my headlights will flip up but not down, any ideas on why they're doin this or if any of your do it &how to fix it, i really don't want to buy new ones considering they're 139 bucks a piece
thanks

 

Any funky noises when they flip up? Like, a grinding noise? How do you get 'em back down, by spinning the ****?

Our Firebirds use a three-relay system to flip the headlights up & down. One central relay hangs out by the windshield washer reservoir. That relay controls a left relay and a right relay to give the headlight actuators (aka "motors") their power. I wonder if your main relay is shot.

And $139/each sounds like a bargain; I remember pricing them after my first accident, and the dealer wanted $300/each for new. Junkyards are another option. One thing to ... argh dammit I messed up:

82-86 Firebirds used a three-wire actuator (motor) on the headlights. 87-up Firebirds used a newer design two-wire motor. I'm not sure if the same relay design (one main, two auxiliary) applies to your '89 Firebird. I will say tho that if you go to http://www.fierostore.com , they sell a repair kit for the 87-up flip-up headlights. I belive the same actuators on a Fiero are on a Firebird. If it's not sold thru fierostore.com, check out the back of a Hot Rod magazine. I know there's a few companies that make repair kits for the actuators.

But junkyards are still another option. Make sure to only look at Firebirds 1987 and newer (two wire actuators).

 

If you can hear the motor still whirring, its probably the plastic bearings inside, they shattered and don't turn the gear anymore. I used one guy's tech article to fix them. Cost me about $3 and a trip to Tru Value.

http://www.transamtemple.com/modific...ght_repair.htm

I think that will help you out a lot! It did for me! (Just hope that I don't have to do the right headlight soon, it's still working well on the original bearings)

 

my headlight motors don't make any weird noises they just sound "normal" so what's that plastic bearing do?

thanks alot guys

 

Inside the motor, there is an actuator that is hooked up to a gear, kinda hard to explain here, but if you click the link, it gives a better idea of what im talkin about. My symptoms were that the headlight was whirring and took longer to open up. One way I could tell was that the headlight would close, but then the motor would still continue. The bearings cause the motor to stop. If this doesn't describe you, maybe TomP has the real solution.