Headlight Motor Spinning but not grabbing
05-10-2018, 08:44 PM
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Headlight Motor Spinning but not grabbing
Bave an 89 trans am... Having some trouble with the headlight motor. When I flip the switch the headlights sometimes pop up and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes it will get stuck half way. It’s only one of them by the way. I noticed that the top of the motor is spinning very fast and keep spinning long after the working one stops. To me it almost seems like something in the motor isn’t grabbing whatever mechanism nonnects to the headlight to make it go up and down. Any idea what’s causing this and how I can fix it?
05-10-2018, 09:12 PM
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Car: 86 Trans Am, 92 Firebird
Engine: 408 sbc, 3.1L of raw power
Transmission: TKO600, T5
Axle/Gears: Moser 9", 3:70 trutac, 3:23 torsion
Re: Headlight Motor Spinning but not grabbing
There are 3 little plastic pucks which drive the gears in the motor. They break and turn to dust and everything spins. TDS makes some nice repair kits to solve that problem.
05-11-2018, 07:19 AM
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Car: 86 Trans Am, 92 Firebird
Engine: 408 sbc, 3.1L of raw power
Transmission: TKO600, T5
Axle/Gears: Moser 9", 3:70 trutac, 3:23 torsion
Re: Headlight Motor Spinning but not grabbing
Top Down solutions. The owner Lon is a sponcer here
05-11-2018, 10:39 AM
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Car: '88 Black GTA, T-tops, digital dash
Engine: 5.7 TPI w/custom chip
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 327 posi
Re: Headlight Motor Spinning but not grabbing
Those kits work great. I repaired mine years ago with TDS kits and I also rebuilt the hatch pull down motor with their kit and they still work fine.
05-11-2018, 11:17 AM
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Re: Headlight Motor Spinning but not grabbing
Excellent, thanks for the help. I have seen other threads talking about the plastic gear in the motor. If I am going to be taking it apart does it make sense to just change that gear with a brass one at the same time?
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06-11-2018, 06:45 PM
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Re: Headlight Motor Spinning but not grabbing
Just a follow up in case anyone else ever refers to this post for the same issue. I am far from a mechanic and with the kit from TDS (and a little youtube help ) I was able to do the entire repair in about 30-45 minutes.
06-11-2018, 10:17 PM
#12
Re: Headlight Motor Spinning but not grabbing
Not a bad video, but I'd say it's easier to go under the car, and remove the lower bolts between the lower bracket and the radiator support. Reason being that there's less adjustment between the bracket and the body, than between the headlight bucket and the bracket. Makes it easier to realign when it goes back together.
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