Pennock's Fiero Forum
  Technical Discussion & Questions
  Headlight motor issue only on pass side

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Email This Page to Someone! | Printable Version


next newest topic | next oldest topic
Headlight motor issue only on pass side by Lou and Blue
Started on: 03-28-2014 07:14 PM
Replies: 13 (336 views)
Last post by: Lou and Blue on 04-05-2014 11:58 AM
Lou and Blue
Member
Posts: 1349
From: Baldwin,NY,USA
Registered: Dec 2013


Feedback score:    (8)
Leave feedback

Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 07:14 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Lou and BlueSend a Private Message to Lou and BlueEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post

Hi, is there a difference between the headlight motor isolation rely and the pair of headlight motor relays on an 85 fiero? I can't seem to locate the isolation relay on the fiero store site.
Thank you. My pass side headlight motor keeps clicking intermittently even though it is in the down position. It dims the interior lights and will eventually drain the battery. I think the limit switch isn't working properly, but I figured I'd ask about the two different associated relays first.
Thank you.
Louis Duet and "Blue"

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
Where driving hard is SOP.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
The "DuetLorean"
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Robertson Equipped
Neiland/Delman Engineered
Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"

IP: Logged
PFF
System Bot
Gall757
Member
Posts: 10938
From: Holland, MI
Registered: Jun 2010


Feedback score: N/A
Leave feedback





Total ratings: 90
Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 07:31 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Gall757Send a Private Message to Gall757Edit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
There are 3 relays in the Gen 1 headlight system...

http://home.comcast.net/~fierocave/hlmotorg1.htm
IP: Logged
Lou and Blue
Member
Posts: 1349
From: Baldwin,NY,USA
Registered: Dec 2013


Feedback score:    (8)
Leave feedback

Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 07:50 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Lou and BlueSend a Private Message to Lou and BlueEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Thank you, I know that. And the isolation relay isn't on the fiero store website. Only the headlight motor relays. They are the same relay on rock auto and in autozone. I do not think its the relays because the motors work fine. Even the gears are not stripped. I think it's the limit switch on the pass side. I cleaned up the drivers side limit switch when I soldered the brush back on, but I haven't touched the pass side at all.
Thanks for your advice though !

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
Where driving hard is SOP.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
The "DuetLorean"
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Robertson Equipped
Neiland/Delman Engineered
Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"

IP: Logged
Gall757
Member
Posts: 10938
From: Holland, MI
Registered: Jun 2010


Feedback score: N/A
Leave feedback





Total ratings: 90
Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 07:53 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Gall757Send a Private Message to Gall757Edit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
That isolation relay is very hard to find. There have been some threads describing how to build your own....but I don't know if that was successful.
IP: Logged
Lou and Blue
Member
Posts: 1349
From: Baldwin,NY,USA
Registered: Dec 2013


Feedback score:    (8)
Leave feedback

Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 07:54 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Lou and BlueSend a Private Message to Lou and BlueEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Info I got from your link


The motors won't shut off.
They twitch/kick every few seconds to a couple minutes...
This likely is caused by one of thee things or it could be all these things at once.
The limit switches cut off but there isn't enough lockup friction in the gearing to hold them. The armature slips and each time it does, the motor kicks on.
The motor never activates the limit switch. When that happens, the motor won't cut out until a thermal circuit breaker inside the thing trips. When the breaker cools, the motor turns on and cooks until the breaker trips again.
A relay is sticking and tripping the thermal breaker in the motor. Same result as #2.


It can't be the relay because I swapped the drivers and pass side relays and the pass side continues to act this way.

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
Where driving hard is SOP.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
The "DuetLorean"
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Robertson Equipped
Neiland/Delman Engineered
Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"

IP: Logged
David Hambleton
Member
Posts: 1580
From: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Registered: Nov 2012


Feedback score: N/A
Leave feedback

Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 08:23 PM Click Here to See the Profile for David HambletonSend a Private Message to David HambletonEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
The RH side motor on my '84 SE was twitching & running the battery down. I took it apart a few times, cleaned it but couldn't determine what was malfunctioning. I've replaced the gear a couple of times over the years. I ended up getting a set of motors locally that were still riveted together. I think I paid $50. When I installed the RH motor, the twitching disappeared. I got another still riveted set from a local pick & pull ($23); one needed a gear the other is ok. Spares are good!
(It wasn't the top 'O' ring seal being out of place during reassembly - sometimes that's the reason.)

[This message has been edited by David Hambleton (edited 03-28-2014).]

IP: Logged
Lou and Blue
Member
Posts: 1349
From: Baldwin,NY,USA
Registered: Dec 2013


Feedback score:    (8)
Leave feedback

Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 08:29 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Lou and BlueSend a Private Message to Lou and BlueEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Well, I guess I'll have to take the pass side motor out, clean it up inspect that o ring, and see how it works. Ill search for gen 2 motors to swap I guess. I didn't want to spend too much $$$ on it.
Trying to clean it up will just be time consuming. Hey if I soldered the drivers side brush on, cleaning up the pass side shouldn't be so bad.
Hope that fixes it.
Thanks for all the info.
Keep it coming !

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
Where driving hard is SOP.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
The "DuetLorean"
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Robertson Equipped
Neiland/Delman Engineered
Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"

IP: Logged
fierofool
Member
Posts: 12808
From: Auburn, Georgia USA
Registered: Jan 2002


Feedback score:    (13)
Leave feedback





Total ratings: 154
Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 09:11 PM Click Here to See the Profile for fierofoolClick Here to visit fierofool's HomePageSend a Private Message to fierofoolEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
That top "O" ring as it's being called really isn't an "O" ring. Its "D" shaped and it's a weather seal. It can only be out of place if the motor has previously been opened up and the assembler failed to get it back into it's place in the top of the case halves.

The Isolation Relay is no longer available and hasn't been for 6 or 7 years and then if you could find them it was just left over NOS. The Isolation and the Motor relays are not interchangeable, though they will plug into one another's harness connections. The only source of an isolation relay is to get a used one. Motor relays are still available at auto parts stores.

I had major problems with the plastic gears from TFS, having to rebuild more than a dozen motors under my warranty. They gave me replacement gears but they also proved inferior. I asked that they notify me when they got the problem resolved and I've heard nothing. I would currently recommend Rodney's metal gears because they use a bumpstop to cushion the stop at the end of the up or down travel, just as the factory gears used. TFS metal gears are metal on metal, exerting all the force on fragile metal fingers of the drive plate. That plate is not available on the aftermarket.
IP: Logged
Lou and Blue
Member
Posts: 1349
From: Baldwin,NY,USA
Registered: Dec 2013


Feedback score:    (8)
Leave feedback

Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 09:16 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Lou and BlueSend a Private Message to Lou and BlueEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
I have the headlight relay as the isolation relay and the setup works just fine, it reacts to the headlight switch and everything works great. It's just the intermittent clicking on of the pass side motor. I think it's the limit switch.

But I'll ask on the mall if anyone has a working isolation relay to offer.
Thanks !

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
Where driving hard is SOP.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
The "DuetLorean"
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Robertson Equipped
Neiland/Delman Engineered
Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"

[This message has been edited by Lou and Blue (edited 03-28-2014).]

IP: Logged
fierofool
Member
Posts: 12808
From: Auburn, Georgia USA
Registered: Jan 2002


Feedback score:    (13)
Leave feedback





Total ratings: 154
Rate this member

Report this Post03-28-2014 09:52 PM Click Here to See the Profile for fierofoolClick Here to visit fierofool's HomePageSend a Private Message to fierofoolEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Got one sitting right here on my desk. Part number 10022620.

[This message has been edited by fierofool (edited 03-28-2014).]

IP: Logged
Lou and Blue
Member
Posts: 1349
From: Baldwin,NY,USA
Registered: Dec 2013


Feedback score:    (8)
Leave feedback

Rate this member

Report this Post03-29-2014 11:53 AM Click Here to See the Profile for Lou and BlueSend a Private Message to Lou and BlueEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Using that part number all I'm finding is it is unavailable everywhere. Is yours new? How much would you want for it. I am using a headlight relay for the isolation relay and it seems to work fine.
But I thought I'd ask around to try to put the exact right part in.

Any info is appreciated.
Thank you

I PM'd you Fierofool.
Thanks again!

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
Where driving hard is SOP.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
The "DuetLorean"
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Robertson Equipped
Neiland/Delman Engineered
Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"

IP: Logged
PFF
System Bot
fierofool
Member
Posts: 12808
From: Auburn, Georgia USA
Registered: Jan 2002


Feedback score:    (13)
Leave feedback





Total ratings: 154
Rate this member

Report this Post03-29-2014 04:29 PM Click Here to See the Profile for fierofoolClick Here to visit fierofool's HomePageSend a Private Message to fierofoolEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
The circuitry of the isolation relay and the motor relay are different. That's the reason for different part numbers. New isolation relays are no longer available unless you find one from a private individual.

Your PM has been answered.
IP: Logged
fierofool
Member
Posts: 12808
From: Auburn, Georgia USA
Registered: Jan 2002


Feedback score:    (13)
Leave feedback





Total ratings: 154
Rate this member

Report this Post04-05-2014 07:52 AM Click Here to See the Profile for fierofoolClick Here to visit fierofool's HomePageSend a Private Message to fierofoolEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Did you get your problem resolved? If so, what was the solution?

Do-It-Yourself Isolation Relay:

//www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/120467.html
IP: Logged
Lou and Blue
Member
Posts: 1349
From: Baldwin,NY,USA
Registered: Dec 2013


Feedback score:    (8)
Leave feedback

Rate this member

Report this Post04-05-2014 11:58 AM Click Here to See the Profile for Lou and BlueSend a Private Message to Lou and BlueEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
I think I fixed the issue,
I checked the isolation relay and I had the correct part number in place already.
Today I removed the pass side headlight motor and took out the limit switch. I bent the tab of the limit switch so the metal bar didnt have to travel as far to press on the arm of the switch. I reinstalled the motor and no more clicking , no more battery drain! I hope this stays fixed! Thank you to all who replied and gave advice, either on this thread or via PM.

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
Where driving hard is SOP.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
The "DuetLorean"
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Robertson Equipped
Neiland/Delman Engineered
Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"

IP: Logged

next newest topic | next oldest topic

All times are ET (US)

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | Back To Main Page

Advertizing on PFF | Fiero Parts Vendors
PFF Merchandise | Fiero Gallery | Ogre's Cave
Real-Time Chat | Fiero Related Auctions on eBay



Copyright (c) 1999, C. Pennock