Headlight door gears???
Thread Starter
Now a CTS-V Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,675
Likes: 1
From: Central Ohio
CI 5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
Headlight door gears???
Last year I had to replace the headlight door control module. Yesterday I switched on the headlights and only the passenger side came up. I raised the driver's side by hand, and tried again. Now both operate from the switch.
Is this a precusor to replacing the gears?? Any thing I should know before tackling this project??
Is this a precusor to replacing the gears?? Any thing I should know before tackling this project??
Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 591
Likes: 1
From: Moore South Carolina
are you hearing any grinding when the headlight moves? That was my first clue. If you determine the gears are to blame, there are excellent threads dealing with buying replacements and doing the job. I'm about to tackle mine.
Thread Starter
Now a CTS-V Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,675
Likes: 1
From: Central Ohio
CI 5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
No grinding noise yet!! After being "stuck" the other day, it's been working fine since.
I think I'm going to do the gear retro-fit anyway, being an 01' it's probably due for failure!!
I think I'm going to do the gear retro-fit anyway, being an 01' it's probably due for failure!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 21
From: Waldorf MD
Here are the stages my "stripped gear" went through.
1) Problem with right headlight not popping up all the time, but light was on. You could ensure it always popped up by loosening the manual headlight **** a few turns before trying.
2) Took a long while but much later, then it would make a machine gun noise after closing for 4-5 seconds. This was obviously the stripped gear sound.
3) Things now got crazy. Sometimes my headlights would pop up when I just turned on my parking lights, but they would not be on.
4) Replaced right stripped plastic gear with brass one. Everything fine. I have left gear but did not put it in yet.
There is a solid state headlight module. It is expensive from the dealer (over $200). I am told these rarely go bad. It is located under your passenger side headlight. It works by sensing the high current when a headlight motor hits a stop and turns off power. That is the cause of the stripped gears, the metal worm gear trys to keep turning until the module turns it off, putting stress on the plastic gear. Oh, there is a rubber shock absorber piece that the motor drives the gear through, it usually goes bad also. Rodney Dickman includes new rubber piecies with his kit. Cost of kit is $90 for 2 gears, rubber piecies, gaskets, lube and if later year includes expoxy and braces (they are a little more $).
Here is the link for Rodney Dickman's kit:
http://www.rodneydickman.com/retail_new.html
choose "electrical" and scroll down to your year
It contains all pieces: brass gears, rubber shock absorbers, lube, gaskets, expoxy. Note braces for later years.
1) Problem with right headlight not popping up all the time, but light was on. You could ensure it always popped up by loosening the manual headlight **** a few turns before trying.
2) Took a long while but much later, then it would make a machine gun noise after closing for 4-5 seconds. This was obviously the stripped gear sound.
3) Things now got crazy. Sometimes my headlights would pop up when I just turned on my parking lights, but they would not be on.
4) Replaced right stripped plastic gear with brass one. Everything fine. I have left gear but did not put it in yet.
There is a solid state headlight module. It is expensive from the dealer (over $200). I am told these rarely go bad. It is located under your passenger side headlight. It works by sensing the high current when a headlight motor hits a stop and turns off power. That is the cause of the stripped gears, the metal worm gear trys to keep turning until the module turns it off, putting stress on the plastic gear. Oh, there is a rubber shock absorber piece that the motor drives the gear through, it usually goes bad also. Rodney Dickman includes new rubber piecies with his kit. Cost of kit is $90 for 2 gears, rubber piecies, gaskets, lube and if later year includes expoxy and braces (they are a little more $).
Here is the link for Rodney Dickman's kit:
http://www.rodneydickman.com/retail_new.html
choose "electrical" and scroll down to your year
It contains all pieces: brass gears, rubber shock absorbers, lube, gaskets, expoxy. Note braces for later years.
