Driver's headlight making loud noise.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: The Woodlands TX
Driver's headlight making loud noise.
When the driver's headlight goes down, it makes a loud rattle or humming noise for about 10-15 seconds? Everything works, lights go up and down fine. It just sounds like it is continuing to try to close even thought it is already down. Any Ideas?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 69
From: Ft Lauderdale Fl
Originally Posted by hbrumfield
When the driver's headlight goes down, it makes a loud rattle or humming noise for about 10-15 seconds? Everything works, lights go up and down fine. It just sounds like it is continuing to try to close even thought it is already down. Any Ideas?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,246
Likes: 2
From: McKinney TX
Your PLASTIC headlight gear is stripped. Take it out and rotate the gear 180 deg or recommended you buy a new METAL gear from Rodney.
http://www.rodneydickman.com/
http://www.rodneydickman.com/
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: The Woodlands TX
Originally Posted by BAD_TCR
Your PLASTIC headlight gear is stripped. Take it out and rotate the gear 180 deg or recommended you buy a new METAL gear from Rodney.
http://www.rodneydickman.com/
http://www.rodneydickman.com/
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,142
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From: Time is a great teacher. Unfortunately, it kills all its pupils.
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
This is happening because the plastic gear inside the unit is stripping. I replaced mine with brass gears and have had no problems. You can get them here: www.rodneydickman.com. Enter his site and go to the electrical tab for the C5 brass headlight motor gears.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: The Woodlands TX
Originally Posted by jaxgator
This is happening because the plastic gear inside the unit is stripping. I replaced mine with brass gears and have had no problems. You can get them here: www.rodneydickman.com. Enter his site and go to the electrical tab for the C5 brass headlight motor gears.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: The Woodlands TX
Originally Posted by jaxgator
This is happening because the plastic gear inside the unit is stripping. I replaced mine with brass gears and have had no problems. You can get them here: www.rodneydickman.com. Enter his site and go to the electrical tab for the C5 brass headlight motor gears.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
From: Anderson IN
Cruise-In V Veteran
Senior Member
I just got my gear from Rodney last week. I put it in on Sunday. It took about 3 hours total. Two teeth on my gear were boken all the way across. It made the exact noise you speak of. Rodney's brass gear fixed it! 
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,246
Likes: 2
From: McKinney TX
Originally Posted by hbrumfield
Is it a pita to change?
Note: there is a TSB for in some cases even with the metal gear, your motor will continue to run because the old stops are not doing their job. Fix is to put 2 or 3 washers on motor bolts to extend the stop tabs to places where they are not worn. This may not be the case for you as you will find out, but if it happens, this is one of the solutions. The other being to extend the tabs.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 147
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From: The Woodlands TX
Originally Posted by BAD_TCR
Yes and no. There are three bolts holding the motor to the headlight unit. Remove those take the motor out. Pop the top off the motor (or unscrew depending on year), pop out old gear, put in new gear, put cover back on, put motor back into place (most difficult part lining up bolts and the orginial position of headlight), tighten bolts, test.
Note: there is a TSB for in some cases even with the metal gear, your motor will continue to run because the old stops are not doing their job. Fix is to put 2 or 3 washers on motor bolts to extend the stop tabs to places where they are not worn. This may not be the case for you as you will find out, but if it happens, this is one of the solutions. The other being to extend the tabs.
Note: there is a TSB for in some cases even with the metal gear, your motor will continue to run because the old stops are not doing their job. Fix is to put 2 or 3 washers on motor bolts to extend the stop tabs to places where they are not worn. This may not be the case for you as you will find out, but if it happens, this is one of the solutions. The other being to extend the tabs.
