Pop!! GRIND!!!! - and now it's only half as bright... Hmmm

[aoriii]

Yesterday morning on the way to work, I stopped at the corner station for a cup of coffee. It was early and the sun wasn't full up yet, thus I had on my 85's headlights. I turned off the car and heard the familar ding ding ding ding telling me that I'd left my headlights on. I turned them, and heard the familar and comforting winding noise of my two headlight motors. Then, the horror:

The drivers side light turned under and nestled in nicely, just like it was supposed to do. But the passenger's side light turned under and after it closed, it begane to GRIND horribly and sickly. It was like it kept trying to turn through and the was popping loudly, even after I removed the key from the ignition.

Is this the sound of a headlight motor that needs to be replaced, or is this possibly something that's fixable.

For the time being, I have the power pulled from the headlight, and am trying to avoid driving at night.

Thanks for the input.

 

[MBDiagMan]

It is most likely stripped gears ground up plastic dowels. Both are replacable and not expensive. The good news is that you heard the motor running. That means the motor is working.

There is no way to know exactly what is wrong until you take it apart.

Good luck,

 

[Murf]

Re: headlight bushings

Try the instructions in the link. You need new bushings. Did both of mine in about 4 hrs. Not too hard of a job.

Murf

www.corvettemagazine.com/2002/february/c4lights/light2.asp

 

[Edmond]

Try the instructions in the link. You need new bushings. Did both of mine in about 4 hrs. Not too hard of a job.

Murf

www.corvettemagazine.com/2002/february/c4lights/light2.asp

I did that 2 years ago and it's been fine every since. Took me 4 hours for just one side, though. :L

It's amazing that you go through so much just to replace some $3.00 bushings.:L

 

[unleadedbrew]

Try the instructions in the link. You need new bushings. Did both of mine in about 4 hrs. Not too hard of a job.

Murf

www.corvettemagazine.com/2002/february/c4lights/light2.asp

The gel bushings didn't come out until '88, so it's probably the plastic gears. There are 2 different ones in each motor. It's cheaper (er.....I mean more 'cost effective') to get both since you'll have it apart anyway.

Gordon

 

[1984C4]

I thought my 84 needed gears because it would stick in the up position until I turned the manual knob and then it would run closed. Bought the gears and changed them anyway although they looked good. Found dirty commutator to be the problem. Cleaned it with some emry cloth and ran an exaxto knife between the commutator sections and got a lot of junk out of them. Anyway, it does sound like stripped nylon gears. To prevent it from happening again, you can buy brass ones from some of the aftermarket places. Good luck. It is not too bad a job. Just take your time and make sure you have some black sealent to close it up and keep the water out when you put it back together. I also used white Lithium grease on the gears.