Headlights won't open, help !

Shorty · 03-21-2005, 01:58 AM

All of a sudden, my headlights won't open any more. They do turn on, but don't open. There's no jam or anything like that.

The fuse (nr. 2 right?) is OK.

Where should i start looking?

Thanks for any input

i've got an european '86 944 (type 2)

944 Ecology · 03-21-2005, 02:36 AM

Look for a bad relay (mounted on the motor itself).

gb

Shorty · 03-21-2005, 03:43 AM

Thanks for your answer !

Is it easy to check if this relay is broken or should i just replace it ?

It just happened. Nothing was done / changed there. I've checked all the superficial wiring, that seems ok.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Should be a rubber boot over the relay to keep out water and road crud. If the boot is torn the relay will not last a wet winter. Also inside of the motor on the main gear are several circuit tracks that tell the relay where the head lights are. These can also become corroded. Taking it all apart and doing a good cleaning and lube can extend the motor's life another ten years.

Shorty · 03-22-2005, 05:40 AM

When i went to pick my beloved 944 (had to leave it behind, since i couldn't open the headlights and it was dark out, the battery was entirely flat.

I now took out the motor to clean it thoroughly, ordered a new relay and checked all the fuses. I hope this helps !

I'll keep you posted.

Shorty · 03-22-2005, 06:05 AM

I just took apart the motor to clean it BUT.

You where right about that disc and pins that tell if the lights are open. BUT i took out the disc without noticing how it's supposed to be positioned !

Is there any way i can get to know how the disc is supposed to be positioned in there? Or should i just spin the disc when it's back in place and see when the lights open?

Thanks

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

It's self centering. The semi circular tracks end where the motor stops/starts. The selection of which track is what the relay does.

Put it back together so that the contacts are clean and tensioned. Use a clear (amber) grease to lube the worm gears and the contacts.

When you plug in the connector the motor will center itself. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CLEAR! Or you will loose one or two.

Shorty · 03-22-2005, 06:48 AM

Thanks for your help SoCal !

My new relay arrives tomorrow, so i'll have to wait a little bit.

Do you think a mispositioning of the disc might have caused the motor to malfunction and/or have drained my battery ?

Something did. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Thanks again !

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

The "disk" is the spur gear. Check around the outside and make shure all of the teeth are there and the same shape. If not start calling the local junk yards. Any headlight motor from a 924, 944 will work.

Lube the gears before you reassemble it. I would power the motor before connecting it to the headlight assembly to recenter it.

The gear can be striped in many ways. I've seen them striped from someone sitting on the headlight while they were turned on. Usually it's because they are catching or the linkage is out of alignment and causing a lot of resistance at a certain point in the travel.

IceShark · 03-22-2005, 07:14 AM

As Hugh said, keep your fingers clear of the gear and buckets when powering up the headlight motor. Just pull the negative off the battery when working on it. The motor is a powerful little sucker .... I'm not sure if it could actually rip a finger off but I bet it could break one in half.

Too bad I didn't see this post earlier so I could mention that the relay on the motor is a cheap, common and standard relay. Even a top brand one from Hella, Bosch, or AMP is only 5 bucks at retail.

Shorty · 03-22-2005, 07:25 AM

I opened up the relay and it looked fine, not coroded in any way. I ordered a new relay anyway btw. Maybe the motor was replaced not so long ago, the inside looked pretty neat. No wearings.

Tomorow, when i get the new relay (i hope) i'm gonna do the following:

- Whilst doing so taking extreme caution with my hands / other bodyparts near motor. -

1. screw the motor back in place - NOT yet linking the motor to the opening mechanism.
2. place new relay
3. reconnect power to motor
- see what happens -
4. turn on power w/ ignition key
- see what happens -
5. turn on headlights
- see what happens -
6. If nothing happens: leave headlights turned on, start carefully rotating the disc inside by turning the manual control button on top of the motor, untill something happens.
7. If still nothing happens: sit down & cry & return to forum.
8. If the motor appears to be working again: reconnect opening mechanism, cheer, return to forum.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

The headlight linkage is spring loaded to keep the assembly from moving at each end of travel. There are adjustable rubber snubed stops.

The output shaft is splined and can be reinstalled off center. A bit of adjusting is necessary to get it all working again. Make sure the nut is tight on the motors output shaft or you will strip those splines.

You should be able to run the motor with out the linkage connected. It should rotate 180 degrees and stop with the lights on. It will rotate another 180 when you turn the lights off.

The headlights are not powered through the motor relay. However the headlight switch does send current to the relay to make it operate the headlight motor.

Shorty · 03-23-2005, 05:08 AM

update:

Unfortunatly, the new relay doesn't help.

The situation is now:

Everytime i connect the motor to its powercable, fuse 16 pops. This happens with the new relay in place, with the old relay in place and without any relay at all. (yes, i busted 5 or 6 fuses)

I guess i'll have to go get a new motor.