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C5 headlight motor inop

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Old Aug 8, 2018 | 03:45 PM
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Default C5 headlight motor inop

This is on a 2004 Commemorative Convertible - I repaired my right (passenger side) headlight motor gear and it is great....but a few months later - the left (drivers side) side will not open when I turn on the lights. No clicking sounds at all, the headlight turns on, but no movement from the headlight. I checked the plug and all is secure. Any ideas on what would cause the motor to stop working without warning?

I would love to hear opinions before I tear into this since free time is very hard to find these days.

Thanks for the help.

Last edited by itw69; Aug 8, 2018 at 04:29 PM.
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Old Aug 8, 2018 | 04:25 PM
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Define "left" and "right". Which is driver's side and which is passenger's?

This is also a good topic for you to state the model year of your car in the post (I see it's in your profile). If you're referring to "left" as what I think you are there is a TSB for 2001-2004 cars when the "left" headlight door doesn't open. It requires washers to shim it further outwards. You can find the TSB below;

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...losed-408.html
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Old Aug 8, 2018 | 04:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Velocity_Vette
Define "left" and "right". Which is driver's side and which is passenger's?

This is also a good topic for you to state the model year of your car in the post (I see it's in your profile). If you're referring to "left" as what I think you are there is a TSB for 2001-2004 cars when the "left" headlight door doesn't open. It requires washers to shim it further outwards. You can find the TSB below;

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...losed-408.html

Thanks - I updated my questions per your recommendations. - I appreciate your link and info - but my issue is that the headlamp will not open - this link is focused on the door will not stay closed or it pops back up.
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Old Aug 9, 2018 | 08:29 AM
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Originally Posted by 8VETTE7
Several possible causes of the head lamp door not opening.

Start with the basics and check the fuse. #3 in the under hood fuse box is the passenger side head light motor.

Also the bump stops that cause the motor to stop on close may be missing or damaged. The headlight control module (HCM) uses a current sensing circuit to determine when the headlights are opened or closed. When the headlight assembly contacts the bump stops the current in the circuit rises telling the HCM to shut off power to the headlight motor. If the bump stops are damaged or missing the motor may close the doors past the normal stop point and jam the gear so that when you turn the lights on the current in the circuit rises immediately and the HCM mistakenly thinks the doors are already open and against the open bump stops and shuts off power BEFORE the doors ever actually open. You can test this out by turning the manual control **** on the passenger headlight counter clock wise a bit and then try the switch will open the doors.

Here is some info on the bump stops:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ght-shake.html

Damaged bump stop

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.corvetteforum.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/80-headlight_187c481b7ff3348b76bd0f289856d9 80fd5629b7.jpg



Missing close bump stop





Open bump stops


Replacement bump stops are no longer available from GM but they are available from Rodney Dickman here:

http://rodneydickman.com/catalog/pro...roducts_id=309

Thanks for the pics and detailed explanation/overview - I will be checking all these points of failure. Hopefully it is a bump stop that is causing the issue, since that would be the cheapest fix
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Old Aug 20, 2018 | 12:59 AM
  #5  
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Originally Posted by itw69
Thanks for the pics and detailed explanation/overview - I will be checking all these points of failure. Hopefully it is a bump stop that is causing the issue, since that would be the cheapest fix
Was it it the bump stops that was causing the problem?

Last edited by MrLeadFoot; Aug 20, 2018 at 01:00 AM.
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Old Aug 20, 2018 | 10:28 AM
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Originally Posted by MrLeadFoot
Was it it the bump stops that was causing the problem?
I have been unable to work on this issue thus far. It has been an intrusive week taking my focus away from important things. I will post the fix as soon as I find that the issue is.
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