Another Headlight Thread. Please Help.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,450
Likes: 1
Another Headlight Thread. Please Help.
Ok, so I now have 2 problems with my headlights, and tried a search.
First, my passenger side headlight will not open. The light still turns on and when I turn the lights on with the hood open, I notice the **** still turns. I can't manually lift it.
Second, my driver's side headlight raises up even when I put it to the parking lights setting. I like to put the parking lights on with just the fog lights on, but now the driver's side headlight opens. It does not light up until I put it all the way to the headlight on position.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated as both of these are annoying me. Thank you.
P.S. This is for a 2000 Coupe.
First, my passenger side headlight will not open. The light still turns on and when I turn the lights on with the hood open, I notice the **** still turns. I can't manually lift it.
Second, my driver's side headlight raises up even when I put it to the parking lights setting. I like to put the parking lights on with just the fog lights on, but now the driver's side headlight opens. It does not light up until I put it all the way to the headlight on position.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated as both of these are annoying me. Thank you.
P.S. This is for a 2000 Coupe.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Sounds like two issues. The passenger headlamp gear is probably stripped and you need a new one. Lots of talk about that in the forum here. As for the driver's side, I don't think it should come up with just the parking lights on. Before replacing the headlamp switch or repairing it, I suggest taking care of the gear on the passenger side first so you can get things back in sync, then see where things stand. Do you have the twighlight sentinel option on your car?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 21
From: Oak Hill Virginia
about the worn gears... see this: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1561976074-post2.htmlAbout the second issue... Do you have HID's installed? If you have HID's without an inline resistor it can cause this problem...
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,450
Likes: 1
Thank you for the replies. My car has all options, including the twighlight sentinel. I have turned it on and off, but it still raises up with the parking lights. No I do not have HID's as the car is pretty much all stock. I assumed these were two seperate issues, but is it possible if I replace the passenger side gear, that would fix both? Seems unlikely. Thanks again.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,450
Likes: 1
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 21
From: Oak Hill Virginia
So the **** turns but the headlight doesn't move at all? That gear must be really F-ed up... If you pull gently up on the headlight does it come up or is it "stuck" down there. The headlight needs to be raised for this procedure so you can remove the phillips head screws holding the plastic bezel on then the two t15 torx screws underneath it...
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,450
Likes: 1
So the **** turns but the headlight doesn't move at all? That gear must be really F-ed up... If you pull gently up on the headlight does it come up or is it "stuck" down there. The headlight needs to be raised for this procedure so you can remove the phillips head screws holding the plastic bezel on then the two t15 torx screws underneath it...
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 21
From: Oak Hill Virginia
Find someone with small hands (wife, girlfriend) to help you remove the gear housing with the light down. It's three bolts and I can't remember the size offhand (very hard to do)
I read a thread one time where a guy used a wire hanger or something to hook around the headlight arm and raise it (not sure if this will actually work. Don't think so since it's stuck down...)
OR... You're going to have to take the nose of the car off to get at it...
Last edited by cdkcorvette7; Jul 7, 2011 at 01:11 PM.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
As I mentioned earlier, its probably your headlamp switch is causing the second issue. I suggested fixing the bad gear issue on the other one as I've seen headlamps out of sync with the headlamp controller, causing weird things to happen before, therefore I suggested getting them synced up again, after the repair of the gear. Most likely, you'll be either repairing or replacing the headlamp switch and yes, you can do it yourself. Deal with one issue at a time, rather than compounding things.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 427
Likes: 2
From: Redding Ca
My headlights would do the same thing, when I put my parking lights on the headlight doors would open. My passenger gear was grinding when I would close them . When I fixed the gear, I could turn on parking lights without the headlights coming up........ Sounds like the arms that move the lamp up and down got stuck past the bump stops, you'll have to get those arms free while turning the ****. Hope that helps