Inconsistent Headlight Retract

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May 13, 2019 | 08:05 PM

#21

Dave's 1st Corvette

Instructor

Joined: Jul 2015

Posts: 232

Likes: 52

From: Miami FL

"this thread" is me. A different type of resistors didn't work. I will order the ones Zoidman is using. We'll see.

May 19, 2019 | 10:16 PM

#22

Dave's 1st Corvette

Instructor

Joined: Jul 2015

Posts: 232

Likes: 52

From: Miami FL

Solved

These work, everybody. Headlight doors now behave normally.

Amazon

May 20, 2019 | 10:20 AM

#23

jjc508520

Melting Slicks

Joined: Aug 2014

Posts: 2,470

Likes: 460

From: East Windsor NJ

Read this thread with interest as mine are still apart and I'm out of ideas. I have HID+ballast on the low beam and LED on the high beam. I still have the Sylvania bulbs and I'm going to try putting them back into place with no ballast and see if I can get the doors opening and closing again and will take it from there.

But can I get help with this - when you turn the headlights on - the motors are supposed to spin clockwise (as viewed from the top) and the shaft spins CCW (as viewed from the side)?

Last edited by jjc508520; May 20, 2019 at 10:22 AM. Reason: Addition

Jan 24, 2021 | 06:36 PM

#24

SVT_DR

Cruising

Joined: Dec 2020

Posts: 12

Likes: 3

From: South Carolina

I did the LED swap today am
nd did ALL of the lights. Headlights have much needed more brightness and sight picture than with standard halogen but, the HCM won’t raise or drop properly. Did the flashers upgrade and everything lighting is great with the exception of the motors operating correctly. I think I will try the resistors first but may end up ditching the pop ups if it doesn’t work! I absolutely hate halogen bulbs now that my newer vehicles have LED lights ... My old 2001 C5 deserves modernized lights.

Jan 25, 2021 | 11:26 AM

#25

bjones7131

Safety Car

Joined: Jan 2014

Posts: 4,496

Likes: 856

From: Walhalla South Carolina

Quote:

Originally Posted by STRMLNE

That sucks. I’d go back to stock lights.

Agree that is the reason I never upgrade from OEM but to each his own and I don't drive that much at night anymore. Read to many post of issues after changing out bulbs.

Jan 25, 2021 | 03:45 PM

#26

djohn3853

Racer

Joined: Oct 2020

Posts: 389

Likes: 170

From: Rhode Island

St. Jude Donor '21

OK, i was not aware of this problem. I have only owned my 99 vert since fall 2019. I have probably used the headlights less than 5 times, so not a lot of experience in that department. I live in the northeast and car is currently garaged for the winter. I recently replace both hi and lo beams with led. (after a little reading i realized a lot of you only bother to switch out the lo beams. makes sense but i had already bought hi and lo) Anyway, when i finished installing the bulbs and was done for the day, the lights didn't go down. I said to myself, thats funny, maybe the car has to be running for the lights to retract. This is where my lack of experience with the lights comes in. So i started the car and put the lights down. don't remember if hi beams were on or not. Long story short, if this is going to be an issue, i'll go ahead and install the resistors from Amazon that Dave's 1st Corvette said worked. It looks like the kit will do 2 headlights, so i'm assuming that i will need 2 kits. That sound about right?

Last edited by djohn3853; Jan 25, 2021 at 03:52 PM.

Jan 25, 2021 | 09:48 PM

#27

Dave's 1st Corvette

Instructor

Joined: Jul 2015

Posts: 232

Likes: 52

From: Miami FL

One kits provides two resistors. One resistor per low beam headlight.

Apr 7, 2021 | 08:19 PM

#28

Westy R

Pro

Joined: Dec 2020

Posts: 548

Likes: 183

From: Northern Shore of the Federal Swamp

Quote:

Originally Posted by robmiz

Try the hi beam position, that how I lower them on mine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by STRMLNE

^^ I’ve heard about this glitch too. Apparently if the high beam is on they work fine.

I changed my headlamps to LEDs before this big trip of mine, and the first night I drove after dark, the headlights wouldn't retract.

Just tried this with the high-beams on, and they popped right back down. I hope they continue to do so....

Thanks!!!

Last edited by Westy R; Apr 7, 2021 at 08:20 PM.