Heres some info on this car:
- Headlights always stayed in the up position since I got the car.
- I swapped switches but lights didnt go down.
- Yes I tried turning the little light **** to make them go down.

After swapping switches, I started searching in the engine bay for a loose connector for the headlight motors. I found the drivers side motor was disconnected and plugged it back in. I turned the little **** on the switch and the drivers side light went down but the passenger one stayed up. I checked its connector and its plugged in and everything "seems" fine.

Does the passenger side headlight motor share its power from the drivers side headlight motor? How often do the motors go bad? Can I apply power or ground something to test the motors?

 

Do you have those rubber boost underneath?
I bet you're missing one.
You really need those things to keep water from splashing upwards.
If you lose the boot, the motor will surely fail.


-Ted

 

hmm.. I'll look into that. I'm guessing the previous owner disconnected the drivers side light because the pass. side wasnt retracting. Is there a difference between series 4 and series 5 headlight motors? The car is a series 5 but theres plenty of series 4 cars at the junkyard.

 

What year car? Early RX-7 have a relay for each headlight. I posted the part number recently and the location. If you have a car later than 87, I'd say it probably does not have the relay.

 

I found the trouble shooting instructions in the FSM to be very helpful with the headlight problems I had on my 89 GTU. I would suspect a problem with the headlight motor on the side that will not retract. There is a process for testing these motors and the power supply in the FSM.

 

OOps. I see you did say series five. No external relay for that one.

 

This diagram:

 

Pull the plug off the moter. On the harness side, see if you have 12v on the R/l (RED/BLUE) wire when the switch is to UP. Then see if you have 12v on the R/Y (red/yellow) wire when the switch is to down.

Then check the W/G wire for 12v approx. Then the black wire for a good ground.

If that's all good, put a meter lead on the motor where the black wire would attach and the other meter lead on where the W/G would attach to the motor. Then rotate the **** on the bottom of the motor thru its full travel until you get continuity.

Then switch the meter lead that was on the pin where the W/G was and put that meter lead on where the R/Y wire would connect to the motor and rotate the **** on the bottom of the motor thru full travel til you get continuity.

Continuity should come and go as you rotate the **** thru its travel on both setups. If you have continuity come and go on both of the above.......I'd say you have a bum **** motor.

If you don't get continuity coming and going with both setups.....I'd say you have a bum **** motor. You might see if the motor can be taken apart and try to clean the contacts inside and try again.

Both motors use a common ground so I doubt it's a ground problem. bum **** motor problem most likely.

 

thanks! I'll give that a shot and see what happens.