Another Headlight issue
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 208
Likes: 1
From: Houston TX
Another Headlight issue
Alright...so two weeks ago my left headlight won't come up. The light is on but it won't pop up. Then like 10 mins later i played with the switch and it came up. Tried it a few more times during the night...no problem. 2 days later same thing...except it won't come up at all now. Passenger side headlight working fine the whole time.
So I check all fuses and wiring...fine. Pull the motor and check the gear...fine. I order a new motor...I just got it and plugged it in and it's not working either. I assumed the motor was shot since it was an intermitten problem...guess i was wrong.
I checked the voltage on both motor circuits...normal 10V on the passenger side and a fluctuating 4-8V on the dead side. Does this mean it's the module that's shot? Is there something else I need to be checking??
Any input is appreciated...i really wanna get that headlight so it's not stuck up in the air all the time....it's embarassing!!
So I check all fuses and wiring...fine. Pull the motor and check the gear...fine. I order a new motor...I just got it and plugged it in and it's not working either. I assumed the motor was shot since it was an intermitten problem...guess i was wrong.
I checked the voltage on both motor circuits...normal 10V on the passenger side and a fluctuating 4-8V on the dead side. Does this mean it's the module that's shot? Is there something else I need to be checking??
Any input is appreciated...i really wanna get that headlight so it's not stuck up in the air all the time....it's embarassing!!
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
Alright...so two weeks ago my left headlight won't come up. The light is on but it won't pop up. Then like 10 mins later i played with the switch and it came up. Tried it a few more times during the night...no problem. 2 days later same thing...except it won't come up at all now. Passenger side headlight working fine the whole time.
So I check all fuses and wiring...fine. Pull the motor and check the gear...fine. I order a new motor...I just got it and plugged it in and it's not working either. I assumed the motor was shot since it was an intermitten problem...guess i was wrong.
I checked the voltage on both motor circuits...normal 10V on the passenger side and a fluctuating 4-8V on the dead side. Does this mean it's the module that's shot? Is there something else I need to be checking??
Any input is appreciated...i really wanna get that headlight so it's not stuck up in the air all the time....it's embarassing!!
So I check all fuses and wiring...fine. Pull the motor and check the gear...fine. I order a new motor...I just got it and plugged it in and it's not working either. I assumed the motor was shot since it was an intermitten problem...guess i was wrong.
I checked the voltage on both motor circuits...normal 10V on the passenger side and a fluctuating 4-8V on the dead side. Does this mean it's the module that's shot? Is there something else I need to be checking??
Any input is appreciated...i really wanna get that headlight so it's not stuck up in the air all the time....it's embarassing!!
Can you manually raise it up ?
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
Electrical issues are a PIA to track down sometimes.
Do you have twilight sentenial option, if so set to the ON position and throw a towel over the sensor on the dash and see if they work.
If they do it's the switch if not I'm not sure what it is.
Do you have twilight sentenial option, if so set to the ON position and throw a towel over the sensor on the dash and see if they work.
If they do it's the switch if not I'm not sure what it is.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 966
Likes: 9
From: Phoenix AZ
My guess is that it's not the switch since one of the headlights is operationg correctly. I had an issue where the headlights would come on but would not raise and found that it was caused by a corroded ground for the HDCM (headlight door control module). I've had no issues after cleaning all connections.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 208
Likes: 1
From: Houston TX
just bought one off of ebay...but thanks for the offer. I'll clean up the grounds tomorrow and see....otherwise i'll throw the new one in next week when i get it.
thanks for your help
thanks for your help
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Instructor
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
From: Fairfax VA
Headlight PIA
Do check the ground point on the passenger side down low, back out the 10 mm nut with a deep socket, disassemble the two-piece plastic connector, apply isopropyl alchhol and scrub all the metal sufraces to cut the grease, apply battery anticorrosive or dielectric tune-up grease, reassemble, and hope you've fixed the problem. If this fails, go back one post to Tony G. (ajg1915, a good guy who knows his stuff), buy his sensor and keep your fingers crossed.
If you get really ambitious while you are at this, get to all the ground points and replicate this cleaning procedure (there are more than a dozen under the car, so be prepared to get your knuckles nicked and forearms greasy). These grounds are notorious for spawning electrical gremlins, especially in higher-mileage daily drivers that are exposed to road salt, sand and grit used to mitigate ice and snow in the winter months.
Good luck ... this worked for me when I had the same symptoms on the driver's side and exposed the PS ground point while installing TBYRNE's infernal HID kit.
If you get really ambitious while you are at this, get to all the ground points and replicate this cleaning procedure (there are more than a dozen under the car, so be prepared to get your knuckles nicked and forearms greasy). These grounds are notorious for spawning electrical gremlins, especially in higher-mileage daily drivers that are exposed to road salt, sand and grit used to mitigate ice and snow in the winter months.
Good luck ... this worked for me when I had the same symptoms on the driver's side and exposed the PS ground point while installing TBYRNE's infernal HID kit.