Headlights still not popping up!

[mattwrigg]

Hi all

I posted a while ago about a problem I had with the headlight motor not working.

Since then I sourced a used motor and relay.

No change.

The healights still work. I can hear the relays working, but no movement at all from the motor.

The motor is currently sat on the front slam panel as I thought I should make sure it works before putting it back in. I'm hoping that it needs to have some resistance applied before working, but I doubt the solution is that easy.

Both my new and old relays click the same when the lights are switched on.

When I installed the new motor and switched the lights on, I turned the manul knob on the motor till the lights came on (hence the motor is in the up position). I thought that when the lights are turned off, the motor would spin till it thinks it's in the down position. But it does not move.

Am I missing something here, or could something else be knackered? Could the wires themselves have melted when the old motor was originally trying to work with an obstruction in it's path?

All fuses are ok, I double checked.

All help appreciated. I want to drive the thing!

Matt

[DPW928]

If your 85 is like the earlier headlight motors, there is a circular contact plate inside that controls the movement. To set it at the correct position remove the linkage to the headlight bar, then turn the head lights on and off. If the motor cycled/ran, it is in the correct position to reconnect the linkage. If it didn't cycle you have a problem in the wiring or it's the wrong year headlight motor.

D

[mattwrigg]

I will make sure the replacement motor is the same model as the old one. The new relay is definitely the same serial number.

I should also pull the fuseboard out and make sure the connections on the back are in working order.

Is there any way to check the continuity of the wires going to the motor from the fuseboard?

Matt

[Landseer]

Yes, each of the wires to the motor corresponds to the Central Electric panel.

Also, each headlight wire passes through Central Electric.

As-do the important leads from the headlight switch.

The used motor or the used relay could be bad also, something I experienced actually with a brand new relay. Drove me crazy. It clicked, but there are multiple relays inside. Diodes can go bad in the motor circuit.

Do you have the workshop manual CD's that were assembled by a fellow hobbyist? The wiring diagrams are critical to ownership, I've found.

One substitute is having Alan on your side. Sometimes he posts here. Another is to find additional sites that have deep technical archives. This is common issue and much has been written.

[Alan in AZ]

If your motor never runs - are you sure you have changed the headlight motor fuse - #27 on your car.

BTW - the motor ground is via the case - if you just have it laying loose - it is missing one connection - ground the case.

When you wind it to the up position - do the headlights come on? when you wind it back down do they go off?

Alan


Test the voltage on the connector

[mattwrigg]

Headlight motor fuse is fine, I have double checked it, and pulled it out a couple of times to make sure the contacts are ok.

grounding.....

Bugger I hope thats it! I thought I'd try it before fully attaching it again. It won't be grounded at all then.

The headlights do go on/off when manually winding it up/down.

To test the voltage on the connector, shall I just use the bodyshell as the negative? (There is a black wire which I'm thinking is a ground).

Matt

[Alan in AZ]

Yes the case needs to be grounded - e.g. to the ground point right in front of the motor mounting point (brown wires on ring terminals).

Red & Black is the motor +ve connection

The other 3 connections are the position switch:

Green & Yellow - 86M on Relay - motor activation signal to relay
Brown & Red - 30bM on Relay - down limit switch in (12v with light switch in 0)
White & Black - 56 on Relay - up limit switch in 12v with light switch in II).

Black wires are usually ignition feeds - not grounds - be careful!

Alan

[mattwrigg]

Good news, everything works.

It turned out to be the relay. I put the new motor in properly, the lights would go up, but not down. i then noticed I still had the old relay in, with the new one in all worked as normal.

Many thanks everyone, I feel much better about the car now and next week I can get driving it again! Also freed off the heater blower which had seized due to it being sat for a year or two, so I have hot air and demisting again.

Thanks again
Matt