Another headlight issue
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Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
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Another headlight issue
Ok, so my drivers headlight comes up intermittently. I did a search and someone said to remove the actuator arm and rotate the shaft 180 degrees and put the arm back on. Did this and it was fixed. ( For a while)
After a few months, it is back to the intermittent again. If it doesn't come up, I turn it off, open the hood and just give the **** a little spin. Go back and turn the lights on and they always come up. It's like it winds down to tight for the motor to raise it the next time.
I read every thread I could find on the lights and the consensus seems to be change the gear to the new brass style. So I ordered one and I just took it apart. Guess what? It has a brass gear in it already. It is not striped. (worm gear either)
So now what? The only thing I noticed was the worm gear seems to be riding on half the Ring gear. At first I thought it was installed wrong because there's a lip on the one side of the gear. I thought if maybe I flipped the gear, it would ride center. But the gear has knotches that must go on that side. Now I'm thinking I could make one of the plastic spacers thinner on one side and put an extra on the other to move the gear.
Has anyone done this? Or am I barking up the wrong tree? What else can I do?
After a few months, it is back to the intermittent again. If it doesn't come up, I turn it off, open the hood and just give the **** a little spin. Go back and turn the lights on and they always come up. It's like it winds down to tight for the motor to raise it the next time.
I read every thread I could find on the lights and the consensus seems to be change the gear to the new brass style. So I ordered one and I just took it apart. Guess what? It has a brass gear in it already. It is not striped. (worm gear either)
So now what? The only thing I noticed was the worm gear seems to be riding on half the Ring gear. At first I thought it was installed wrong because there's a lip on the one side of the gear. I thought if maybe I flipped the gear, it would ride center. But the gear has knotches that must go on that side. Now I'm thinking I could make one of the plastic spacers thinner on one side and put an extra on the other to move the gear.
Has anyone done this? Or am I barking up the wrong tree? What else can I do?
Last edited by helirich; Nov 3, 2016 at 07:30 PM.
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Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
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I did notice at least one of them is wore through. I'll get some new ones, but I don't really see how that could do it. In your link, they are talking about shaky headlights. I haven't noticed that.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 33
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Ok, so my drivers headlight comes up intermittently. I did a search and someone said to remove the actuator arm and rotate the shaft 180 degrees and put the arm back on. Did this and it was fixed. ( For a while)
After a few months, it is back to the intermittent again. If it doesn't come up, I turn it off, open the hood and just give the **** a little spin. Go back and turn the lights on and they always come up. It's like it winds down to tight for the motor to raise it the next time.
I read every thread I could find on the lights and the consensus seems to be change the gear to the new brass style. So I ordered one and I just took it apart. Guess what? It has a brass gear in it already. It is not striped. (worm gear either)
So now what? The only thing I noticed was the worm gear seems to be riding on half the Ring gear. At first I thought it was installed wrong because there's a lip on the one side of the gear. I thought if maybe I flipped the gear, it would ride center. But the gear has knotches that must go on that side. Now I'm thinking I could make one of the plastic spacers thinner on one side and put an extra on the other to move the gear.
Has anyone done this? Or am I barking up the wrong tree? What else can I do?
After a few months, it is back to the intermittent again. If it doesn't come up, I turn it off, open the hood and just give the **** a little spin. Go back and turn the lights on and they always come up. It's like it winds down to tight for the motor to raise it the next time.
I read every thread I could find on the lights and the consensus seems to be change the gear to the new brass style. So I ordered one and I just took it apart. Guess what? It has a brass gear in it already. It is not striped. (worm gear either)
So now what? The only thing I noticed was the worm gear seems to be riding on half the Ring gear. At first I thought it was installed wrong because there's a lip on the one side of the gear. I thought if maybe I flipped the gear, it would ride center. But the gear has knotches that must go on that side. Now I'm thinking I could make one of the plastic spacers thinner on one side and put an extra on the other to move the gear.
Has anyone done this? Or am I barking up the wrong tree? What else can I do?
you can get a reman servo from Cardone. the left is part 49-115 and the right is part 49-116. RockAuto seems to have the best price for them.
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Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
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so, evidently, the shaft of the cam part that goes into the gear can become worn enough such that it can rotate inside the cam part. this will cause the headlight to flop around or only rotate part way (ioen or closed). if you can move the headlight by hand, this is the problem.
you can get a reman servo from Cardone. the left is part 49-115 and the right is part 49-116. RockAuto seems to have the best price for them.
you can get a reman servo from Cardone. the left is part 49-115 and the right is part 49-116. RockAuto seems to have the best price for them.
I installed the new gear even though the old one looked fine. The light has only stuck down a few times since. Those times I just turned them off and back on and they came up.
Last edited by helirich; Jan 20, 2017 at 09:29 PM.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 33
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the gear is actually a 2 part assembly: the gear thread and body, and a 3 lobed cam with a shaft that is press-fit into the gear body. there are 3 plastic pellets inside the cam part that sometimes fall apart due to age.
the shaft is pressfit into the cam-like part. one end of the shaft sticks out of the servo body, and the pin holds the end of the shaft into a square part that actually drives the rotation. the shaft is what i'm actually referring to: if it rotates easily inside the cam-like part, the gear will rotate but there will be no thrust to the shaft, thus no rotation.
the shaft is pressfit into the cam-like part. one end of the shaft sticks out of the servo body, and the pin holds the end of the shaft into a square part that actually drives the rotation. the shaft is what i'm actually referring to: if it rotates easily inside the cam-like part, the gear will rotate but there will be no thrust to the shaft, thus no rotation.
