porschefig

Last night my headlights wouldn't come up (the front of the headlight cover would lift about 2"). It was dark and cold and I had to drive another car home...

Turning the **** on the headlight motor lifts it as far and then the motor seems to catch and very quickly turns the **** the other way, closing the headlights.

Maybe this is an easily fixed problem, but if not (if my motor is shot)....

How can I get my headlights up, and leave them up and still have the lights function properly? (Turn on the lights: all lights turn on, but don't physically move, Turn them off: they go off and don't physically move?)



TIA for any help

PS: in case there's a difference: this is happening with my 83' 944, not my 86' 951.

porschefig

Is there another relay that's the same that I can swap in to test if that's the problem?

xsboost90

check the wiring leading to the motor- sometimes those get cracked up and quit making contact in the up position. If they are going back down i would say the motor is ok.

Jeremy Himsel

Pull the relay on the back of the motor (under the rubber cover) and crank them up with the ****. At least you'll be able to drive the car at night until you figure out the problem.

Wallace

or, pull the headlight motor fuse (mine is fuse #2), and manually crank the headlights up.

porschefig

thanks folks! In the freezing cold I forgot that the book says to pull the relay before turning the ****! (they didn't work once about 5 years ago and I had to do the same..but I had forgotten!)

Red1

That relay is probably the problem. Cheap enough place to start anyway.

porschefig

Pulled the relay and turned the ****, the lights would only go up a little like before, then the **** would turn a *bit* harder. Turn it for a while and the driver's side headlight could be lifted up but it would fall back down...the passenger side wouldn't move up any further! Obviously, I need to check this out in day light but....

any suggestions/thoughts/comments??

Jeremy Himsel

Sounds like either something is binding in the linkage or one of the gears on the motor is stripped.

Jaay87S

I had a problem with a block of ice once last winter...popped the hood and sprayed de-icer on it until I was able to knock it out

porschefig

def. not ice... good thought though! :-)

If the **** is turned and the headlight doesn't move any further. Has to be a stripped gear vs. binding, right? Or are things able to "slip"

jpk

Check all of the mounting bolts for the linkage and the motor. If they get loose, things can bind up. I had goofy issues like that on my old car. After snugging up a loose motor, all was good.

If that doesn't solve the problem, you might be looking at replacing the headlight motor.

porschefig

Last night, I was able to lift them by turning the ****. Yes, it was binding...
The battery was COMPLETELY dead, can't find any switches turned on, but the lights were left a couple inches up over night....