headlight motor stop

[john levinski]

i installed new nylon gears in my 1993,added white grease spray on gears during assy. up or down the motors run for a short time( 5 sec) then shut off,i replaced the headlight control module with one out of my freinds car of the same year and no change.i have the factory manual and cannot find any explanations of how the motor stop actually works...any ideas.also what is the correct proceedure to adjust the armature ajusting screw on the motor....thanks jon

[ChuckG]

Have you checked your connections? Did you remember to use new bushings when you reassembled? Check for obstructions? Mine was once caught on a stray vacuum hose.

[john levinski]

Originally Posted by ChuckG

Have you checked your connections? Did you remember to use new bushings when you reassembled? Check for obstructions? Mine was once caught on a stray vacuum hose.

all is clear check all connections still the same

[ken mohr]

Go over the instructions for the install and see if you missed something. If you hear the motors running the install of the headlight may be wrong.

LEFT: The first thing you need to do is locate the headlight motor plug. There are two different plugs depending on the year of the Corvette. The ‘88-89 has a two-wire plug, and all you need to do is unplug it. If you have a ‘90-96, then you have a five-wire plug, which is a little more difficult. First unplug the green and gray wires, then remove the wires from the plug by removing the cap from the back of the plug, inserting a paperclip into the front, and depressing the small prong on the terminal to release the wire

BELOW LEFT: With the headlight motor disconnected from the power source, you can rotate the headlight with the manual knob.
You’ll want to reserve a full day to accomplish the bushing replacement, just in case you run into any problems. You will need common tools such as a metric socket set, Phillips and flat-blade screwdrivers, a Torx bit set, and a small punch. The removal of the headlights is pretty straight-forward by just following our directions and


LEFT: Rotate the headlight until you can see the screw that holds the sides of the headlight bezel. Remove it along with the two Torx screws in the front of the bezel.
BELOW LEFT: Once the bezel is off, continue to rotate the headlight until you locate the 13mm nut that holds the motor to the housing. Remove the nut.
you shouldn’t have any problems. You want to pay close attention to the motor linkage and the angle it is facing because you will need to reinstall the motors in the same position.
As before in the 1984-87 headlight article, we received all of our parts from Zip Products.



LEFT: On the under hood side, remove the bracket between the motor and the hood hinge. The carriage bolt has a 13mm nut and there is a 10mm nut that holds the bracket to the headlight frame.
BELOW LEFT: Using the Torx socket, remove the motor bracket screws that attach it to the headlight support.
BELOW RIGHT: Once the Torx screws are removed, the headlight motor will pull away from the housing and frame. Before you remove the motor from the housing, rotate the headlight to the closed position. Also, note the location the linkage assembly because you will need to reassemble it in the same location.












LEFT: Now you can remove the headlight. Locate the clip that holds the wires to the headlight frame - it should be located in the corner of the frame. Remove this clip with a small flat-blade screwdriver by carefully prying it off. Once the clip is removed, unweave the wire from the support and remove the motor assembly from the car.
BELOW LEFT: With the motor out, start disconnecting the motor from the linkage assembly. Use a small punch to remove the roll pin from the linkage where it connects to the motor shaft.






LEFT: Use the Torx bit to remove the three screws that hold the linkage to the motor itself, then you can remove the motor from the linkage. There is a small stop that rotates with the motor and linkage, so make note of its location and how it is mounted so you can reassemble it in the same manner.
BELOW LEFT: Remove the small 1/4-inch screws that hold the gear cover on. Once they are out, the cover will come off by gently prying on it.

LEFT: Now very carefully loosen - but do not remove - the pair of motor housing screws. If you remove them you could permanently damage the motor.
BELOW LEFT: Now carefully loosen the set-screw in the other end of the motor. Just back the screw out two turns.






LEFT: Insert a small punch or screwdriver through the hole in the end of the motor shaft, then pull the gear assembly out of the housing. You may have to pull fairly hard or rock it back and forth a little.
BELOW LEFT: Once the gear is out, you will see a nylon gear and the aluminum housing the gear sits on. Press the center shaft while holding the nylon gear. This should separate the aluminum housing from the nylon gear.
BELOW RIGHT: As you can see, our bushings were going bad but not as bad as some we’ve seen. Some are just powder.














LEFT: Here are the new bushings supplied by Zip Products for the rebuild. The headlight motors use three bushings per side.
BELOW LEFT: Place the three new bushings in the gear, then press the aluminum housing over the top of them. It will be a very tight fit.




LEFT: Now reinstall the gear into the housing, and reverse the disassembly to reassemble the headlight motor and linkage. Once they are back together, use the manual knob and completely rotate the headlight through its full cycle to make sure it does not bind. If it does bind, you probably put the little stop bracket between the motor and the linkage on backwards. Once the headlight works manually, set the linkage back to the closed position and reinstall the motor into the car.

[john levinski]

thanks ken but i have done all of what you said..i have put the gears in 2 other cars for my friends no problem...in my car the motors still run for abt 5 secs after the headlights come to their rest position both open and closed..still scratchin my head...i think it may have something to do with amperage load control of the headlight control module ?

[ken mohr]

Sorry I misread you post. I thought they wouldn't move. Thought they may be binding. Good luck.