Headlight motor install

**jimlockard** · 01-12-2007, 04:28 AM

I just put in a new GM headlight motor. It worked a few times and now the headlight is bound in the up position. It is very difficult to lower it manually. Any ideas on what I screwed up and or how to fix it?

**Tony180a** · 01-12-2007, 09:36 AM

I had the same problem when I installed the brass gears in my headlight motor. 2 things, make sure you have the rotating arm in the right position before you attach it to the bolt on the motor. Look at the position of the rotating arm on your other headlight in the up position as a reference. I'd also check the position of the two metal stop tabs, you may have bent them taking out the old motor. They are two metal tabs covered with a rubber insulator. If they are bent they will bind the rotating arm. Be very careful when you try to straighten the tabs if you break them you just ordered yourself a "double shit whopper with extra spicy brown sauce"

**jimlockard** · 01-12-2007, 12:05 PM

Thanks, I hope the info is as good as the Burger King Reference.

**scooley** · 01-13-2007, 07:15 PM

I had a headlight motor go out, got a price from the dealer, small heart attack. I went to buy the parts and the guy told me that he had sold a few of them and NO one was able to do it correctly. Reluctantly, i went back to the dealership. 420 bucks later if was fixed...correctly. after the fact, i am glad I did what I did, no problems at all.

'01 WS6

**Tony180a** · 01-13-2007, 08:18 PM

I didn't replace the motor I did the brass gear fix and it was relatively easy. I did slightly bend one of the stop tabs taking the motor out but I was able to bend it back with no problems of course if I had broken that tab off I would have just sent myself thru the drive thru

**Tony180a** · 01-13-2007, 08:20 PM

No problem how did it go ?

**scooley** · 01-13-2007, 09:19 PM

apparently it is pretty trickey to get the alignmnet right and it is easy to mis set some parts causing either misalignment problems or grinding to take place

**DrkEagle** · 01-13-2007, 09:24 PM

Did you ahve to take your whole entire headlight out to get to the motor? My passenger side gear is done for and I took off a little brace type thing earlier to get a better view at where the motor sets, and it looked like there was no way to get to it but to take off the whole damn light.

**Tony180a** · 01-13-2007, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by DrkEagle

Did you ahve to take your whole entire headlight out to get to the motor? My passenger side gear is done for and I took off a little brace type thing earlier to get a better view at where the motor sets, and it looked like there was no way to get to it but to take off the whole damn light.

I purchased two of the Franker brass gears and downloaded the step by step video to install it here is the link http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/index.htm and yes you do have to remove the headlight to access the motor.

**DrkEagle** · 01-13-2007, 09:49 PM

Wow! Thank you! Interesting enough, the motor/gear whatever ordered from GM is about $100 at cost for one side...and it's plastic. Thanks again!

**scooley** · 01-13-2007, 09:59 PM

As I mentioned earlier, it is a relatively hard task. The 420 I paid was about half labor, they said that it took the mechanic about a half a day, and he knew what he was doing, supposedly. Anyway, unless you are an experienced mechanic or body shop guy, I wouldnt tackle it. That was the advise the parts story guy told me.

**Tony180a** · 01-13-2007, 11:12 PM

Scooley thats bullshit. If you follow the instructions on the above link it is really easy. I installed the brass gear fix in both of my headlights in under 2 hours. The binding issue was because I slightly bent one of the metal stop tabs while taking out one of my headlights. I have minor mechanical skills and if I did it anyone can.

**tatom** · 01-14-2007, 09:20 AM

the hardest part of the headlight fix for me was separating the plastic...the whole fix took me about an hour the first time i did it (with the franker video) and about 30 minutes the second time..i did not remove the headlight...i removed the top cover and the black light cover...i also made a bracket to keep the epoxied plastic together..
(one of the other posts on this subject has a brass gear kit with a bracket included)

**camarostripes96** · 01-14-2007, 04:46 PM

i have the same problem , i turn my headlight on and my driver side bounces up and down a couple of times , just a little not all the way up and clicks and then it stops and doesnt come up, the outside cover has came unglued or something now i have to either fix it or get some kind of glue to put back on!!anyone have an idea on what to do? the gears arent messed up , its the outside round cover that covers the gears up, i can turn my head lights on and hold that cover with a screw driver and make sure it doenst pop off and it will flip up and for a couple of days it will work then go right back to doing the same thing

**Tony180a** · 01-14-2007, 05:13 PM

I have a 99 WS6 and all of the headlight, cover and shroud is connected by screws not glue. Check out the Franker link I posted earlier it may contain some useful info or better yet email him as he seems to be a subject matter expert.