9
91Redvette
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Noise coming from headlight area after you turn the lights off and then the ignition. Makes the noise for only about 2 to 3 seconds.
vigman
Motor head!!!!
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2001
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- Corvette
- 88 Convert ( SOLD ) /1973 coupe 4 speed/1964 Vert!
Oh oh
Pop the hood & do the same test... watch on the back of the head light motor.. there is a manual knob to raise ( or retract ) the headlights incase of failure.
If the motor continues to spin after it has reached the UP or DOWN position it means
( dun, dun DAAAAAAAAA) music cue
YOU HAVE THE DREADED BUSHING ROT.
There are 3 Nylon ( derilin ) bushings which act as couplers between the motor drive and the secondary drive gear.
About the size of a penny, 3/8 of an inch thick
Over time, heat, & age these bushings turn to ( what looks like )cane sugar and just due to all this STUFF floating in the headlight gearbox is all that is left coupling the motor to the drive gear..
It continues to spin after the motor is fully up, since there is not enough back torque on the motor to stall it and trigger the current limiter in the headlight motor electronics drives.
So it just times out...
Which is the motor spinning sound you hear!
(PHEW)
Good news:
The bushings are CHEAP
Page 4-74 of the new Mid America catalog
$4.99 for 3 part # 601-703
( you need 6 for both motors L & R)
Bad News:
It's a pain to do... ( Bout 3 hrs per side 1 st time).
MAKE SURE YOU MARK ALL ALIGNMENT POINTS ( headlight mounts to underside of hood, etc.)
Vig!
Pop the hood & do the same test... watch on the back of the head light motor.. there is a manual knob to raise ( or retract ) the headlights incase of failure.
If the motor continues to spin after it has reached the UP or DOWN position it means
( dun, dun DAAAAAAAAA) music cue
YOU HAVE THE DREADED BUSHING ROT.
There are 3 Nylon ( derilin ) bushings which act as couplers between the motor drive and the secondary drive gear.
About the size of a penny, 3/8 of an inch thick
Over time, heat, & age these bushings turn to ( what looks like )cane sugar and just due to all this STUFF floating in the headlight gearbox is all that is left coupling the motor to the drive gear..
It continues to spin after the motor is fully up, since there is not enough back torque on the motor to stall it and trigger the current limiter in the headlight motor electronics drives.
So it just times out...
Which is the motor spinning sound you hear!
(PHEW)
Good news:
The bushings are CHEAP
Page 4-74 of the new Mid America catalog
$4.99 for 3 part # 601-703
( you need 6 for both motors L & R)
Bad News:
It's a pain to do... ( Bout 3 hrs per side 1 st time).
MAKE SURE YOU MARK ALL ALIGNMENT POINTS ( headlight mounts to underside of hood, etc.)
Vig!
onedef92
Well-known member
I'll lay odds its your bushings. Go to Home Depot and ask for item number 595609. You will need six of these nylon spacers to repair both headlights. They cost me .69 cents (plus tax) for a pack of three at my local Home Depot store.
Much cheaper than the $7.99 price in MAD, Eckler's and some of the other specialty catalogs and they are the exact same Delrin spacers. Go figure.
If there's a TechTips portal on this Forum search under "headlight bushings." If not, let me know and I'll see if I can get you a copy of the instructions I used when I replaced mine a couple of months ago.
Much cheaper than the $7.99 price in MAD, Eckler's and some of the other specialty catalogs and they are the exact same Delrin spacers. Go figure.
If there's a TechTips portal on this Forum search under "headlight bushings." If not, let me know and I'll see if I can get you a copy of the instructions I used when I replaced mine a couple of months ago.
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