C5 Headlight Adjuster Screw
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 43
Likes: 8
From: Modesto, CA
C5 Headlight Adjuster Screw
So I my driver side headlight was not adjusting properly, like many of the these cars, so I decided to dig deeper into the issue. I have pulled my headlight completely apart and pulled out the vertical adjuster. To my surprise, the golden/brass rod was not seized and the gears inside the little contraption were spinning.
So the golden rod spins a second gear, and that second gear is attached somehow to a screw/bolt that moves in and out depending on how you turn the mechanism. That second gear and the screw/bolt are seized and spin together with the screw not moving in or out, just spinning with motion of the other gears.
I'm currently soaking the whole thing in PB blaster, is there anything else I can try to try and get these things to spin correctly?
I can attach images if that will help anybody out.
So the golden rod spins a second gear, and that second gear is attached somehow to a screw/bolt that moves in and out depending on how you turn the mechanism. That second gear and the screw/bolt are seized and spin together with the screw not moving in or out, just spinning with motion of the other gears.
I'm currently soaking the whole thing in PB blaster, is there anything else I can try to try and get these things to spin correctly?
I can attach images if that will help anybody out.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 43
Likes: 8
From: Modesto, CA
Here is my headlight fully disassembled. It looks much worse than it is, taking apart the whole thing only takes maybe 10 bolts/screws.
This is the inside of the vertical headlight adjuster. The gold rod has a bevel gear attached at the end of it which moves a bevel gear on the actual adjusting piece (the one with the bolt in it). Inside that adjusting piece is a reverse thread that spins along the bolt that moves it in or out depending on how you turn that gold rod. That inner screw is what had seized and was stuck to the reverse threads. When I spun the gold rod, the adjusting b-gear spun but the bolt stayed in place and just spun in the direction that the adjusting b-gear did.
After soaking the whole assembly in PB blaster overnight, I put a vice grip on the outside of the bolt and held that while I slowly turned that golden rod. It took a little force at first, but then easily started to move. Once it had started moving, I sprayed WD40 on the bolt at each end and worked it through the threads in and out. The bolt and reverse threads are no longer frozen and easily move. Once the bolt is free, you should be able to move it by hand in or out, or by moving the gold rod.
There have been multiple issues reported on these adjusters before with the golden rods breaking and stuff, but this is an issue that probably affects more cars than you think; It is also much easier to fix as well. If you have problems adjusting your lights, pull the adjusting piece out and see what happens when you try to turn that rod. When I first tried to adjust my headlights, the rod would not move. I thought that my rod had seized and the usual stuff. What had really happened was that the bolt and threads were frozen, which in turn refused to move the bevel gear. I browse the forums a lot and I will periodically check this to see if there are any questions.
Last edited by Pachoes; Aug 2, 2018 at 02:16 PM.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 43
Likes: 8
From: Modesto, CA
Hoping this thread and pictures might help out some people with the adjusting bolts and such. There are quite a few threads but no pictures (thanks photobucket) about the actual mechanism or how it actually works and how it breaks.
