Hi! hoping you all can help me out I have a 1987 GTA. Car is bone stock with only 11,000 original miles. I noticed this weekend that when I turned on the headlights they did not pop up on either side. The headlight bulbs did turn on and I noticed that the actuators motors did spin when I tuned them on and did spin when I turned them off. but they do not open. After some research my guess is either the plastic gear or the bushings went bad. Here is the issue.... I can NOT get the headlights to open manually by using the ***** on top of the headlight motor no matter how many times I turn it clockwise or counter clockwise they do not move and I do not know what to do now. I can not get to the bolts to remove the motor. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

Just try to turn the **** by hand clockwise and pull the headlight with your other hand up.

 

I tried that to, nothing

 

The motors running but nothing happening is a sign that the bushings inside the motors have disintegrated and turned to dust. I'm surprised that would be the case with only 11,000 miles on the car, so I guess the bushings are more susceptible to age than to usage.

You said turning the ***** didn't work. Counterclockwise cranks them up, clockwise cranks them down. Turning them counterclockwise while pulling up on the front of the headlights will usually allow you to raise them up. If you can get them up, then remove the torx screws on the sides of the bezels and the mounting bolts for the covers. With those parts removed, then you might be able to get to the bolts for the motors.

But if none of that works, then you'll have to remove the entire headlight assemblies, which might be easiest anyway. The two body bolts on top are clearly accessible, but the bottom bolts will have to be accessed from underneath the car (if you're not able to get the headlights up manually). I did it this way, except that I could raise the headlights manually, so I was able to reach underneath the headlights to access the lower bolts.

Removing the entire assemblies will also give you the chance to correct any alignment issues they might've had; square-up all of the body lines/joints between the headlight covers, bumper cover, hood and fenders when you reinstall them

 

The reason why you can't manually get the headlights up using the **** is the same reason why they don't raise automatically with the headlight switch. That **** is attached directly to the electric motor, so if the electric motor can't raise the headlamps (likely due to the bushings) then so can't the ****. What you can do is try gently raising the headlamp itself while also rotating the **** to help. My guess is that it's in a slight bind with the linkage.

 

Sadly no matter how much I try they do not go up. I understand what you mean by taking out the entire headlight assembly by removing the 4 bolts but did not think i can get the inside 2 from the bottom? does not look like there is an opening.

 

Ok I was able get them to open. If this happens to anyone else take a long screw driver press on the arm of the motor and they lift right up!

 

Years ago before I had a chance to fix headlight motors in both my Formula and in a Buick Reatta, I'd turn them on and walk to the front of the car and lift the headlight (left in both cases) manually while the motor was spinning. It would click into the locked position and I'd be on my way.