headlight pop up issues/ please help
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas Nv
headlight pop up issues/ please help
I already searched for a similar issue without luck.
before I dump huge cash at the dealership and get screwed I want to see if anyone can help me. (my wife is already pissed I bought the car.)
I bought an 02z with very low miles and im having headlight issue off the bat.
day 2 the driver side headlight stop coming up.
I did manual lift adjustment to get me home with lights.
after I did this the light will pop up like it should.
after about of 10 minutes later it wont rise again.
it doesnt work about 10% of the time.
then the right side started doing it. only about 20% of the time.
and again if I mess with the manual lift in a few turns will work right away.
I havent had the car long enough to know if the sounds im hearing from the light is grinding or standard noise.
it seems to be random to me if and when they will rise or not.
but if I mess with the manual lift they seem to work fine for a little bit.
they also will rise and retract manually with quite a few turns of the dial.
for the love off god please help.
motor, gears, or worse?
before I dump huge cash at the dealership and get screwed I want to see if anyone can help me. (my wife is already pissed I bought the car.)
I bought an 02z with very low miles and im having headlight issue off the bat.
day 2 the driver side headlight stop coming up.
I did manual lift adjustment to get me home with lights.
after I did this the light will pop up like it should.
after about of 10 minutes later it wont rise again.
it doesnt work about 10% of the time.
then the right side started doing it. only about 20% of the time.
and again if I mess with the manual lift in a few turns will work right away.
I havent had the car long enough to know if the sounds im hearing from the light is grinding or standard noise.
it seems to be random to me if and when they will rise or not.
but if I mess with the manual lift they seem to work fine for a little bit.
they also will rise and retract manually with quite a few turns of the dial.
for the love off god please help.
motor, gears, or worse?
Last edited by Bio Messiah; Apr 24, 2011 at 05:26 AM.
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 80
Likes: 2
From: Waterloo IL
If your connections are good, then I would be looking at the plastic gears. They are probably stripped. I would replace the pastic gears with a set of brass gears. That should eliminate the problem. It solved my headlight issues.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 299
Likes: 1
From: Punta Gorda Florida
you can also rotate the gears 180 degrees and use the "good half" since only half of the gear is used to raise the headlights
Pro
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 573
Likes: 0
From: Syracuse NY
if you go that far, might as well go all the way and spring for the brass gears and never worry about it again. if i remember right, it was only around $35 per side
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
I've had that exact failure. It previously had a stripped gear which my son replaced while he had the car. The issue was, he reassembled the headlamp motor back together with the spacers in the wrong place. This resulted in the stop, rising up and over the edge of the internal rubber bumper. Take your motor apart and see if this is the case. Make sure its in the failed mode or stuck, before you pull the power, remove it, then take it apart.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas Nv
thank you to everyone!!!
Im gnona go check the battery right away, the seller replaced the old one before he sold it.
does anyone have a brand or link for the brass gears?
if not Ill trying searching google later.
Im gnona go check the battery right away, the seller replaced the old one before he sold it.
does anyone have a brand or link for the brass gears?
if not Ill trying searching google later.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas Nv
well the battery cables were not loose by any means but there was room to tighten them.
so i tightend them up and so far so good.
but like i said the seem to work randomly.
the gears do sound like they are grinding so i think ill replace those if and when I have more issues.
Jvette2 I may owe you a beer next time your in Vegas if thats all it was.
so i tightend them up and so far so good.
but like i said the seem to work randomly.
the gears do sound like they are grinding so i think ill replace those if and when I have more issues.
Jvette2 I may owe you a beer next time your in Vegas if thats all it was.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,456
Likes: 8
From: Cockeysville Maryland
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Daytona Jam 1 Veteran
I think what you are referring to are the adjusters/motors located just behind the painted headlight doors that open and close. The adjuster is on the end of the motor.
They may have a black rubber cover over them which may be confusing your finding them.
Hope this helps.
They may have a black rubber cover over them which may be confusing your finding them.
Hope this helps.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Right behind the headlight assy inside the engine compartment theres a rubber cover on the end of the headligt motor assy. Under that rubber cover is a **** that you can turn CW or CCW to raise or ;lower the head light manually.
There are some PLASTIC stops on the head light motor frame (high light #4 on the drawing). The plastic stops can break and cause the light to pop back up after being lowered.
BC
There are some PLASTIC stops on the head light motor frame (high light #4 on the drawing). The plastic stops can break and cause the light to pop back up after being lowered.
BC
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 807
Likes: 21
From: Los Altos CA
In my case, I could hear a loud chattering noise after the door closed. I disconnected the linkage and rotated the output shaft 180 degrees. It now chattered when it opened to the full open position. In other words, the rotate the shaft idea did not work. I ended up replacing the gear.