Skidmark1

Aloha.
So both headlights work and rotate into and out of position no problem.

What im wondering is, both of the headlight motors continue to spin for about 3-5 seconds AFTER the headlight assemblies have stopped and are in their correct positions.

is this normal?

Thanks,
Skidmark

1bdvet

Aloha:

Sorry to say no, it sound like those plastic bushing inside the motor are starting to turn into powder.

Here is video, might help you out!

bac22

What year? Most of the time bushings, but in my 96 the problem turned out to be with the headlight control module.

Klondike

If they go up to the stops but make a popping sound and jump a little when the pops occur, it's those three little "pucks" that have deteriorated. They eventually loose enough mass that they slip from one detent chamber to the next and let the motor continue to run till the module times out. They are suppose to be a soft stall to the motor to take the shock off the gears but stall the motor and cause a spike in current. The motor control module sees this spike in current and stops the voltage to the motors. Same thing when they close.

aklim

Not really normal. It should stop when it hits the limiters. Usually chance favors the pucks in the gear. On a car this old, I'd spring for the bronze gears not plastic. Who knows how long they will be making the gears. Sure, the theory is you want it to sacrifice the plastic first but bronze is softer than steel so, it still works from that angle. Plus I haven't heard any incidences (not to say it is impossible) where the bronze gear shredded the steel worm gear turning it. OTOH, my 2 plastic gears were having hairline cracks when I took them out. Not a big issue since I was going to change them anyways.

Skidmark1

Hmmmm.... interesting.

No thumps, no jumps, nothing unusual....except BOTH motors just tend to spin for a bit after the headlights stop moving and then shut off at the same time.

I'll try to post a video on youtube but it's blowing 37mph right now and I think lifting the hood might not be such a great idea! Gotta love Hawaiian tradewinds!

Skidmark1

1993

30,000 miles.

TA

As others have mentioned I'd bet your headlight bushings look like this




Instead of like this.





BTW, my car was doing the same exact thing as yours. My lights still rotated, but the motor continued to run for a few seconds after closing.

1bdvet

That's what mine looked like, when I replaced Lt motor bushings. Just powder! I also did other side, since I learned all the tricks, and it was also going, but not dust yet, but close.
Your most important tool you will need is 9/16 punch & proper hammer to knockout the pin in and out.

Skidmark1

Now for the question of the day.......

BRASS or PLASTIC ?

Skiddy

aklim

Supposedly people want plastic because if the gear crunches something up, plastic gives way the most. OTOH, I haven't heard of a bronze gear chewing up steel screw that turns the gear a lot.

I prefer bronze because plastic goes so far. IF it breaks again, you have a problem if they don;t make it anymore. So for longevity, bronze.

Phoenix'97

I have a 1997 Trans Am, but the motor units are very similar with a different gear set-up. I think the Corvette is set-up better if the grinding is gentle compared to the shredding I have had out of my motors. Anyways, I swapped in a metal gear for a salvaged unit and I had to play around with it since the motor would over-torque and the worm screw would not be able to lower the headlight, or after readjustment, not be able to raise the headlight. The plastic gears, as I figure, are designed for this over torquing and hence why they strip the plastic gear over-time. I was finally able to get the headlight to operate 90% of the time by spinning the gear 180 degrees and reinserting the shaft, then with the headlight half-raised, plugging it back in and flipping the headlight switch on and off a few times before it was finally reliable. It will stick once in awhile but if I cycle the headlight switch again, it lifts up. I hope this helped.