Headlights won't pop up on 1987 944T
12-04-2015, 01:39 PM
#1
WRONGLY ACCUSED!
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Headlights won't pop up on 1987 944T
As the title says I have a 1987 944T and the headlights have stopped popping up. The first time it happened I opened up the hood, poked around a little bit, and when I closed the hood the headlights popped up.
I tried giving them a little "help" by pulling on them slightly, or closing the hood again, but nothing happens. The headlights are on but they just won't pop up.
Any advice what to look for before assuming the motor went bad?
Many thanks.
I tried giving them a little "help" by pulling on them slightly, or closing the hood again, but nothing happens. The headlights are on but they just won't pop up.
Any advice what to look for before assuming the motor went bad?
Many thanks.
12-04-2015, 03:37 PM
#3
hmm is the motor attemting to turn
Im Not infront of the car, but i recall that there is motor on the passenger side that is attached to the silver bars that rotate the bars up and down.
My motor would get power and not turn them, the motor has a **** on top that allows you to help them along. Sometimes a half turn would do the trick.
Warning . that motor got hot if it was trying and not succeeding... SO unplugged it , i dont need the headlights.
hazy on the details but.... My mechanic mentioned recently that there was some issues where some 'early'? 944s had an unfused line to the headlights and a bunch caught fire a while back. but again... thats just some 2nd hand data.
My motor would get power and not turn them, the motor has a **** on top that allows you to help them along. Sometimes a half turn would do the trick.
Warning . that motor got hot if it was trying and not succeeding... SO unplugged it , i dont need the headlights.
hazy on the details but.... My mechanic mentioned recently that there was some issues where some 'early'? 944s had an unfused line to the headlights and a bunch caught fire a while back. but again... thats just some 2nd hand data.
12-04-2015, 08:21 PM
#4
Check the relay on the motor, also make sure that the molex style connector into the motor is fully plugged in and not corroded in the connector. You might "exercise" the connection a few times. Also double check the fuse that the motor runs on, i don't have the number in front of me unfortunately.
12-05-2015, 04:21 PM
#5
WRONGLY ACCUSED!
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Thanks much. I am going to try all of these this weekend.
12-05-2015, 10:41 PM
#6
I had the same failure on my car where the motor would just spin forever (getting hot).
All the above advice is great if the problem is something between the switch and the motor. In my case it was not. A quick way to verify if the problem is on the electrical side and not the motor itself is to disconnect the bar mechanism (just one nut, and then pry the bar back off the splined shaft coming out of the headlight gear, you don't need to totally remove it but just get it off the splines) and then have a helper flip the switch while you watch the splinned shaft coming out of the headlight motor. If it spins, you're good for electrical (or so the theory goes)
Inside the motor there is a worm drive gear which drives a rotary gear. The rotary gear has a shaft coming off it, that shaft is what turns the metal bar mechanism.
The cause of my failure is the (plastic) rotary gear within the motor. They eventually get a spot worn into them by the worm drive gear. The worm drive will wear that spot more and more until, on one unlucky rotation, the worm drive gear will start spinning in place because it has worn that spot down enough that there is no contact with the teeth of the rotary gear. It's like spinning your wheels in snow, it just makes it worse.
To confirm it you'll need to remove the headlight motor and open it up. It's easy to open and documented in a few places if you search. Once it's opened look at the teeth of the rotary gear and more than likely you'll find a spot where they are worn down.
If that is your problem as well then unfortunately, you're in the same boat as me where there are no replacements for just that part so you have to order a new motor or try your luck on a used one.
All the above advice is great if the problem is something between the switch and the motor. In my case it was not. A quick way to verify if the problem is on the electrical side and not the motor itself is to disconnect the bar mechanism (just one nut, and then pry the bar back off the splined shaft coming out of the headlight gear, you don't need to totally remove it but just get it off the splines) and then have a helper flip the switch while you watch the splinned shaft coming out of the headlight motor. If it spins, you're good for electrical (or so the theory goes)
Inside the motor there is a worm drive gear which drives a rotary gear. The rotary gear has a shaft coming off it, that shaft is what turns the metal bar mechanism.
The cause of my failure is the (plastic) rotary gear within the motor. They eventually get a spot worn into them by the worm drive gear. The worm drive will wear that spot more and more until, on one unlucky rotation, the worm drive gear will start spinning in place because it has worn that spot down enough that there is no contact with the teeth of the rotary gear. It's like spinning your wheels in snow, it just makes it worse.
To confirm it you'll need to remove the headlight motor and open it up. It's easy to open and documented in a few places if you search. Once it's opened look at the teeth of the rotary gear and more than likely you'll find a spot where they are worn down.
If that is your problem as well then unfortunately, you're in the same boat as me where there are no replacements for just that part so you have to order a new motor or try your luck on a used one.