Headlight Motor - Reassembly

[JK McDonald]

I've pretty much looked through all of the Headlight Motor information concerning the procedure to cleanup the rotating disc that's within the housing - but can not find anything on the single silver ball bearing that was inside. Naturally, I found this tiny part on my work bench only after reassembly and I can only assume that it is (one of the stacked parts) used to set the linear adjustment of the output shaft.

The single silver ball appears to fit in a dimple between one end of the output shaft and the adjusting screw mounted through the back cover plate but I'm just guessing. This piece could easily be missed during reassembly and lost if you're not careful - and since there has not been a comment about a problem perhaps it is not a critical part of the headlight motor operation ?

Any help would be appreciated - Thanks Michael,

[Mrmerlin]

yes I think your correct,
the ball is set into the end of the shaft to take the axial loads.
add a bit of grease to keep it from rusting

[JK McDonald]

Thanks Mrmerlin - Well I reassembled the headlight motor with no extra parts left over. The little ball was installed where it logically seemed to fit and the side thrust of the output shaft of the motor felt like new.

Just a comment - Since I couldn't locate an official procedure on how to setup the initial position of the arm that drives the headlight lift assembly, I kind of ad-lived a bit. 1st with the arm removed from the headlight motor and the motor loosely mounted using it's three 10mm bolts - I turned the ignition ON and set the headlight switch/drive motor to the raised position. I then pulled fuse 19 (power to the motor), turned the lights and key OFF. Now I manually lifted the headlight cross bar and used soft mouthed vice-grips to hold it fully raised.

The headlight motor drive arm was mounted to the motor output shaft in the fully extended position and connected to the headlight cross bar. The slots in the motor mounting surface for the three 10mm bolts securing the motor will allow you to slide the motor with the attached drive arm to the exact distance needed to hold the cross bar raised.

The reason the motor's jointed drive arm must be set while the headlights are in the raised position is because when the headlights are lowered you can not get to the nut that secures the drive arm to the motor output shaft. Once you are satisfied with your setting, tighten the three 10mm bolts in the slotted runners, make sure the 13mm nut that holds the motor output shaft/drive arm is tight, then check the security of the two "C Clips" at each of the joints of the motor drive arm. I usually add a thin washer and use a dab of the yellow upholstery glue on anything that critically needs to stay in place like the "C Clips". This stuff holds fasteners in position under extreme conditions (like stink on $h%t) but stays pliable if you ever need to disassemble a part.

Once the fuse that supplies power to the headlight motor is back in the fuse panel - you can cycle the headlights and check your handy work. Using this method the motor output drive arm is perfectly vertical when extended and the headlights up. And when the lights are retracted nothing is under any unnecessary tension or bind.

Michael

[Mrmerlin]

Well Done Mike!

[RobbieStrosek]

I also have a problem with them headlights, mine go up but won't go down.
checked the fuses the wires the doides, even had the complete fusepanel taken out and cleaned.

Still after reasembling everything it go's up when the lightswitch is on, but stays up when the lightswitch go's of....

light turn of to...but no motornoise as to get the lightheads down im getting anoyed...

if anyone could help pls

[Alan in AZ]

You need to tell is what year your car is in every post - the answers vary by year (much of the time).

If your car is a pre-S4 then it is most likely either a failed diode, track connections in the HL motor, wiring break or a headlight switch issue.

If its an S4+ the relay is equally suspect.

Alan