When i turn my headlights on my 98 vette, the passenger light doesn't pop up. I have to turn it off and turn it on again in order for it to pop up. Has anyone had this intermittent problem before? If anyone can give me any tips on how to fix this, i would appreciate it......thanks

 

Its possible that you have a gear problem take a look at this site

http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headl...htgearfailures

 

I have had the same proble with my 98 for some time. I went through the brass gear deal as well as cleaning ground connections. Changed the module also. The problem seems to be mechanical rather than electrical. If I turn the manual **** just slightly (1/4 turn) the door opens fine. If I wrap a tie -wrap around the plastic stop, it works for awhile then starts acting up again. I have noticed that if I turn the engine off prior to turning the lights off it is a lot better. I'm assuming that the lower voltage (12V) without the engine running does not exert as great a force on the mechanism toward the closed position as when the alternator is producing (13.8-14V)which seems to put the linkage in a bind. This would also explain why just unloading the pressure on the linkage with manual **** allows the door to operate. Though this is no real fix I will say if I use this sequence to close the H/Lt. doors they work about 90% of the time. Give it a try and Good Luck , Jackflash

 

thanks for the replys guys.

 

While I can't dismiss out of hand the opinion above that your problem is mechanical, I can confirm that, with the very same intermittent symptoms on the driver's side of my Z06, and having used the same ad hoc tweaks get it up (no pun intended), the brass gear kit did not solve mine, and the issue WAS electrical.

In fact, it was not until I installed that infernal TBYRNE HID kit (infernal = 8 hrs to rewire, install and failing to get help from the vendor) that I finally traced the problem to a ground low down on the passenger side, which I located thanks to a good sport on this Forum. Backing off the 10 mm nut with a deep thrust socket, I removed the harness and used a file to scuff the contact area on both the harness and frame, cleaned the area with isopropyl alcohol, applied some battery anti-corrosive, snugged the nut back down, and I was home free.

I did the same thing to the gound points visible on the upper side of the frame rails, one of which (passenger side) is associated with, and sometimes contrubutes to, EBCM-related trouble codes. Also take the time to pry apart the plastic connectors and use alcohol and pipe cleaners to clear the near-microscopic road debris that tends to collect.

If you go to the trouble of following this ground track, take the time to get down and dirty and locate as many of the undercar ground points as you can, back off their 10 mm nuts and washers, scuff the contact areas and clean them with alcohol on both the strap and frame, apply battery anticorrosive or di-electric tune-up grease, then tighten them back down. (I believe the factory manual has a diagram of ground locations ... there are about a dozen down there. I recall that at least one older post on this Forum also has such a diagram imbedded in the text.)

C5s are notorious for electrical gremlins and spurious trouble codes, and I am one of many who think that corrosion at ground points on hydro-formed structural components may be a major culprit and/or contributor.

Good luck.

P.S. Do be careful to use those nifty hockey pucks on the frame rails and open the doors, hood and truck lid if you have to jack up the car one corner, side or end of the car at a time. If you choose to get your local "generic" garage to do this for you, do NOT assume they understand or appreciate the necessity of using pucks on most lifts, or to open the doors, etc., if they have to use floor jacks. The pucks will protect your frame rails from getting crushed (EXPENSIVE and troublesome for a body shop to fix), and opening all hinged panels will prevent flexing and transmitting stress cracks to your FG body and paint. Always take your OWN pucks with you and INSIST on their use, as well as opening the doors, trunk and hood when using floor jacks ... in fact, put in in writing on your repair order. If you get an argument or invitation to fisticuffs (as I did, more than once), then take your Vette and business elsewhere.