Headlight motor after rebuild
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 237
Likes: 5
From: Washington DC
Headlight motor after rebuild
I changed my driver's side headlight motor gear with a metal one on my 1999, after it started grinding. I only took out the motor, I didn't take out the whole Headlight Assembly.
Now I have two problems.
1) My headlight when I turn it on or off, goes up and down like 3 or 4 times and stops in the position that it wants to. It's driving me crazy not to mention embarrassing.
2)not a big deal but when I turn my park lights on, my headlights come up.
Anyone know what I did wrong in the rebuild?
Now I have two problems.
1) My headlight when I turn it on or off, goes up and down like 3 or 4 times and stops in the position that it wants to. It's driving me crazy not to mention embarrassing.
2)not a big deal but when I turn my park lights on, my headlights come up.
Anyone know what I did wrong in the rebuild?
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 10,665
Likes: 56
Originally Posted by RandW
Are you sure you put the actuator lever back correctly? It's jointed and if it's bent the wrong way, fugly(new word I learned here) things can happen. Check to see it's the same as your pass. side. 
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 237
Likes: 5
From: Washington DC
I finaly got around to fixing the head light problem. Easy fix, I just didn't fit the actuator lever all the way in to the bolt that it goes into. That caused it not to get a hold of the two prongs that it rests on for open and for close. It was a little embarasing turning your head lights on and one of them not stopping.
Thanks again for the info.
Thanks again for the info.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,454
Likes: 3
From: Hells Sister City Phoenix AZ
St. Jude Donor '03
Remember we all learn by each others mistakes! 
The more we can 
at your mistakes the easier it will be when we have to do the job and trust me with headlight motors we'll all be doing them eventually!
The more we can at your mistakes the easier it will be when we have to do the job and trust me with headlight motors we'll all be doing them eventually!
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 237
Likes: 5
From: Washington DC
I think I was hiding it pretty good :o . On another car I wouldn't mind, but it's not good to get laughed at in a Vette.
It's like me a couple of weeks ago, I was at a red light driving a bright red Ferrari 360 Modena with the F1 trans. And it automaticly shifted it's self into N. And I could not for the life of me get it into first gear. I turned the car on and off a few times and tried switching to auto and manual a few times. While in the mean time the light has turned green and back to red. People behind me were pissed off and honking. By chance I got it in first and I didn't want to come to a complete stop and have the car go into N again so I had to keep the car moving a little before the light turned green. I was ready to get far away from there. Turns out you have to just put your foot on the brake to shift into first gear. :o
It's like me a couple of weeks ago, I was at a red light driving a bright red Ferrari 360 Modena with the F1 trans. And it automaticly shifted it's self into N. And I could not for the life of me get it into first gear. I turned the car on and off a few times and tried switching to auto and manual a few times. While in the mean time the light has turned green and back to red. People behind me were pissed off and honking. By chance I got it in first and I didn't want to come to a complete stop and have the car go into N again so I had to keep the car moving a little before the light turned green. I was ready to get far away from there. Turns out you have to just put your foot on the brake to shift into first gear. :o
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
[QUOTE=badwhitecorvette]
Now I have two problems.
1) **
2)not a big deal but when I turn my park lights on, my headlights come up.QUOTE]
Glad you fixed the problem.
Irionically, this is just what I want to do for when I take my car home to England.
Anyone know if there's a fix to make the headlamps pop up on first selection of parking lamps?
Now I have two problems.
1) **
2)not a big deal but when I turn my park lights on, my headlights come up.QUOTE]
Glad you fixed the problem.
Irionically, this is just what I want to do for when I take my car home to England.
Anyone know if there's a fix to make the headlamps pop up on first selection of parking lamps?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 237
Likes: 5
From: Washington DC
[QUOTE=DeeGee]
My headlights stopped going up on the first click after I fixed the actuator lever.
Originally Posted by badwhitecorvette
Now I have two problems.
1) **
2)not a big deal but when I turn my park lights on, my headlights come up.QUOTE]
Glad you fixed the problem.
Irionically, this is just what I want to do for when I take my car home to England.
Anyone know if there's a fix to make the headlamps pop up on first selection of parking lamps?
1) **
2)not a big deal but when I turn my park lights on, my headlights come up.QUOTE]
Glad you fixed the problem.
Irionically, this is just what I want to do for when I take my car home to England.
Anyone know if there's a fix to make the headlamps pop up on first selection of parking lamps?
My headlights stopped going up on the first click after I fixed the actuator lever.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 237
Likes: 5
From: Washington DC
Originally Posted by dmoran1845
where is a good place to find How to rebuild instructions for the Headlight gear rebuild? 
This is a step by step rebuild link . You would first need to buy the new metal gear around $40 I got mine from ebay but this is the company that sold it to me ( www.rodneydickman.com they also have good instructions included with the part) I did my rebuild without taking out the whole head light assembly. I just took the 3 bolts that held the motor to the assembly, and of course the black plastic cover around the head light. It's a very easy thing to do, just have a couple of 10mm wrenchs handy and a small 1/4 rachet is good too with a 10mm socket. If you can get wratchet renches they will work great for the job, but you don;t need to have them.
