I put together a troubleshooting cheat sheet for diagnosing headlights on the first generation headlights for years 84 – 86. Please note that this assumes that your headlight switch is ok. This ought to be an invaluable aid for everyone as a reference chart to help my fellow Fiero friends with headlight difficulties. This should print out on a single page of paper too.


TWITCHING HEADLIGHT MOTOR
crumpled bumpers
bumpers not under the cage
main gear is stripped
worm gear is stripped
main gear incorrectly attached to armature
rubber bushing under knob left out of motor during re-assembly


HEADLIGHT MOTOR WON’T SHUT OFF
stripped main gear
stripped worm gear
crumpled bumper debris clogging gears


BOTH HEADLIGHTS WONT OPEN
bad ground or connection
blown main fuse link to headlight switch
bad isolation relay


BOTH HEADLIGHTS WONT CLOSE
bad ground or connection
blown 20-amp taillight fuse
bad isolation relay


ONE HEADLIGHT WON’T OPEN
bad ground or connection
blown actuator relay fusible link
bad actuator relay
bad actuator motor limit switch
bad actuator motor


ONE HEADLIGHT WON’T CLOSE
bad ground or connection
bad actuator relay
bad isolation relay
bad actuator motor limit switch
bad actuator motor

------------------
jetman
Silver 86 SE 2M6 4-speed, with "check wallet light"
Now fortified with 8 essential slices of bacon goodness

My daughter's '86 headlights go up OK. Then when she switches them off, they stick about 1/2 way down. Then, when she turns the ignition OFF, the headlights go the rest of the way down. Receipts we got with the car show the headlight motors were rebuilt fairly recently.

Any ideas?

Where would the main fuse link to the head lights be located? I think that's the problem with mine. The passenger side motor wouldn't shut off when the lights turned off after I rebuilt it. Since then I put the brass gear from Rodney into another headlight motor. I wanted to see if that fixed it and now both wont do anything.

------------------

Thank for the sig. Bobadoofunk
1984 White Fiero Sport Coupe (Juliet) in restoration
1988 Red Fiero Standard Coupe (Bella) in restoration
1990 Black Buick Reatta (Noir)
2002 White Chevy Impala base(Haylie)

quote Originally posted by Timpilot: My daughter's '86 headlights go up OK. Then when she switches them off, they stick about 1/2 way down. Then, when she turns the ignition OFF, the headlights go the rest of the way down. Receipts we got with the car show the headlight motors were rebuilt fairly recently. Any ideas?

This turned out to be the contacts being burned/dirty in the headlight switch itself. Took the switch apart, cleaned the contacts, bent them a little so they would make better contact. Problem solved.

Anyone here think they could help me out with my 86' GT headlight problem.

Im assuming it's probably a wire but im not positive.

There's a limit switch inside the motor connected to the knob and sometimes it helps to turn on the lights and smack the headlight motor knob that isn't going up. Just give it a quick hit with the palm of your hand being careful in case it starts working.

------------------
'84 2m4 Northstar 5 speed
'84 3800SCII sold
'86 GT-'92 3.4 TDC 5 speed(sold)

I have an issue with my passenger side headlight

I rebuilt the motor but when I put it back in I let the smoke out... obviously did something wrong. Purchased a new motor but it's still won't go up and down. Where is the fusible link located? Are these a common item at a parts store?

Thanks
Nolan

quote Originally posted by neverendingproject: There's a limit switch inside the motor connected to the knob and sometimes it helps to turn on the lights and smack the headlight motor knob that isn't going up. Just give it a quick hit with the palm of your hand being careful in case it starts working.

Often when this gives results, it's an indication that one of the brushes on the limiter switch has broken off.

quote Originally posted by fierofool: Often when this gives results, it's an indication that one of the brushes on the limiter switch has broken off.

Sourmug's is an 88 with 2nd Gen headlights and won't have the limit switches.
2nd Gen headlights have a module to control on/off functions.
There is a fusible link for each motor up front. Is that what "smoked"?
Troubleshooting: http://home.comcast.net/~fierocave/hlmotor.htm


------------------
Calgary time/temp

3.4L Supercharged 87 GT Click me
Super Duty 4 Indy #163 Click me

[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 05-30-2015).]

quote Originally posted by fierosound: Sourmug's is an 88 with 2nd Gen headlights and won't have the limit switches.

Sorry. I didn't see any mention of what year he had. I wasn't referring to the points in the Gen. 1 system, but the brushes, which both motor styles have. I don't know if worn or improperly set brushes in the Gen. 2 motor could give the same symptoms, but good contact with the armature is necessary in both styles.

quote Originally posted by fierosound: Sourmug's is an 88 with 2nd Gen headlights and won't have the limit switches. 2nd Gen headlights have a module to control on/off functions. There is a fusible link for each motor up front. Is that what "smoked"? Troubleshooting: http://home.comcast.net/~fierocave/hlmotor.htm

Thanks Tony:

The smoking happened awhile back so I'm going off of memory. It came from the area of the passenger side headlight assembly so I assumed that it was the motor. It may have been the fusible link but I don't know exactly where they are for the headlight motors. Anyone happen to know where they are?

Thanks
Nolan