Machine gun sound from headlight
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,015
Likes: 1
From: Deerfield beach Fl
Machine gun sound from headlight
I went through the search a while back and didn't find all that much on how to fix this. I'm sure someone has fixed this so I"m hoping someone can share what they did, I'm assuming its the gear stripped or something. I'd like to know ahead of taking the car apart as its my daily driver. Also the car is a 99, I read somewhere about some years being expoxied together , is 99 one of them and how do I go about taking it apart and putting it back together if that is the case?
Thanks in advance
Rob
Thanks in advance
Rob
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 25,889
Likes: 7
From: Virginia Beach
CI 3-5-6-7-8 Veteran
Re: Machine gun sound from headlight (robl45)
My friends 96 trans am did this on the driver's side light. When he'd turn them off. It make a hideous clicking/racheting noise. He never got it fixed and ended up trading to car. Sorry I'm not of any help :smash:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,205
Likes: 40
From: Tucson AZ
Re: Machine gun sound from headlight (robl45)
I'm not sure about simply replacing a gear..... you may have to do entire motor essembly. Its not hard to do. although it is a little tight in spots. :rolleyes:
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,661
Likes: 67
From: Ocean Springs MS
Re: Machine gun sound from headlight (robl45)
I don't know about 99s, but the warranty fix on my 02 was a new headlight motor. It is a stripped gear on the motor. Somewhere on the net is a guy selling brass gears to replace the plastic stockers. He started out making them for transams, but the same gear works in a vette.
I just found the info. If you want to fix it yourself contact this guy....he makes a brass gear to replace the plastic one....Rodney Dickman [rodney1@execpc.com]
I just found the info. If you want to fix it yourself contact this guy....he makes a brass gear to replace the plastic one....Rodney Dickman [rodney1@execpc.com]
Intermediate
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Austin TX
Re: Machine gun sound from headlight (robl45)
I had the same problem. Mine's a 2000, but I think they're the same as far as the epoxy. At some point they started screwing them together, I've heard, instead of epoxy. But, it doesn't really matter.
It is indeed just a stripped gear. Very barely stripped. You'll be shocked when you see how little damage there actually is to it. Buy the gears from Rodney Dickman. He includes a full kit of lube and epoxy with the order, so all you need is what he gives you.
Getting the motor out is a pain in the butt. I had to pretty much disassemble the whole headlight assembly. Getting it back in isn't a big deal, but aligning the headlight body panel sucks. The little torx screws it used on the adjusters all stripped on me when I removed them. Might be a good idea to have some spares on hand.
Mine's a daily drivers, too, but it's easily done over night. You'll need to let the new epoxy dry over night anyway.
[Modified by GG, 9:17 PM 12/27/2003]
It is indeed just a stripped gear. Very barely stripped. You'll be shocked when you see how little damage there actually is to it. Buy the gears from Rodney Dickman. He includes a full kit of lube and epoxy with the order, so all you need is what he gives you.
Getting the motor out is a pain in the butt. I had to pretty much disassemble the whole headlight assembly. Getting it back in isn't a big deal, but aligning the headlight body panel sucks. The little torx screws it used on the adjusters all stripped on me when I removed them. Might be a good idea to have some spares on hand.
Mine's a daily drivers, too, but it's easily done over night. You'll need to let the new epoxy dry over night anyway.
[Modified by GG, 9:17 PM 12/27/2003]
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,015
Likes: 1
From: Deerfield beach Fl
Re: Machine gun sound from headlight (GG)
thanks, I will probably order the gear soon, but how did you get the housing apart?and how does it epoxy back together, don't you lose part of the housing assuming you have to cut it apart?
Thanks
Rob
Thanks
Rob
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From: Chapel Hill NC
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Re: Machine gun sound from headlight (robl45)
I got the gear from Eckler's. Follow directions closely. I went from the bottom of the car to access the headlight assembly after removing the splash sheild. The job wasn't that difficult and took an hour and 15min. I didn't see anything expoxied.
Intermediate
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Austin TX
Re: Machine gun sound from headlight (robl45)
Once you've got the motor out, you can pop it open by slipping a screw driver under the cover and twisting. Slowly but surely, around the perimeter, and eventually it's just pops open completely. I don't remember there being anything that could break when you do this, as long as you do it slowly. The epoxy is just on a lip that mates with another lip, no little pegs or anything annoying. It'll be pretty clear once you've got your hands on the motor/gear unit.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: New Orleans La.
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Re: Machine gun sound from headlight (robl45)
We just replaced the gears on my 98. They didn't start the epoxy until 2000. Yours should be screwed. :lol: Rodney Dickman's instructions are very detailed. Here is a thread to help. (Has pictures.) I went ahead and ordered a pair of gears and replaced both. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=711276
This is Rodney Dickman's website: http://www.rodneydickman.com/
(Look under electrical) Good luck! :seeya
This is Rodney Dickman's website: http://www.rodneydickman.com/
(Look under electrical) Good luck! :seeya