One Headlight Up...One Headlight Down....
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,951
Likes: 449
From: Puyallup WA
One Headlight Up...One Headlight Down....
I want to make sure that there isn't something I am not thinking of...
During this time of year I really don't have to use my headlights because I am not driving late or early enough for it to be necessary.
I went to pop on my headlights just to clean them and only the passenger side came up. Drivers side headlight is on, but stayed down. I didn't have any symptoms of a headlight motor failure, no noise, nothing. Last time this happened a few years ago it was one of the headlight motor fuses. I checked and changed them and again, same thing-both headlights come on, but only the passenger side comes up.
Is there something I am missing? I just watched a video about headlight motor replacement and it looks just annoying enough to **** me off. Not that it matters, but I have Radio Flyer headlights, but they have been installed for years with no issues.
During this time of year I really don't have to use my headlights because I am not driving late or early enough for it to be necessary.
I went to pop on my headlights just to clean them and only the passenger side came up. Drivers side headlight is on, but stayed down. I didn't have any symptoms of a headlight motor failure, no noise, nothing. Last time this happened a few years ago it was one of the headlight motor fuses. I checked and changed them and again, same thing-both headlights come on, but only the passenger side comes up.
Is there something I am missing? I just watched a video about headlight motor replacement and it looks just annoying enough to **** me off. Not that it matters, but I have Radio Flyer headlights, but they have been installed for years with no issues.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,951
Likes: 449
From: Puyallup WA
The gear was my 1st thought-but everything I remember, read and watched -when the gear was going out, the headlight would still work, but the gear would grind. This just suddenly stopped working with no noise, no grinding, which makes me think electrical-relay, fuse, something along those lines.
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Moved to C5 Tech for some advice on what could be wrong.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2018
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From: Orange County, CA
Can you manually actuate the headlight? There's a **** on the back of the headlight (normally obscured by a rubber cover) and you can turn it - doing so should raise the headlight if the gear isn't stripped and the linkage is intact.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2017
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From: Conyers Georgia
Can you hear the motor trying to run? it would be unusual for all the teeth on the gear to be stripped.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 82
Likes: 4
From: Lakewood Wa
It is either the gear or the motor itself. You didn't indicate if the motor tries to move or start or make humming noise. Also it could be a headlight module which I have a spare one I can give you. I live in the neighborhood here in Lakewood.
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,951
Likes: 449
From: Puyallup WA
Ok, I have some more information now-it IS the gear inside the headlight-I think it was bound up.
I manually opened the light this morning, but it took some effort-winding the ****. After doing so, I started the car and turned the lights on. Since I manually put the headlight up, both lights were on and both lights were up. Turned them off, both went down, but this time I heard the gear making the noise. Turned them on again, and this time, both lights came up.
The drivers side gear makes noise, but everything works. Perhaps it was bound up from lack of use. During the summer, I'm never driving at night, no need for headlights.
I have not decided which route I'll go yet. The littlest things tend to frustrate me. I just bought repairs kits from corvette parts center, and found brand new motors on Amazon with good reviews. I bought driver and passenger motors. So this way I have options if I get angry and throw something up against a wall, if I decide to do it myself.
Thanks for the thoughts in the thread. I thought it was something different being that I heard NOTHING from the headlight motor at 1st.
I manually opened the light this morning, but it took some effort-winding the ****. After doing so, I started the car and turned the lights on. Since I manually put the headlight up, both lights were on and both lights were up. Turned them off, both went down, but this time I heard the gear making the noise. Turned them on again, and this time, both lights came up.
The drivers side gear makes noise, but everything works. Perhaps it was bound up from lack of use. During the summer, I'm never driving at night, no need for headlights.
I have not decided which route I'll go yet. The littlest things tend to frustrate me. I just bought repairs kits from corvette parts center, and found brand new motors on Amazon with good reviews. I bought driver and passenger motors. So this way I have options if I get angry and throw something up against a wall, if I decide to do it myself.
Thanks for the thoughts in the thread. I thought it was something different being that I heard NOTHING from the headlight motor at 1st.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2021
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If I were rebuilding I'd use a brass gear like this one https://rodneydickman.com/product_in...products_id=92
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,951
Likes: 449
From: Puyallup WA
If I were rebuilding I'd use a brass gear like this one https://rodneydickman.com/product_in...products_id=92
Not to mention that the early C5s had a metal housing for the headlight gear that closes with screws. The later C5s had plastic housings that use adhesive and are harder to get to stay in 1 piece after replacement. I've got both a gear replacement and entire headlight motors on the way, so I am covered. Who knows, I may swap in a new headlight motor and replace the gear in the old one to have as a spare.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Golden CO
I’d gladly prepay you to ship me your known good module, mine is DOA. $50 plus postage.
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Pro
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2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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The first time you do a headlight its frustrating. After that you keep your few tools it takes to do this job handy so you can fix them again at any given time and its really an easy process once you do it once and realize how it all works. I get it, it's daunting at first and some of those video's really take their time and make it look more difficult than it is. Good luck!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,951
Likes: 449
From: Puyallup WA
The first time you do a headlight its frustrating. After that you keep your few tools it takes to do this job handy so you can fix them again at any given time and its really an easy process once you do it once and realize how it all works. I get it, it's daunting at first and some of those video's really take their time and make it look more difficult than it is. Good luck!
I had started another thread with an issue afterwards, then figured it out a few hours later.
Thanks!!
Pro
Joined: Jul 2020
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2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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It's already done: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...wont-work.html
I had started another thread with an issue afterwards, then figured it out a few hours later.
Thanks!!
I had started another thread with an issue afterwards, then figured it out a few hours later.
Thanks!!
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 12,864
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A lot of this stuff fails, or acts up, due to non use. I hardly ever drive at night anymore. One time a couple years back my driver's side lamp wouldn't open. So I shut the lights off and turned them on a second time. Sure enough, this time the drivers side worked. A month or so later, same thing happened, with the same "fix" done by trying a second time. Since then I've made it a practice to open the lights at least once every 2 weeks. Never had the problem again........