Full Version: Pop-up light motor noise
Over the past few uses I have notice that my left pop-up light continues to makes noise after I have turned them off. I flick the switch to turn them off and they will both go down but the left one sounds like the motor is still trying to pull it down (kinda like a grinding noise for about 5 seconds). Now I notice that when I turn them on, the left one is late in coming up. Any suggestions on how to stop this thing from toasting itself before it does?
Yes, and here hoping someone hasn't already done it to this certain headlight motor because this is very common.
There is a plastic gear that runs the headlight up/down. This gear doesn't fit just flush on the motor output shaft that runs it. Since it is plastic and just barely being spun by its edge, it wears uneven. Good news though(as long as now one has ever done this to your car), the plastic gear can be removed, flipped 180 deg., and then grinding sound and slow operation fixed!!!
There is also a thread here on TFS for a link to someone who sells brass headlight motor gears to solve this more permanent like, but it will hit your wallet a lot harder than the free "flip gear" repair I just described.
There is a plastic gear that runs the headlight up/down. This gear doesn't fit just flush on the motor output shaft that runs it. Since it is plastic and just barely being spun by its edge, it wears uneven. Good news though(as long as now one has ever done this to your car), the plastic gear can be removed, flipped 180 deg., and then grinding sound and slow operation fixed!!!
There is also a thread here on TFS for a link to someone who sells brass headlight motor gears to solve this more permanent like, but it will hit your wallet a lot harder than the free "flip gear" repair I just described.
Yup, I agree with Jon. More then likely it's the headlight gear going out on you.
Below is link where you can find directions for the free fix and to install the brass replacement gears. You can also order the replacement gears on there as well:
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/
Below is link where you can find directions for the free fix and to install the brass replacement gears. You can also order the replacement gears on there as well:
http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/
Unfortunately you don't tell us what year of car yo have. Your uername suggests that you own a thirdgen (82-92). This still isn't enough info because the 1982-86 use a 3 wire motor, the 1987-92 uses a 2-wire motor. To further complicate it both Jon and Sue have given you the correct answer for a fourth-gen (1993-202) motor.
On a 3-wire motor you'll need to investigate if the gear inside has strsight-cut gears or helical (angled) cut gears. The early 3-wire motors have a straight cut. Unfortunately threre is no aftermarket brass or aluminum gear to replace it. If yours has this type of gear you'll need to replace it with a good used gear. The later 3-wire motors used the helical cut gears that were also used in the Fieros. I have replacement aluminum gears for this style of gear as TDS p/n 208210, $35.
The 1987-92 two-wire motor was a better design. Inside the gear is a tringular-shaped cavity. In that cavity were 3 cylindrical-shaped bushings or pucks made of a hard gel material similar to the consistancy of a glue stick. These bushings transfer the load from the gear to a 3-lobe hub on the shaft that raises and lowers the headlight bucket. Your bushings have broken up to a spoonfull of chunks from the many cycles of opening and closing. The TDS p/n 209210 deluxe headlight repair kit is what you'll need to repair these headlights, $20.25 (repairs a pair of headlights).
I'll include the info on the foruth-gen firebirds here while I'm at it. For the 193-2002 firebirds what goes bad (as Jon & Sue previously mentioned) is the nylon gear. You may buy sometime by unscrewing the arm from the shaft and turning the top knob until the shaft has rotated 180 degrees, then reattaching the arm. This is only a bandaid and may only buy you a few months. The better solution is to replace the gear. The OEM nylon gear has a rubber insert inside. The purpose of the insert is to absorb the shock from the gear when the arm of the motor slams against the stop in both the up and down cycles. You have some choices in the type of gear you choose to replace your OEM nylon gear. There are aftermarket nylon gears available and CNC machined brass gears. There are two styles of brass gear. The one that Sue sent a link to is solid, lacking that important rubber insert. I sell both the aftermarket nylon and CNC machined brass gears that have the cavity for that rubber insert. The kits are TDS p/n 501310 nylon gear & bumper kit, $28 or the TDS p/n 500310 brass gear & bumper kit, $44. Both kits include the rubber insert an a t-brace that helps keep the case of the headlight motor together after its been glued back together.
Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions
top-downsolutions.com
On a 3-wire motor you'll need to investigate if the gear inside has strsight-cut gears or helical (angled) cut gears. The early 3-wire motors have a straight cut. Unfortunately threre is no aftermarket brass or aluminum gear to replace it. If yours has this type of gear you'll need to replace it with a good used gear. The later 3-wire motors used the helical cut gears that were also used in the Fieros. I have replacement aluminum gears for this style of gear as TDS p/n 208210, $35.
The 1987-92 two-wire motor was a better design. Inside the gear is a tringular-shaped cavity. In that cavity were 3 cylindrical-shaped bushings or pucks made of a hard gel material similar to the consistancy of a glue stick. These bushings transfer the load from the gear to a 3-lobe hub on the shaft that raises and lowers the headlight bucket. Your bushings have broken up to a spoonfull of chunks from the many cycles of opening and closing. The TDS p/n 209210 deluxe headlight repair kit is what you'll need to repair these headlights, $20.25 (repairs a pair of headlights).
I'll include the info on the foruth-gen firebirds here while I'm at it. For the 193-2002 firebirds what goes bad (as Jon & Sue previously mentioned) is the nylon gear. You may buy sometime by unscrewing the arm from the shaft and turning the top knob until the shaft has rotated 180 degrees, then reattaching the arm. This is only a bandaid and may only buy you a few months. The better solution is to replace the gear. The OEM nylon gear has a rubber insert inside. The purpose of the insert is to absorb the shock from the gear when the arm of the motor slams against the stop in both the up and down cycles. You have some choices in the type of gear you choose to replace your OEM nylon gear. There are aftermarket nylon gears available and CNC machined brass gears. There are two styles of brass gear. The one that Sue sent a link to is solid, lacking that important rubber insert. I sell both the aftermarket nylon and CNC machined brass gears that have the cavity for that rubber insert. The kits are TDS p/n 501310 nylon gear & bumper kit, $28 or the TDS p/n 500310 brass gear & bumper kit, $44. Both kits include the rubber insert an a t-brace that helps keep the case of the headlight motor together after its been glued back together.
Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions
top-downsolutions.com
Thank you TDS 88 Formula. The year of the car is 1987. Will most local mechanics such as mufflerman, carry this kit? Otherwise I suppose I could have it ordered.
QUOTE(Will @ Nov 4 2008, 09:36 PM) 
Thank you TDS 88 Formula. The year of the car is 1987. Will most local mechanics such as mufflerman, carry this kit? Otherwise I suppose I could have it ordered.
Only if they are aware of the kit and stock it. I have a few shops that buy them from me and a few distributers as well. It's not difficult to do the repair yourself. The 4th gen repair is a bit trickier because the housing on those is plastic and wasn't designed to be repaired. On the 87-92 the housing is metal with a side cover that is held on with 3 screws. Downlad the instructions for the 209280 deluxe headlight repair kit from the lower left-hand side of my web site under "documentation".
Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions
www.top-downsolutions.com
I ended up just swapping the motor with another I got from an autowreckers. It was $40 and took about 2 hrs to install (they didn't leave much room for a wrench!). The bad one was causing the fuse for the exterior lights to blow. When I opened the bad one up it had a good table spoon of powder in there. I may still order a repair kit anyway, it'd be nice to be prepared for next time.
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