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Headlight Problem Need Help!

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Old Jul 12, 2006 | 11:20 AM
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Default Headlight Problem Need Help!

i have a 97 with a headlight problem.the problem is 1 nite i turned off the car then the lights and the driver side light stayed up.ive checked fuses and connections and all seem fine so i thought i needed a new motor which i got yesteday.i plugged the motor in and still nothing.im out off suggestions to the problem not to mention tired of opening and closing the headlight manually.does anyone know what might be wrong or had the same thing happen to them?

thanx,
rikk
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Old Jul 12, 2006 | 04:31 PM
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Stripped Gears, the stock ones are plastic, ge some brass gears.
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Old Jul 12, 2006 | 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by screw991le
Stripped Gears, the stock ones are plastic, ge some brass gears.
Not necessarily. He just got a new motor (with new gears).

Rikk: Do you hear any noise in the headlight motor like it's trying to close, or it closes then pops back up?

If no, then the problem is likely the Headlight Control Module located under the passenger headlight bolted to the wheel wheel wall. It's a small box with a connector on both sides - the inboard connector receives the on/off voltage from the rotory switch in the car, and the outboard connector sends individual open/close signals to each headlight as well as the on/off signal for the bulbs. You may be able to squeeze your hand under the raised passenger headlight and try removing and reconnecting the outboard connector to see if that does anything. Otherwise it may need to be replaced.

If the answer to the above question is yes, then the nylon stopper is likely gone which stops the headlight at the correct close position. Without the stopper, the headlight will pop back up and stay open. The fix is fairly cheap, and here's the TSB:

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/kb/q....php?qstId=217

Last edited by JC in XTC5; Jul 12, 2006 at 05:22 PM.
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Old Jul 12, 2006 | 06:28 PM
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jc i dont hear anything out of the headlight that im aware of.can the module under the passenger side be reached from the bottom of the car easier by jacking it up or worse case i will have to take the headlight assembly out i guess.
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Old Jul 13, 2006 | 11:29 AM
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Originally Posted by gitusum
jc i dont hear anything out of the headlight that im aware of.can the module under the passenger side be reached from the bottom of the car easier by jacking it up or worse case i will have to take the headlight assembly out i guess.
You can access the module by removing the panel under the front right of the car and reaching up. No need to remove the light assembly.
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Old Jul 13, 2006 | 11:45 AM
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Before I did anything I'd unplug the wiring harness in the engine compartment (on the wheelwell) and check to see if you have current to that point. If you have access to the service manuals it should have a wiring diagram so you can figure out what's ground/hot and high/low beams. My .02 anyway.
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Old Jul 13, 2006 | 02:51 PM
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don't know if it applies or not but on my 89 firebird with that problem (twice) I was able to take apart the headlight motor relay module and: -clean the contacts inside the first time and -resolder a break in the board the second time, then put it back together with rtv silicone. If you can turn the headlight back down manually and then make it pop back up when you turn the headlight switch back on, I would asume the problem lies with that module.
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Old Jul 13, 2006 | 03:44 PM
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Default Headlight Motor Relay Module

I had the same problem on a trip to CA and after all the testing that I did - I found mine to be the headlight motor relay module.

It's easy to remove and replace it. If you can do it your self, you will save a tone of green backs!

I called the nearest dealer ship to me on my trip and they quoted $600.00 for R&R...
I did it myself in about 10 minutes and saved $475.00.

Best regards!
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Old Jul 13, 2006 | 03:59 PM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by billjoeu81
I had the same problem on a trip to CA and after all the testing that I did - I found mine to be the headlight motor relay module.

It's easy to remove and replace it. If you can do it your self, you will save a tone of green backs!

I called the nearest dealer ship to me on my trip and they quoted $600.00 for R&R...
I did it myself in about 10 minutes and saved $475.00.

Best regards!
yea im gonna do it myself and i already posted in the for sale section looking for a module just no luck yet
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