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Headlamp Door Motor Gear Replacement (twice)?

Joined
Jan 12, 2004
Messages
424
Location
Lakeside in Monmouth, Maine
Corvette
75 Stroker 4spd Frame Off, 05 Cpe 6spd
My 2002 started making noise for about 10 seconds the stopped when I turned the headlamps off and after the the doors dropped. I've read quite a few threads on this and ordered a replacement vinyl gear. The noise didn't go away after replacement and ever since the first time the noise started, I can't use my parking lamps without the doors opening up. Before I could just use the parking lamps and fog lamps without lifting the headlamp doors.

So the noise is still there and I can't just use the parking lamps anymore.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for the help in advance.

Chuck M
 
I don't know that I can help. I had the actuator failure on one of my lights on my '97. I replaced the whole actuator, rather than just the gears.
 
I don't know that I can help. I had the actuator failure on one of my lights on my '97. I replaced the whole actuator, rather than just the gears.
So did I......Scott:beer
 
I should have done that in the beginning.

Has anybody had the symptoms I've described with the headlamps going up even when I want just the parking lamps on. This happened when the gear stripped on me.

I just wonder if there's anything else that CAUSED the gear to go bad. It happened while it was raining and I had just started the car...wondering if the headlamp module has anything to do with that.

I'd hate to install a new actuator only to break that one also!!!

Thanks again,

Chuck M
 
I have seen some people post that they only turn the lights off and on when the car is stopped or going slow. The argument is that the moving air exerts a downward force on the headlight door as they first open. I don't know whether that is significant or not. I have only had one fail in about seven years of C5 ownership.
 
Chuck,

I had a problem where one light would open but not the other one. So I replaced the headlight motor. Still had the problem. So I then replaced the headlight module. Everthing has worked fine after putting the module in.
 
C5 CRZN

Thankyou. I just needed somebody to have even near the same problem.

It's time to test the module before I continue.

I'll post my findings.

Thanks everybody,

Chuck M
 
Just a little suggestion. Next time you replace the gear, use the brass one that is sold on e
bay. I did it a few years ago and they worked great. Most people don't know that there is a very small hole on the end of the worm drive housing that allows you to inject some new grease with a needle on your grease gun. I think if more people knew about this, they may not have so many of these actuators go bad with burned out nylon gears.
 
Had tyhe eact problem. Headlights raising and not turning on , and motor continuing to run after shut off, replaced motor, 250bucks, problem solved
 
I had an issue of the headlight not coming up after the gear fix and it was because I did not leave enough clearance between the back of the headlight body cover and the hood. The clearance was just enough for the headlight to elevate sometimes.

Thanks,
Gary
 
Not many people notice that the drive motor becomes loose on the gear asm which changes the angel of the worm gear to interact with the driven plastic/bronze gear. Leading to a premature failure of the replacement gear. Try taking the pressure off the gear by turning the knob on the end of the motor. Can you wiggle the motor on the gear housing? The motors I believe where the same on the C4s but utilized a metal casing around the gears.

I'll try to find the site that educated me and link with pictures in an edit.

FWIW: Mine make that same machine gun sound for about 10 seconds , replacements on the way.

Before reinstalling, using the knob rotated the gear shaft 180 degrees to start using other undamaged other side of the gear.

:beer
Andy

This is from my post on another site:

I've only read it in one other post about the tangs that hold the actual motor to the assembly being loose, allowing the worm drive gear to move away from the driven gear and leading to a premature wearing out of the brass gears you just replaced.

I'm still at the legal pad stage of ordering parts and listing what needs doing to mine. Can of Seafoam already rolling around in the rear center compartment, waiting to do when oil needs changing. Actually, my gut is saying I probably need to get a second bottle.

:cheers:
Andy

PS. Found the site that tells about the motor tangs: www bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/index.htm?merchant_return_link=Return+to+Merchant

tabs3.JPG
 
Just a little suggestion. Next time you replace the gear, use the brass one that is sold on e
bay. I did it a few years ago and they worked great. Most people don't know that there is a very small hole on the end of the worm drive housing that allows you to inject some new grease with a needle on your grease gun. I think if more people knew about this, they may not have so many of these actuators go bad with burned out nylon gears.


Huh? Where?? Got pix?? How to get to this "hole"?;help
 
On the picture above mentally draw a line from the manual knob to raise the lights through the motor out the bottom of the gear box. Very close to the "t" in the wording "body of the car doesn't"


-Andy
 
Huh? Where?? Got pix?? How to get to this "hole"?;help

Haven't got pictures,but I will try to describe. If the headlight motor armature shaft would have been about 1/2 inch longer, it would exit the plastic gear case. At that imaginary exit point is where the hole is on my 2000. You have to have a needle attached to your grease gun to get any grease in there. You may have to use a mirror to see the hole without taking the headlight motor assembly off the car, but you should be able to grease it by feeling for the hole and just pumping some in every once in a while or I use lithium grease in a spray bottle with a small tube attached. Does this help? - Ron
 

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