Notices
C5 General General C5 Corvette and C5 Z06 Discussion not covered in Tech

Headlight Motors acting up, help

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 14, 2011 | 10:46 PM
  #1  
cheatoes's Avatar
cheatoes
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Glendale AZ
Default Headlight Motors acting up, help

Ok so I was installing a hid kit and when I mounted the headlight back onto the bracket and on the motor I cannot seem to sync them with my light switch. When I turn them on they go up (headlights turn on), but they won't go down when I turn them off(headlights DO turn off though). So I tried flipping the position of the bracket arm to the motor and the same thing. Then I tried adjusting the motor **** to where the headlights were all the way down in the off position, and the same thing happened again. I can't figure it out, has anyone else had the same problem?
Reply
Old Jun 14, 2011 | 10:58 PM
  #2  
01magnetic01's Avatar
01magnetic01
Pro
15 Year Member
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 537
Likes: 4
From: Roseville Ca.
Default

Did your HID kit come with a resistor?....I'm not positive but I believe the inline resistor is what causes the lights to go up and down after installing the HIDs.
Maybe somebody who has done them before will chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.
Reply
Old Jun 15, 2011 | 01:46 AM
  #3  
Jistari's Avatar
Jistari
Safety Car
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,640
Likes: 83
From: . New York
Default

The opening and closing works on resistance in the motor, this means that no matter where you have them (one open, one closed, one half open . . .) when you turn the switch on they open until they hit the stops then the motor shuts off. So, its not likely the position you have them in has anything to do with it.

It is a pretty common thing to install HIDs and have the lights not close properly (the HIDs use less voltage and the system doesnt operate properly) but whatever they do, they usually both do it (both stay open, both stay closed). The solution to that is installing a resistor in the circut (vendors on the site here have them made up, they are plug and play, just plug it in between your drivers side and pass side lights).

Another thing that happens to the pop up lights is that the plastic gears inside the motors go after a while, but if it were that you might also hear a ticking/grinding sound as the light tries to open/close. There are kits to replace the stock plastic ones with brass ones.

The only other thing would be the head light controller. Its bolted to the fender under the pass side headlight. You may want to make sure you didnt jostle any of those connections when you did your install.

Really not sure where you're at since you mentioned "switching the position of the bracket", you have to get them back to the way you found them to start. And also, if you ran the battery down doing the install, that may also be screwing with the open/close cycle.

Might want to:
Get it assembled the way you found it.
Make sure the battery is charged and in good shape (11 ftlbs on the terminals)
See if there is a way you can temporarily bypass the hid setup, if they use the oem connectors for power you may be able to just unplug the hid ballasts and reconnect the old low beams (they dont have to be installed, just out of the way of the lights when they open/close). If the light work correctly with the old bulbs, you know its the resistance.

Id bet its the resistance.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Headlight Motors acting up, help





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:11 PM.

story-0
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!

Slideshow: The 5 best and 5 most overrated Corvette track packages ever.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:46:45


VIEW MORE
story-1
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained

Slideshow: Every 2027 Corvette engine explained

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:16:31


VIEW MORE
story-2
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette

Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-08 19:53:43


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-8
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE