maireeka

So my driver's side headlight stays up when the passenger goes down, but after a few hours I look at the car and both headlights are down. Sometimes the mechanism works fine, but more often than not it sticks.

Is this a mechanical or an electrical problem? I know it's not a fuse or anything because it obviously works. It just takes a very long time to work.

BlackWorksInc

have you checked to see if the actual motor is running when the headlights go down? If so, check to see if anything is holding the headlight up (bent fender, tweaked mounting, body panel that is out of alignment); what might be happening is that the motor goes back to its down position but your headlight is stuck between something and after a couple hours gravity finally wins and drops it back down.

I haven't heard of motors being that delayed before... but then again i don't really look for those types of problems, my best guess would be the first thing I mentioned.

maireeka

the motor does not try to move the headlight as far as i can tell, i've inspected the linkage and the bodywork and nothing seems to be impeding the headlight's movement.

BlackWorksInc

Hmm... the only other thing I can think of is that somehow the switch that disables your headlights from returning to closed position when activated. (You know the one that is on the center console?) That circuit is somehow damaged so that only one light goes immediately and lags the other motor. Anyone else have any ideas?

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

I the dash switch was the culprit, both headllights would stay up or go down. Either the linkage is binding or there is an electrical fault. Check/clean the connector going to the suspect headlight. Also, underneath is a **** to manually open/close each headlight. Try turning it, but watch your fingers if there's power to the lights. Sometimes a slight turn will set the electrics in motion and the headlight can close faster than you can move your fingers out of the way.

ZoomHeart

Increase your knowns and decrease your unknowns by experimenting.

First, turn 'em on then off. If/When the driver's side doesn't go down, manually operate the actuator by removing the rubber boot/cover and turning the exposed shaft with your fingers or use a small mm socket driver. If the light goes down manually, then you are NOT binding. So that's one new known and one less unknown.

Then, swap the driver's side motor with the passenger's side. Switch 'em on/off again. This time if the passenger side IS NOT operating, you know that the driver's side switch and circuit is fine and the problem is the motor originally on the driver's side. If the passenger side IS operating then both actuator motors are okay and the problem is the circuitry or switches on the driver side. Then you'll have to test for voltages(and shorts) along that side to pinpoint the location of the problem. A few more knowns and a few less unknowns.

Eventually you will experiment and test until everything is known. REALLY!

Troubleshooting Principles Applied:
1. With an asymmetrical problem, when ya got two of somethin' ya can swap 'em and observe the new behaviors.

2. When electrical isn't working go manual. which tests against both the electrical AND the mechanical movements as well.

maireeka

thanks for the instruction. i will get around to this soon, lately i've been focused on getting her ready to start driving daily. new brakes and some plugs and she'll be good to go.

ZoomHeart

maireeka, I just remembered something. In order to check out the motors manually like I mentioned, you first have to disconnect the battery after the light won't go down. If you don't disconnect the battery then you can trigger the lights to go down when you start turning the shaft and it can grab your fingers. When you swap the motors the battery should be disconnected too. Of course each time that you use the switch you'll have to be sure that you've reconnected the battery.

The **** I found to be very slow/ many revolutions to get movement. By pulling the **** up and off you get to the shaft which can be turned by strong fingers or a socket driver something like a 5 or 6 mm as I recall, but small. With that socket driver it takes no time to lower and raise the headlamp assembly.

I think that you'll get to the root of this soon enough.

Have fun 'relating' to your 7. ALL relationships take work. I know my 7 always treats me better when I've provided care and attention.

Also, what trochoid said. He da man.

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

I test them with the battery connected. That way if there is a misadjustment, often a small turn of the **** will kick in the motor. Then you can start looking for a bent rod, missing bushing. If the motor doesn't kick in, then it's an electrical fault.

ZoomHeart

WARNING: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! I let a lot of philosophy slip through in my lengthy response below. Working on my 7 I'm more the tortoise than the hare, not so much due to choice, although choice is in there, but rather due to the limits of my own ability and understanding.

There are many paths to understanding, Grasshopper. A benefit to testing one of the checks manually with the battery disconnected is that if there is a mechanical binding you can feel it in your fingers and also see with your eyes just where and when the binding begins in the manually slower moving cycle, working your way through at your own finger turning pace as the headlight assembly moves through its entire range and cycle and feel it through your fingers when it frees up. (In order to see the moving parts you'll need to remove the shrouds that are around the headlights, 6 screws as I remember). You can get a kinesthetic(physical sensation) experience through feel rather than just a head knowledge. For me it's the difference between listening to music compared to reading an instruction manual.

And for me, too, it's kinda like sex, slowing down the whole process for enjoyment, not just focusing on the ending destination. Using this method I was able to locate binding in my driver side headlight and replace a bent connecting 'rod'/'arm'/whatever-it's-called and worn bushings. I had the joy of rebuilding my assembly with spare parts probably 4 or 5 times now on various 7's. On another occasion I identified the switch in the steering column as the faulty culprit which for me was a b itch to replace.

I have purchased two very nice RX7's a GSL and a GS that were sold to me partly and significantly due to the previous owner's frustration and the owner's daughter's frustration with kooky headlight behavior. Potential buyers were scared off by the headlight behavior and the owner's explanation as to what was going on and what would be required to fix the problem. I found that one time the fusible links were faulty. One time one actuator was faulty. My knowledge as a buyer was limited but by having played around earlier with the headlight assemblies myself I wasn't dissuaded from making those purchases and fixing them myself.

One advantage to working through different checks, even though there may be redundancy, is for the newbie to gain a familiarity with more of the entire working system and an overall better understanding. People remember and learn differently and enjoy differently.

I go as much for the journey as others do for the destination. If time is of the essence like it is in a shop or if you decide that the problem is only standing IN the way of glitch free performance then you'll choose to go straight for the solution IF YOU KNOW the solution or are told it. But my milage does vary from that and I find value in approaching the "problems" not so much as being "IN the way" but rather as "the way" itself, ...the path to my enjoyment and understanding. The hanging up headlight is an invitation to understand my 7 better. In short, "What's IN the way, IS the way." It's the lesson plan for today, the new part of the curriculum that I'm presented with. I can take a short cut but what exactly am I cutting short? Maybe nothing if I am the Master who knows. But if I'm an apprentice, I'm probably skipping over an opportunity to understand. What's so GREAT about this forum is that newbies can unite in their struggles while Masters like trochoid generously and compassionately have mercy on us newbies by shining a light on our paths, lighting the way for us.

I enjoy "getting a feel" for how my 7 is designed and constructed not just putting peddle to the metal and driving for performance. For me there is a constant discovery and wonder that deepens my enjoyment when I do drive after successfully wrestling with figuring out those dang headlamps for example. I'm on the front end of the overall learning curve but I appreciate that to go straight to a solution you've got to know the solution ahead of time. But the newbie doesn't know yet, so my personal preference for me is to build my experience and therefore my understanding. So, I may fiddle more than most result oriented performers.

What is the way to Mastery, Grasshopper? Memorization or Understanding?

Your milage may vary.

ZoomHeart

marieeka, I did some 7 work today and looked in on the headlight set-up again to refresh my memory. It's a 6mm socket that fits the shaft that's under the ****. Also I was able to get a pretty good look on the movement without taking the shrouds off of the headlamps but I have done that in the past to get my hands in there. I have large hands. Good luck.