I've read alot of posts concerning flipup headlight problems, but I still have a few questions. I have an 89 formula. The Headlights have always flipped up but not down. THe headlights come on and flip up...They dont flip down but the lights do turn off.

I assume that with them flipping up the actuators/motors are fine and that its the Relay switch thats preventing the current from reversing.

Would it be correct to say the relays are bad?

If it was a fusable link ,wouldnt that prevent them from moving in either direction.

I've seen Tricksters response with a diagram for an 82, But i swear I cant seem to find the relay switches anywhere.

my question is, where exactly is the relay switch located on an 89 and is the switch more than likely the problem here? also how much to those switches cost?

Thanks

 

On the 86 models, the actuator relays are mounted on the left and right fender wells while the isolation relay is mounted on the firewall near the wiper motor. On the 92 models, there is a headlight door module mounted on the firewall next to the wiper motor.

 

87 was the change year from relays to the single module/relay just for trivia I guess...

 

On the 88's, the doors were controlled by the module, on firewall next to brake cyl.. Get one from EBay or yard.. Known working if possible.. You could refi your house and order a new one from GM...

 

My son's car has a similar problem. I took the module apart and found that the relay had a melted wire inside it. I also know that the car had been in a front end colision before we bought it (bought it a couple weeks ago), and maybe the wire got burned at that time, but when I went to the junkyard to look for a module, all of them were gone.

Is that an indication that these modules go out often?

John.

 

I'd say it's a better indicator of either an owner who can't afford to spend a weeks (or multiple) pay for a simple part (student) or, owners who are just plain cheap (like the ones who get hatch struts from junkyards...).

I say this because getting a (electric/moving) j/y part is a roll of the dice at best.
Your replacing a part that broke after 14 years (at the oldest) of service with one that is... 14 years (at best) years old. It's not that the parts fail often or that these cars are junk, the cars are just old and they are starting to show signs of their true age.

Crossing fingers, mine still works but, if it were to go.. I'd rather have new and some peace of mind knowing it's a good chance of getting another 14 out of it rather than scavanger hunt through the j/y every few months for another on the verge of going terminal.... that's just my opinion though...

 

WOw, Thanks to everyone who's replied ! :lala:

So there is ONE module located on the firewall near the brake cyl. I followed the wires to this point, the bracket for the module is broken and its just hanging there flopping around.

OKay time to search for a new one, So what do these things cost from the dealer? (ballpark figure)

Is there a way to repair the broken one, like solder some wires back together? I wish i had a diagram or an detailed explaination of what this module actually does.

The lights have never flipped down since i bought the car from the original owner back in 94, Ive always had to crank them down manually.

Thanks

LP

 

Check your e-mail!!!!!!!!! :lala: :lala:

 

Trickster, Yes what a pleasant surprise when i checked it at home...(cant go to yahoo while at work) , BUt i tried to open the file and got an unavailable message. Going to forward it to work to see if it works there. Thanks.

Anyway, check out this pic of my headlight motor unassembled, The 3 pucks had turned to dust and you can see the granules that are left. I inserted 3 plastice tube pieces with these brass fittings into the spaces where the plastic pucks were. Its tight and works awesome, dont think they will ever go anywhere. Headlights Pop up very strong and simultaneously now,,

NOW if i could only make them go DOWN...lol

 

okay wheres my picture ? trying again

 

heres the fix. it only took me about 4 times taking the thing completely apart and back together before i figured out tube and various other suggested methods where too flimsy. So i went brass..

 

Or you could purchase a headlight repair kit or deluxe headlight repair kit, both of which are designed to repair this specific problem. Both kits include close-tolerance CNC machined Delrin bushings which are superior to the hard gel ones GM originally used.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

DOUGH !!!

wish I'd known about that early..lol. But having to take each motor apart 20 times gave me some good experience..lol. I can now completely dissassemble a headlight and actuator and reassemble in about 10 minutes. (it took me about 2 hours the first try)

Trickster, thanks the pdf opened , now I'm trying to figure out what it all means. I need a basic course in wiring.

Well I just dropped the bird off to have it inspected after 1.5 years of sitting. it had a OCtober 2003 expiration date, The guy said if i dont wait another 5 days , i will have to come back in Oct and do it again. NC inspections is so wacked !

BUt anyway, The horn doesnt work. I think its the button as it worked sometimes and sometimes it didnt.(now its completly out).

The mechanic said. "well do you want me to put a button over hear on the dash for the horn"?

Ummmm Hello??!!! NO!

 

headlight doorlight module from the dealer $170.95

 

Whew!

Agree:

I'll replace the relay in mine if it comes to that.

Thanks.

 

Same thing happened on my 88. The lights would go down but not up. I chased this problem for weeks. The module has a 4-post, double-throw relay inside. It seems that the relay go stuck on the "down" throw. So, if I dialed the lights up and then plugged in the module, they'd go down, but never back up. Finally found a good module, problem solved.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by little P
[B]I've read alot of posts concerning flipup headlight problems, but I still have a few questions. I have an 89 formula. The Headlights have always flipped up but not down. THe headlights come on and flip up...They dont flip down but the lights do turn off.

First check the relays before you do anything else. The contacts on the relays that has the motors bring down the headlights may be corroded. 90% of the time when headlights act up its due to a problem with one of the three relays. A new relay from Advanced Auto Parts needs to be ordered, taking about one or two days. After tax a relay comes to about $14.50.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Maverick_82
[B]On his car it is a module and not individual relays like the earlier models.

 

RIght - O . well I am going to have to wait to get paid before i buy a new module.

I wonder if its possible to take the old module apart, scrape some corrosion off the contacts and get the thing working...

Anyway, I'm still not sure what the module looks like, on the firewall behind the brake cyl. There are 3 different black cases with wires running to them. Not sure which is which as the wires look like spaghetti coming out of it all and intertwining in plastic casings.

 

Yeah, they don't make them like they use to. Thankfully mine's an '82

 

UGh! I got a "new" module from the dealer. PLugged it in and nothing at all..no up or down flip. My old module atleast flipped the doors up, so i put the old one back on. This BLOWS !!!

Hoping this "new" one is just a bad part. Going to try again tonight.

 

I'd be surprised if the new part was bad, which would lead me to suspect that your old one isn't bad either. You're 100% sure that you had everything plugged-in/connected securely?

Those connectors can be tough to secure into the module, so play with them, wiggle them, etc. Make sure they're really really snapped in securely and tightly. And it they still don't work, try again.

 

why cant i post?

 

ive lost 2 posts.

okay quick version. The old and new parts snapped into place well, and there was no corosion on ay of the terminals.

Took the car to the dealer...got some arrogant upper office guy with no respect for the bird. He informed me since i plugged the part in and not them it was no longer under warranty .

So for 85 bucks now they will check it out.

 

The dealer said they took a module from a "known working car" and plugged it into mine and it didnt work.

He sure did find a working part pretty fast,

Then he starts in with how they will have to search the circuits etc, for 85 an hour , probably a minimum of $525, then who knows. Said the best thing for me would be to "just drive around with them up"

He obviously didnt want to do the work, and i thinks hes lying about "checking it with a know working part". They said i cant return the module because i plugged it in, not them,

So why would they risk plugging in a known working part from someones car and chance burning theirs up ?

I told them to not do anything, I'll do it myself. its a simple circuit geeez! problem is I'm an electronic , beginner.