JHC928

I wanted to make sure I could raise the headlights manually if ever needed. After removing the rubber boot, I found that the **** on top which attaches to the motor drive shaft is gone. Can this be repaired or will I need to replace the headlight motor?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Regards,
John
81 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

manual operation **** missing

AirtekHVAC

Wow, never seen that! Interested in feedback from the gurus!

JHC928

I am guessing that there is no way to repair this and I will have to replace the motor. But let's see...I've had similar worst case thoughts before but someone often provides an alternative solution.

Regards,
John
81 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

Rob Edwards

Do the headlights operate normally via the switch? If so I wouldn't worry too much about this, though it begs the question why the **** is missing.

Can you turn the shaft with a small vice grips clamped on it? The failure mode of no return is that the gears in the transmission strip and the motor won't work at all, then you're looking at replacement.

JHC928

The switch does operate the headlights as expected, but they do not raise completely with the motor. I can gently pull them forward from the top and they will snap into a vertical position. If I forget to do so, I illuminate roadside treetops rather than the road itself....quite beautiful but not particularly safe.
I can rotate the shaft about 1/16 of a turn with vice grips; both headlights move slightly in response to that action. I did not attempt to fully lower or raise them by turning the shaft because I was unsure how much force to apply.

Regards,
John
81 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

76FJ55

The headlights have a spring detente that keeps the headlight assembly attached to the arm. this is there in the event that something gets trapped below the headlight when you go to retract them, and subsequently allows the arm to continue to lower which the headlight is disconnected from the lowering arm to keep from crushing or damaging anything. it sounds to me like you are pulling the headlight assembly forward and detaching this spring loaded detente to get the headlights to face fully forward. If you do not do this do the headlights pass through full vertical when you turn them off and they cycle from partially up to retracted? if they do pass through fully extended, then it sounds like the wipers in the motor that sense position are likely dirty and the motor thinks it is fully up before it actually is. if the headlights never fully extend then it is possible that the motor position needs to be adjusted (raised on its bracket) to ensure the arm fully extends.

JHC928

76FJ55...If I do not manually pull the headlight forward into that last upright position, they simply retract when turned off. They do not raise to full vertical before doing so. Of interest is the fact that they don't lower completely either. If I push them down, they spring into that last lowered position. Does that support your idea that the motor position needs to be adjusted? The fact that the manual **** on top of the motor is missing tells me that this system has been mishandled somewhere along the line.

Regards,
John
81 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

Wisconsin Joe

There's really not anything to adjust on the motor. The arm bolts to the axle that comes out of the motor housing. The other end attaches to the linkage arm that then attaches to the arm on the light bar. There aren't any slots or alternate holes, at least not on mine.

You should have a "360 motor". The earlier cars have a motor that goes all the way around. At the top of the travel, the lights are up. It then continues around to the bottom of the arc, where the lights should be down. Later cars have a 'back & forth motor', where it goes one direction for up and then goes the other way for down.

If you aren't getting full travel out of the lights, something is really odd. Maybe the arm has been replaced with a shorter (wrong) one. Maybe the whole motor has been replaced. Or maybe you have a later light relay in an early car. I have no clue how (or even if) that would work.

Soooo...

Watch your motor while someone else turns the lights on & off. Does it go in a full circle? Not sure where to go from there.

76FJ55

Can you post a picture of the motor arm position with the headlights fully retracted and one with them up?

76FJ55

I may have misinterpreted this statement before. then you say they snap into the vertical position, are you saying you are raising the assembly including the aluminum body colored plate up against the loser face of the fender, or is the plate already in position and you are only rotating the reflector assembly to face forward? these are 2 different issues, so some clarification may help. if you can post pictures of before and after you manually move the headlight to get them aimed forward it may help us understand the problem.

JHC928

76FJ55: When I snap the headlight into the vertical position, both the body colored plate and the reflector assembly move forward together.
Wisconsin Joe: This is indeed a "360 motor" as expected. It is quite possible that the motor was replaced although the present one is mysteriously missing the manual raise/lower **** on top.

One additional observation: the motor itself seems to be loose; I can easily move it back and forward about 1" but I did not expect that. Also, as the linkage rotates, the motor body wobbles back and forward in the same manner.



This is as far as the lights pop up with the motor

This is the vertical position after manually pulling the light forward

Regards,
John
81 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

76FJ55

Thanks for the picks. That is the issue I described earlier. In the pics it is difficult to see the angle of the motor arm, but if the motor is moving around I'd start there. The motor should be securely bolted to the body, and should not move at all. I believe there are 3 mounting bolt which hold it in place. Locate the 3 mounting bolts and tighten them, then turn the headlight on and check position. If the lights are still low loosen the bolts slightly and slide the motor up to raise the lights further and re-tighten.

JHC928

Thanks 76FJ55! I thought this play in the motor body was abnormal. I'll reply back to this thread after I have a chance to snug up the motor mounting bolts.

Regards,
John
81 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

Jason89s4

This statement is "somewhat correct". I found that in order to get the proper "stopping point" for the headlights I had to loosen the three bolts that hold the motor and rotate and retighten until the full-circle motion stops in the correct place. So, there is "adjustment" that can be made there.
John, I had the exact same symptoms on an 82...and what Simon has described is accurate. It sounds like your motor and the swivel arms are operating as designed. That extra "spring snap" you get by pulling forward is just you actuating the spring-safety action Simon described.
I fixed mine by loosing the motor bolts and figuring out the property location for the headlights to "stop" and then tightening back up. It took a few tries. .....The problem you are going to have is that in order to do that, I had to do a lot of back and forth with the manual ****! It is going to be a lot harder without it. Maybe try turning on headlights (so that they are in raised position, but don't "pop them forward), then turn switch to "parking lights only", then turn off car. Headlights should stay in the up position. Now, fiddle with the mounting bolts until they are where they need to properly be.
-Jason

JHC928

I do have the headlights remaining up by using the ignition switch on....headlights on.....ignition switch off.....headlights off sequence. I think one or more of the 3 mounting bolts are loose already which may account for the wobble of the motor body when the headlights pop up or retract. When I get them aligned properly and tighten them back up, I am optimistic that the wobble will disappear.

Regards,
John
81 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)