The right headlight on my 2000 opens and closes fine but sometimes it makes a ratchet noise after closed. It stops if i get out and push down on the light. Is that an adjustment or the gears going out!!!! Thanks in advance, Rich

 

They put plastic gears in there that eventually need to be replaced with metal gears available on Amazon and other places

 

Sounds like the headlight motor is going out. Get the headlight motor rebuild kit, watch the videos online and its a pretty easy fix.

 

Does sound like the gears may be going bad. A number of aftermarket vendors sells brass gears which will last much longer than the plastic ones.

 

I would replace both sides Motors and gear assembl8es. For both i paid around $150.

 

Definitely sounds like the plastic gear inside the headlight motor assembly has lost some teeth. I'm the original owner of a 2000 c5 and my first gear went about 4 years ago, and the second needs to be replaced now. As you've probably noticed the headlight usually works fine for quite a while, it's just embarrassingly noisy when your headlights go down.

The kits sold online include a metal gear, instructions, and the misc little stuff you need to complete the job. When put back together I believe it needs to sit overnight for the glue to really stick. I'm not mechanically inclined at all and I easily repaired my first one, although I did have the mechanic remove the part for me since it was in the shop overnight for something else, and I just fixed it at home and brought it back to them the next morning. There are also YouTube videos. Sorry I didn't have a link to the kits, but you'll definitely find them. As for just replacing the whole motor assembly instead, I'm not sure if new ones are still available, but perhaps someone else here does and where to get them. Good luck.

 

$74

 

I wouldn't push the headlight down. May further damage the gears. I'd use the ***** (turn them) on the motor to lower the headlights. Just my 2 cents. I have had a similar issue on my C5 (intermitently won't close) and an X19.