Headlight shaking.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Mouth of the Rat Florida
Headlight shaking.
I am curious if anyone else has noticed this, and if it is "normal" which I can't see it being. When going over train tracks or hitting a large enough pothole, the headlights do a definitive shudder for the duration of the road irregularity. I can't tell if it's a more an up and down motion or what specifically, I just got annoyed by it tonight, never really payed much mind to it before..didn't really drive the car at night that much. There are known problems with some types of headlights, but it's not a good look on a car lke this.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 26,204
Likes: 4,328
From: Chirper Island
I don't go over any known bumps fast enough to produce shaking (C6 taught me that lesson early on), but that said, it sounds like the suspension is stiff enough to make it look like the headlight are shaking according to the light feedback from them? These headlights are very focused (compared to years past), so it may seem that way.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Mouth of the Rat Florida
Makes sense but the thing is anything above 5mph and its not speed dependent, plus the shake is out of sync with the movement of the car and almost an echo of the wheel movements. The suspension is absorbing the bumps, the body is fairly steady it's like headlights are a bobblehead doll.. It's small but it's annoying. I appreciate the start.
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 33
Likes: 1
I have the exact same problem, and I find it annoying also. It's like something is not screwed-down in there somehow and is wobbling around over every little bump. Almost like the cheap fog lights on my old truck that were not mounted solidly enough.
Seems like both lights, and I'm surprised more people have not reported it if it's common...
I'll be asking the dealer to take a look at it along with a few other minor issues when I take it in next.
Seems like both lights, and I'm surprised more people have not reported it if it's common...
I'll be asking the dealer to take a look at it along with a few other minor issues when I take it in next.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 981
Likes: 157
Not sure about the Stingray, but some HID fixtures have a shutter that moves to give you low beam. The upper edge of the low beam is very well defined compared to regular bulbs, so it's much easier to see movement that would have gone unnoticed before. And maybe the shutter itself is moving. It wouldn't take much movement in the fixture to make the upper edge of the low beam dance around.
Last edited by WelderGuy; Jul 29, 2014 at 03:04 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,339
Likes: 85
From: Frisco TX
I have the same problem, its normal I guess, I don't want to take it to the dealer and have them screw up the light alignment or something. Dealers tend to mess up more things then they fix. I will live with it 
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,764
Likes: 10
From: Cumming GA
On order: Torch Red Z51
Definately Not Normal
For those of you experiencing this 'bobbehead' effect, take your car back to the dealer and get it fixed. The headlamp assy should be hard mounted to the body and not vibrate out of sync with the body. If you can shoot a 'night time' short video of the effect and post it that should help at the dealer. Mine is rock solid and so far everyone in my club is saying the same thing. We've got quite a few C7's now in our club "Classic Glass Corvette Club".
Makes sense but the thing is anything above 5mph and its not speed dependent, plus the shake is out of sync with the movement of the car and almost an echo of the wheel movements. The suspension is absorbing the bumps, the body is fairly steady it's like headlights are a bobblehead doll.. It's small but it's annoying. I appreciate the start.
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Advanced
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 63
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I started noticing it soon after I got mine and wrote about it here. My dealer (who can not replicate it because they are not driving it over bumps at night) thinks it is normal
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c7-g...-me-crazy.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c7-g...-me-crazy.html
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,857
Likes: 12,289
From: NE South Carolina
Not sure about the Stingray, but some HID fixtures have a shutter that moves to give you low beam. The upper edge of the low beam is very well defined compared to regular bulbs, so it's much easier to see movement that would have gone unnoticed before. And maybe the shutter itself is moving. It wouldn't take much movement in the fixture to make the upper edge of the low beam dance around.