why do my headlights keep going up and down?
08-10-10, 05:23 PM
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why do my headlights keep going up and down?
Hi guys, i need help with the headlights on my '79. When i push the swithch to raise them they immediately go up very fast and then keep going up and down at a fast rate not in sequence. I'm hoping there is just an adjustment? Thanks for any help.
08-10-10, 07:43 PM
#3
lol I was gonna say "cuz theyre broken".
Nah, seriously though - If you look at the pass side headlight motor harness and compare it to the driver side one your problem is the EXTRA WIRE. I dont know the color but that wire tells each motor to stop at the same place. The wire is thinner than the rest and has broken on other cars and has displayed similar issues.
Nah, seriously though - If you look at the pass side headlight motor harness and compare it to the driver side one your problem is the EXTRA WIRE. I dont know the color but that wire tells each motor to stop at the same place. The wire is thinner than the rest and has broken on other cars and has displayed similar issues.
08-13-10, 04:39 PM
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Hi guys, thanks for the help. I understand the humor in it and knowing how you guys love to joke go right ahead. I haven't had a chance to get to it but hope to over the weekend. I'm hoping the small wire(?) could be it? I was wondering could it be that the manual wheel you rotate to raise the headlights has something to do with it, lika an adjustment.
Thanks for all your help and go ahead and make jokes all you want! It's cool.
Thanks for all your help and go ahead and make jokes all you want! It's cool.
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08-13-10, 05:50 PM
#9
Sin City Rotary
video or it didn't really happen!!! lol
hmm doesn't have the number 53 on the side does it?
But really did you do anything like change a motor or something?? We had a local who had the linkage skewed just a hair and when he hit the switch to close then would pop right open, it was kinda funny.
hmm doesn't have the number 53 on the side does it?
But really did you do anything like change a motor or something?? We had a local who had the linkage skewed just a hair and when he hit the switch to close then would pop right open, it was kinda funny.
08-14-10, 09:57 AM
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Okay, i'm not that great on the compter and will have to borrow a video camara and figure out how to great it posted. I'm pretty busy this weekend. My wife's going thru some chemo and i have to spend some quality time with her. I never really thought this would get sooo much attention!?
08-14-10, 11:43 AM
#11
Somebody knows the answer to this one Bob (not me). Your video, beyond it's entertainment value, will give the electrical gurus a better idea of what's going wrong.
One way to do the video is post it on YouTube or photobucket or someplace like that, then put the link to your video here.
Best wishes with your wife's chemo, a good friend of mine is going through something similar and it's tough.
One way to do the video is post it on YouTube or photobucket or someplace like that, then put the link to your video here.
Best wishes with your wife's chemo, a good friend of mine is going through something similar and it's tough.
08-14-10, 02:55 PM
#12
Hi, Bob. Just remember, we're laughing with you...
Does this happen when you:
a) turn on the lights from the combo switch on the steering column?
b) flip the lights up with the switch on the console, under the radio?
c) both?
Did it start happening:
a) suddenly without any apparent cause?
b) right after some wiring work on the car was done?
c) ever since you've had the car?
d) started slowly, then got progressively worse.
When you turn off your lights, do they:
a) just stop wherever they happen to be
b) go down and stay down properly
The manual ***** on top don't have anything to do with this.
It's not surprising that as the lights continue to run, one would get ahead of the other speed-wise. They are pretty much independent of each other as goes speed.
The headlight motor assemblies have a cam, switch, and relay arrangement inside them that's designed to tell the units when to stop in the up and down position. Both headlights are actually controlled by two different signals; one to go up, one to go down.
Sounds to me like the switches aren't sensing that they are in the the "up" position, so the motors just keep on going. Strange that they'd both go bad, as they are separate.
Looking at the wiring diagram, Page E, the "UP" signal comes in on the Red wire, the "DOWN" signal on the Red with Yellow wire, and actual power for the motors comes in on White with Red. Yellow with Green is for the retractor dash light. The units also have short ground wires that bolt to the frame.
Try electrically disconnecting one motor unit completely, and see if the other will then work properly. Then reconnect the first and try the other. This will narrow things down considerably.
Does this happen when you:
a) turn on the lights from the combo switch on the steering column?
b) flip the lights up with the switch on the console, under the radio?
c) both?
Did it start happening:
a) suddenly without any apparent cause?
b) right after some wiring work on the car was done?
c) ever since you've had the car?
d) started slowly, then got progressively worse.
When you turn off your lights, do they:
a) just stop wherever they happen to be
b) go down and stay down properly
The manual ***** on top don't have anything to do with this.
It's not surprising that as the lights continue to run, one would get ahead of the other speed-wise. They are pretty much independent of each other as goes speed.
The headlight motor assemblies have a cam, switch, and relay arrangement inside them that's designed to tell the units when to stop in the up and down position. Both headlights are actually controlled by two different signals; one to go up, one to go down.
Sounds to me like the switches aren't sensing that they are in the the "up" position, so the motors just keep on going. Strange that they'd both go bad, as they are separate.
Looking at the wiring diagram, Page E, the "UP" signal comes in on the Red wire, the "DOWN" signal on the Red with Yellow wire, and actual power for the motors comes in on White with Red. Yellow with Green is for the retractor dash light. The units also have short ground wires that bolt to the frame.
Try electrically disconnecting one motor unit completely, and see if the other will then work properly. Then reconnect the first and try the other. This will narrow things down considerably.
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