Topic: 1984 pasenger side headlight won't go down
in Forum: C4 Electrical
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Both my lights go up, but only the drivers (left) light goes down. I switched the left and right relays to see if the problem moved to the left side but it didn't. So I thought it was the isolation relay and replaced it, but it still doesnt go down. I have attatched a picture showing the three relays.... I can wind the light down manually, and it pops up when i activate the lights.
Im not mechanically inclined, however I don't mind doing basic work, or at least finding out what's wrong before i take it to a repair shop. Is there something else electrical I should check before removing and inspecting the headlight motor?
Im not mechanically inclined, however I don't mind doing basic work, or at least finding out what's wrong before i take it to a repair shop. Is there something else electrical I should check before removing and inspecting the headlight motor?
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Hey there try going on YouTube there is a lot of how to vids on c4s watched one other night on headlights Failure of up& down is usually plastic gear in motor drive box can be rebuilt with a brass gear hope this helps
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Montgomery, AL - USA
Joined: 4/19/2012
Posts: 47
Vette(s): 1986 Gray/Blue Z-51 Coupe & 1998 Pewter Coupe
I would check the voltage where the headlight harness connects. Be sure to check the grounds
also. They should read alike.
If they do, there are some mechanical switch contacts inside the motor housing that may not be
working correctly. You may be able to clean or align these contacts for proper operation.
As an easier alternative- Find someone with the same model and temporarily swap the headlight
motor or jumper their working light to your wiring and see if it works correctly.
Fred
I agree it is likely a bad gear, however I recommend sticking with nylon. Everyone says go with brass, but forget that the nylon lasted 20+ years. In addition if the gear went bad for any other reason other than age/wear, the brass gear won't give. That means something else will break. The gear is relatively easy and very inexpensive to fix, but other things may not be easy and/or cheap.
Sounds like the contacts inside the motor. They either need cleaning or replacement.
Both can be completed by removing the headlight assembly and removing then cleaning the motor/gearbox interior. There are multiple videos how to remove the assembly and how to rebuild the gearbox.(youtube)
this like shows how to:
http://www.corvettemagazine.com/tech-articles/1984-1987-corvette-headlight-motor-gear-replacement/
while you have the gearbox open clean the old grease out and verify the motor armature shifts back and forth along its shaft to work the reversing limit switches. I replaced the gears and cleaned out the motor, then reassembled all works fine now.
Its usually always the relays.. They collect moisture and rot themselves out. Did in a set in a couple of months..
If you buy new ones, (recommended), carefully open them and remove the relay from the case and put a thin layer of silicon bead around the lip that the relay sits on, re-install it and do the same inside the edge around the pins as you look in at them.
This will seal the relays from the worst of weathers and shouldn't fail again.
in Forum: C4 Electrical
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