I don't think the worm gears are shot yet, but...I have not taken them apart to see....If I have to do a total rebuild, I'll go with the brass gears from Rodney,,,

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

Looking for good ideas and tech hints before I just tear in it...between the Vette [ tires, diff and tranny service, and some other repairs] and my husband's old Jeep [steering bracket welding, power steering pump, hoses, coolant, and other issues] , we have spent about 2 grand in maintenance costs just in the last month...And now THIS and more! I am motivated to do what I can to do this repair in a less expensive manner if possible. My wiper system failed while on the trip too...Had to pull the fuse to shut off the wipers!!!! Looks like yet another replacement motor controler is in the works for the wiper system! 3rd time, it is! ARRGGGG...I'm so fed up with all the cheap junk our otherwise great Corvettes are made of!
THANKS in advance for any tech advice on the headlight motor issue!

 

Here's the headlight troubleshooting Guide Jennifer

That said, it sounds like classic stripped gears to me. From what I see, the headlight switch problem can be a secondary issue. I'd fix the gears first and see if it clears the other problem.

If you'd like the table in word format PM me your E Mail and I can send it on.

Document ID# 661511
2002 Chevrolet Corvette
________________________________________
Headlamp Door(s) Inoperative
Step Action Yes No
Schematic Reference: Headlight Doors Schematics

1 Did you perform the Diagnostic System Check? Go to Step 2
Go to Diagnostic System Check - Lighting Systems

2 Turn the headlamps ON and OFF.
Do the headlamp doors open and close? Go to Testing for Intermittent and Poor Connections in Wiring Systems Go to Step 3

3 Is only one headlamp door inoperative? Go to Step 9
Go to Step 4

4 Are the headlamp doors closed at all times? Go to Step 5
Go to Step 7

5 1. Remove the right hand headlamp assembly.
2. Disconnect the control module connectors C1 and C2 to the actuator for the headlamp opening door.
3. Turn the headlamps ON.
4. Connect a test lamp between the headlamps ON input circuit and a known good ground at connector C1. Refer to Circuit Testing in Wiring Systems.
Does the test lamp illuminate? Go to Step 6
Go to Step 13

6 Connect a test lamp between the headlamps ON input circuit and the ground circuit of connector C1.
Does the test lamp illuminate? Go to Step 11
Go to Step 14

7 1. Turn OFF the headlamp switch.
2. Disconnect the actuator control module to the headlamp opening door.
3. Using a test lamp, probe between the headlamp OFF input circuit and ground.
Does the test lamp illuminate? Go to Step 8
Go to Step 11

8 1. Disconnect connector C209.
2. Using a test lamp, probe between the headlamp OFF input circuit (female side) and ground.
Does the test lamp illuminate? Go to Step 12
Go to Step 15

9 Test the power and ground circuit of the headlamp door control for a poor connection or an open. Refer to Circuit Testing and Wiring Repairs in Wiring Systems.
Did you find and correct the condition? Go to Step 19
Go to Step 10

10 Inspect the harness connector for headlamp opening door assembly for a poor connection. Refer to Testing for Intermittent and Poor Connections and Connector Repairs in Wiring Systems.
Did you find and complete the repair? Go to Step 19
Go to Step 16

11 Inspect the harness connector for headlamp opening door actuator control module for a poor connection. Refer to Testing for Intermittent and Poor Connections and Connector Repairs in Wiring Systems.
Did you find and complete the repair? Go to Step 19
Go to Step 17

12 Inspect the harness connector for multifunction turn signal lever for a poor connection. Refer to Testing for Intermittent and Poor Connections and Connector Repairs in Wiring Systems.
Did you find and complete the repair? Go to Step 19
Go to Step 18

13 Repair a poor connector or an open in the headlamp ON input circuit. Refer to Circuit Testing and Wiring Repairs in Wiring Systems.
Did you complete the repair? Go to Step 19
--
14 Repair a poor connector or an open in the ground circuit. Refer to Circuit Testing and Wiring Repairs in Wiring Systems.
Did you complete the repair? Go to Step 19
--
15 Repair a short to battery positive voltage in the headlamps OFF input circuit. Refer to Circuit Testing and Wiring Repairs in Wiring Systems.
Did you complete the repair? Go to Step 19
--
16 Replace the headlamp opening door assembly. Refer to Headlamp Opening Door Replacement .
Did you complete the replacement? Go to Step 19
--
17 Replace the control module for the headlamp opening door actuator. Refer to Headlamp Control Module Replacement .
Did you complete the replacement? Go to Step 19
--
18 Replace the multifunction turn signal lever. Refer to Multifunction Turn Signal Lever Replacement - On Vehicle in Steering Wheel and Column - Tilt.
Did you complete the replacement? Go to Step 19
--
19 Operate the system in order to verify the repair.
Did you correct the condition? System OK Go to Step 2

________________________________________
Document ID# 661511
2002 Chevrolet Corvette

 

Headlight gear. Common problem. Replace it with the brass gears. Do both while you're at it.

Mine used to do the same thing (1 up 1 down) along with the machine gun sound.

 

Your description of the sound is RIGHT ON!! Machine gun it is!

Ordering gears from Rodney today!

I suppose it was inevitable, as I have the heavier glass T-84 Eurospec headlanps lamps. These have been known to wear out the gears faster than the cheap plastic USA spec headlamps.....What threw me here was the failure mode, in that the lamps DO go up and down on command, meaning there is enough tooth on the gear for the worm to engage..it must be the end point where there is wear.

I won't bother to take anything apart until the gears arrive, so...in the meantime, thanks for the info!

Jennifer

 

I still have a broke one and it pops up everytime. The first one I replaced didn't pop up so it can go either way.

I'm just waiting on my projector setup to be here before I replace this one. I'm not taking that thing off more than I have to.

Here is a good writeup by AJ:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...placement.html

 

Two words; fixed headlights!

 

Replacing the bad gear will also fix your issue with the headlight switch. When I had a bad gear, I would turn on my parking lights and my headlights would pop up but not turn on. After replacing the bad gear, everything worked as it should.

 

Guess what! Previous owner must have had some problems too...I found the left side, the one that stil works OK, to have the later model plastic gear/motor, and the one that failed to be the original metal case with screw-on gear cover. I have ordered the replacement gear kit from Rodney for the one that failed....I don't want to get into the breaking apart of the plastic glued together motor/gear that still works fine over on the left side, so I am going to start keeping an eye out for an early one for the left side with the metal housing and screw on cover when I visit my local Corvette 'wrecking' yard next.