Headlight will not go up unless.....

[nissias]

Hi guys,
my driver's side headlight will not go up when I turn the switch. The weird thing is when I turn the switch on the top of the mechanism (that round black thing with the dial on the top), the headlight comes all the way back and I can lift the headlight up and down a couple of times when using the switch inside the car. I already have a repair kit from SJ's which I used for my other side's headlight motor but do you think this is the same problem?
Let me know of your thoughts.

Cheers,
Nick.

[Rice crispy]

yep most likely

[wayne]

If you have already replaced one side but not the other you could probably assume the other side is in the same condition. The bushings are cheap and at this point it would be good to replace them.

This may not be your problem though..... I have recently replaced my bushings due to headlights not going up. I found a pile of mush inside the drive unit.

After replacing them a few months later I had similar problems so replaced the gears with the aluminium ones. Still no change but I found that the metal shaft serations had worn out on the aluminium bushing holder !! After drilling and pinning this. I had the problem you describe.....

Replacing the metal gear with an origional plastic gear has fixed one side. but the other side does stil stick occasionally..... I have a spare motor that has the aluminium serations worn. I was intending to drill and pin this shaft too to se if it fixed the problem...

I still do not know what is causing it. maybe just down to adjustment and the tension in the gears??

Please let me know how you get on.

[Fourdoorcat]

I don't have any documentation in front of me, but I recall that the headlights are controlled by a module that, among other things, senses the increase in motor current when the up or down limit is reached. At that point, it removes the supply voltage leaving the headlamp assembly either up or down.

If the module has failed in such a way as to limit at a current higher than allowed, the result would likely be excessive stress on the mechanical parts of the motor and sacrificial bits such as the dissolving pellets.

Ken