Hello! Does anyone have experience with the Pivot Headlight Controller unit? Specifically, I got mine wired up as the first step in my sleepy eye dual beam HID headlight conversion. I wanted to use the unit to control the height the headlights pop up when I turn the lights on.

The issue with the unit (besides very poor directions) is, to operate the unit, it takes multiple steps to use the unit with your headlights. You have to adjust the gain **** on the unit to the percentage you want the lights to pop up. You then have to depress the headlight retractor button on the left side of the dash (the lights pop up all the way), press the button again (lights then adjust to the height you set) and you then have to turn the lights on. To get the lights to close to the stock height, you have to adjust the gain control to zero and then press the headlight retractor button (lights go down) and then turn the lights off.

What I am wondering is has anyone found a way to wire the Pivot unit so you can simply turn the lights on as normal and have the unit pop up the lights to the correct height? Any advice is appreciated.

Looks like I am moving on to adjusting the headlight links to control the height or to modify the motor circuit but I wanted an easier way if it exists, hence the use of the Pivot controller.

 

No one??

 

David, I'm not familiar with this particular piece but from what little i can find on it and your description I'm almost lead to believe that maybe where you are connecting the unit is incorrect. What I mean by this is in the past I have used timmer modules to control actuators for the length of run cycle. Most of these are quite simple where as you provide power to them and then splice into the actual motor wiring. It almost looks like this would work in the same way just allowing adjustment a tad differently. Your description makes me think that maybe you are on the other side of the OEM controller trying to feed it different power intervals, rather than controling the actual power going to the motor.

Anyway that's just my tow cents. Some diagrams of the wiring and instructions might lead me differently.

 

Thanks Anthony. Yes, It would help if I posted up the wiring diagram. We wired it according to the below diagram:



I'm not smart enough to figure out if it could be wired up another way to make it work like we would like it to. As it is now, we're junking it and going with a more mechanical approach but it sure would be nice if it worked. Any thoughts?

 

Well from just looking at the wiring diagram, it looks to me that the power wire would need to run to an ign. source rather that the timed output from the oem controller. The reason I say this is, logical thinking would have you to think that the module adjusts changes to the run time of the motor to go up. The module would then need to add additional time to the motor going down. Having the power from the controller might not allow for the module to run long enough thus causing your headlights to not go down all the way.

Not sure that would solve the issue.

As far as doing a mechanical adjustment make sure you are not using a stop on the motor as this may cause premature failure since the motor will be fighting extra resistance.

I would almost suggest just using a timer module and some relays at the motor. One to control the length of time for the motor to go up to your desired height and one set longer for the motor to go down.

 

Dave, wouldn't it be easier to fab up a smaller arm for the stock motors (or cut out an inch or so out of the stock arm)?

 

Exactly - this would be much easier done mechanically. It might be as easy as disconnecting the stock arm, drilling a new hole a little further out on the housing, and reconnecting it in the new hole. Either that or make a shorter arm for the motor. That wiring diagram doesn't tell us anything about what the controller itself does but based on the fact that it's controlling one wire I can tell you it will always have to pop up the light to full height before it brings it down. The headlight retractor motor only turns one direction and the height is determined by the length of the linkage arms. So unless that controller could make the motor turn in the other direction to retract the light (which it can't with only one wire control), it will always have to pop up to stock height and come back down. It would probably be possible with internal modification to make it immediately go up and back down to the desired height but I'm not sure what needs to be done.

 

I had one of these on the last RX-7 I brought over from Japan. It now resides in the bin. Awful, useless, horrible contraption.

 

Yes, I think you are correct here. Originally thought the Pivot would be the easiest thing to do but obviously not.

I think mechanically adjusting the arm for the motors is the way to go. I'll check up with Kilo Racing on this. It's holding me back on my dual projector HID sleepy eye headlights I've already settled on the projector lights (Hella 50mm HIDs) and the high beam halogen units (Hellas again).

 

i have the pivot controler and it takes multiple steps to work also. but it gives you many options for how much you want the headlights to open. not just open and closed. it will do everything but wink one for the ladies "haha"

 

Doesn't meet my OEM standards for simplicity hence it is available if anyone wants it.