Another headlight motor question

[Craig 94 TA GT]

My driver's side headlight quit going up on it's own. I don't hear any noise, it just doesn't go up. However, if I loosen the manual operation wheel with a single turn, it will go up. When I put it back down, the wheel gets pretty tight, and I have to loosen it for the light to pop up again.

Based on what I've been reading, bad gears will make a noise. But since this is making no noise, could the whole motor be going out? This is the first time since I've had the car for 11+ years that I've ever had a headlight problem.

Thanks in advance.

[Black97]

One of mine recently wouldn't go up. No noise either. Figured something was wrong with the motor and checked the power on the plug with a meter. It looked ok. Plugged it back in and it's been working ever since.

Yours might be the motor based on what you described.

[Craig 94 TA GT]

Thanks, mine just did the exact same thing! I played with it, moving the harness, manually bringing it up, moving it around, etc. Well now it's working and I can't get it to not work. So I guess it was a loose connection, or it's just getting old. It has just been a few days though, so I'm sure it'll act up again sooner or later.

[formula_gramps]

Craig,

My 94 Formula did the same thing.

After a couple of months in "dry-dock" for me to find the time to swap out the rear end, once I had it done, the drivers side headlight wouldn't pop up.

I cranked it up by hand like you did, and disconnected and reseated any electrical connections, and the problem hasn't returned for a couple of years now.

Amazing how common some of these bizarre issues are amongst our cars. You'd just think it was your car, until you come some place like here and generally hear a half dozen people who had exactly the same strange issue.

(that's mass production for you --- even the "glitches" are painstakingly duplicated..... )

[Craig 94 TA GT]

Thanks Gramps - mine did the exact same thing, and so far so good. It still hasn't acted up again, and my scenario is pretty much the same as yours. Very strange, but if it's fixed without having to spend a dime, I'll take it!

[FTA1995]

I rebuilt both of my motors a few times already, what you guys are talking about is probably just a cold connection on the brushes for the motor from sitting without moving. If the headlight gear is worn, you can rotate it to expose a new section of teeth that aren't chewed up, this has solved every problem me or any of my friends have had. It is simply victim of a low tolerance design, lots of slop comes with a little wear.