One Headlight won’t come up all the way (Page 1/1)
Kyle88formula FEB 16, 10:29 PM
My drivers side headlight comes up enough that you wouldn’t notice that it’s not as high up as the other unless you looked at it pretty hard, the problem is it shines only about 10 feet in front of the car. It also comes up slower than the passenger side. I have adjusted the lens to tilt up as far as it will go, replaced the motor with a reman and replaced the actuating arm. (had the same issue with the old motor before it blew its guts out.) It’s a 88 formula and this makes me hate driving the car at night as I basically only see with one headlight. The only other thing I can think to do is pull the whole assembly out of a junkyard car an swap it in. Any thoughts? Any ideas are appreciated, thanks

[This message has been edited by Kyle88formula (edited 02-16-2022).]

RWDPLZ FEB 16, 11:43 PM
Time to replace the motor bushings. You can also get the motor to come up all the way by either opening the hood before hitting the headlight switch, or turning the knob on top of the motor (can also be done with the motor unplugged).



http://rodneydickman.com/pr....php?products_id=231

A lot of 'remans' are just junkyard used parts spray painted black.
Kyle88formula FEB 17, 08:08 AM

quote
Originally posted by RWDPLZ:

Time to replace the motor bushings. You can also get the motor to come up all the way by either opening the hood before hitting the headlight switch, or turning the knob on top of the motor (can also be done with the motor unplugged).



http://rodneydickman.com/pr....php?products_id=231

A lot of 'remans' are just junkyard used parts spray painted black.



Are you talking about those little crumbly white plastic buschings in each motor? Those have been replaced with ones from Rodney dickman on both sides. The headlight also does not go any higher with the hood open or when manually turned up.
Kyle88formula FEB 17, 08:56 AM

quote
Originally posted by RWDPLZ:

Time to replace the motor bushings. You can also get the motor to come up all the way by either opening the hood before hitting the headlight switch, or turning the knob on top of the motor (can also be done with the motor unplugged).



http://rodneydickman.com/pr....php?products_id=231

A lot of 'remans' are just junkyard used parts spray painted black.



Are you talking about those little crumbly white plastic buschings in each motor? Those have been replaced with ones from Rodney dickman on both sides. The headlight also does not go any higher with the hood open or when manually turned up.
wilberto FEB 17, 09:56 AM
Try turning the black round knob by each head light.
theogre FEB 17, 01:55 PM
⚠️ Headlight(s) "won’t come up all the way" often has nothing to w/ motors.
More true when people remove HL lift assembly for any reason because most then reinstall and never bothered to adjust the thing.

Lift assem has 4 "slotted" holes and big washer nuts to mount to the "spare tire wall" so the assembly can adjust in 2 directions.
("Slotted" because many don't see them as slots but GM uses big square slots and nuts/bolts w/ large captive washers to mount this and many other things like trunk latch parts.)
Sideways so HL bucket and trim doesn't hit hood or door on either side.

Vertically so HL gets fully up so...
. bottom of HL Bulb is clear of hood when open.
. HL lift "bearing points" pushes the Door full open.

In my Cave, Headlights the alignment section shows HL w/ crap adjustment w/ bottom of bulb won't clear the hood.
Why? Because near impossible to adjust the lift assembly and tighten mounting nuts w/o help. Worse because people remove lift assem before me and didn't mark them so can't just match OE position. So only adjust done is sideways so lift doesn't bind against hood or door.

So Open the Hood and Look @ the Lift Assem Mounting points on the "tire wall."
Don't remove the nut(s) right now. Very likely bottom nuts are loose or missing and be worse after. (Bottom nuts/studs have open slots so can remove the lift w/o removing the nuts. Big problem is Many twits don't tighten them later.)
If the bolts are at top of the "slots" then bet has been removed and reinstalled "wrong."

That if lift assembly and door are 100% Good.
If door is missing "Bearing Strip(s)" on under side, Lift has damage/missing part(s) or both then you can have same problems.

Lifts hit the Door at Only 2 points for most of operation. 1 - 2 more in blue boxes when full up.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

theogre FEB 17, 02:19 PM
And top car pic Does Not show a Motor w/ problems.

Good and Bad Gen1 and Gen2 motors can have same problem because isn't a motor issue.
If anything the motor is "ok" but they think have jamming and "shut off." (Gen1 trips the limit switch and can turn on again opening the hood. Gen2 actually shuts off and stay off.)
But unlikely here.

To expand Lift damage problems...
Bad bearing points in the lift are common.
. you have 2 points when bucket pivots on the lower frame.
. 3 more in the "arm" between the bucket and motor.

Any or all can cause the door not to open all the way.
They can wear out for people that drive at night a lot or impact or jam damage bending whatever parts that are weak.

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 02-17-2022).]

Kyle88formula FEB 17, 08:11 PM

quote
Originally posted by theogre:

⚠️ Headlight(s) "won’t come up all the way" often has nothing to w/ motors.
More true when people remove HL lift assembly for any reason because most then reinstall and never bothered to adjust the thing.

Lift assem has 4 "slotted" holes and big washer nuts to mount to the "spare tire wall" so the assembly can adjust in 2 directions.
("Slotted" because many don't see them as slots but GM uses big square slots and nuts/bolts w/ large captive washers to mount this and many other things like trunk latch parts.)
Sideways so HL bucket and trim doesn't hit hood or door on either side.

Vertically so HL gets fully up so...
. bottom of HL Bulb is clear of hood when open.
. HL lift "bearing points" pushes the Door full open.

In my Cave, Headlights the alignment section shows HL w/ crap adjustment w/ bottom of bulb won't clear the hood.
Why? Because near impossible to adjust the lift assembly and tighten mounting nuts w/o help. Worse because people remove lift assem before me and didn't mark them so can't just match OE position. So only adjust done is sideways so lift doesn't bind against hood or door.

So Open the Hood and Look @ the Lift Assem Mounting points on the "tire wall."
Don't remove the nut(s) right now. Very likely bottom nuts are loose or missing and be worse after. (Bottom nuts/studs have open slots so can remove the lift w/o removing the nuts. Big problem is Many twits don't tighten them later.)
If the bolts are at top of the "slots" then bet has been removed and reinstalled "wrong."

That if lift assembly and door are 100% Good.
If door is missing "Bearing Strip(s)" on under side, Lift has damage/missing part(s) or both then you can have same problems.

Lifts hit the Door at Only 2 points for most of operation. 1 - 2 more in blue boxes when full up.





I am definitely one of the people who took it out without marking it, but at least I remembered to tighten all 4 nuts. But I had the same issue before and after taking it out multiple times and playing around with those adjustments you were talking about. I’m assuming it’s the bushings in the mechanism or that something is bent like you said because someone in the past replaced the breakaway motor bushings with nylon ones. This caused it to strip the shaft out of the large gear and busted the housing open. I think I’m gonna grab the hole headlight mechanism out of a junk car and try that. Doesn’t have to be perfect alignment as long as I can see the road.
Thanks all
theogre FEB 19, 09:40 PM
Most w/ Gen2 Motors owners are told the pins "are weak" and need Nylon AKA Delrin pins then other parts fail sooner or later and often to sell the car.
And not just 87-88 Fiero but all w/ Gen2 motors including High$ Corvette to cheap Sunbird
2nd Gen Headlight Pin Replacement http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/128600.html

Get new Cardone motors w/ warranty or from elsewhere w/ little/no warranty.
Think AZ sells Cardone motors under duralast brand

Have 1 lift working right then should find if anything bent etc. Just remember most things are mirrored.

Hard to adjust because limited spaces...
Try...
Open hood
lights on to Raise HL then unplug motor and shut off lights.
loosen all wall nuts just so can move.
Find blocks of wood etc to raise bulb a little at a time.
tighten nuts
Carefully close hood w/ HL Up.
Check and repeat as needed.

I haven't tried this because drive very little at night now.
Can't tell for sure from pic above but looks bit "twisted" clockwise and bit low.
But if have broken bulb aim screws or bad bulb aim that can make issues too because bucket spring will pull weird.
So don't trust just the bulb appearance to adjust the lift.
If measure height... measure from metal of frame. Hood and it's hinges to frame could be off too.

For side to side... Look at door bearing strips. Should see where lift hits from factory because that area often has deeper wear marks.
That's about all I cared for same reason. don't drive a lot but so lift and trim don't bind w/ hood and door.

I think GM had bulb aiming set when made the whole assembly and jig to install them before hood when on. IOW they don't need to adjust after lift work later. Even FSM and other Docs don't have data how to adjust the lift on tire wall.
wilberto MAR 06, 12:07 PM
85 GT, I had the same problem with my driver side. I turned the knob and it opened then it quit opening when I turned the knob or tapped the top of the knob. So next time it didn't open I turned the knob probably way too much...would that damage the internals of the motor? It doesn't raise at all now.
Thanks