1987 headlight motor (Page 1/1)
jim94 SEP 16, 04:38 PM
it goes up a nd seeme to wind it self up in a bind. i un wind it a half of a turn and the light works. gear and nylon plugs are in great condition. is the motor going. this is the drivers side the light goes up it just winds it self up so tight the motor cannot move. can somone please tell me what is broken on my car.
fierofool SEP 16, 05:58 PM
Generally, the motors do wind up until they bind. The control module then turns off the power. They should reverse with the switch and when reaching the other end of travel, they should bind again. Now, if you disassembled the whole motor, taking everything out of the case, there are two areas on the Gen. 2 motors that could cause a problem.

The first applies to all Fiero headlight motors, and that is the rubber D weather seal that should be in its place inside the top of the case and not between the top of the case and knob.

The other is a tiny single BB bearing that sits between the bottom of the case and the very end of the screw shaft on the motor. There's a screw in the bottom of the case that has a cup in the end. Likewise in the end of the screw shaft. That BB is captured between the two. If it's missing, you can encounter problems.

I interpret what you said as that the headlight bulb doesn't light you back off on the motor knob. The bulbs are on a separate circuit from the motors and are not affected by one another.
theogre SEP 17, 12:21 AM
See my Cave, Gen 2 HL Motor

If motor is bad get new ones. Cardone AZ have lifetime warranty but cost more. Can get cheap from Ebay etc but little to no warranty.

Yes, lights get power from different wiring. try both beams... often low or high is bad while other still works.
1 Bulb won't light can be several things besides iffy/dead bulb.
See my Cave, Headlights

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

jim94 SEP 18, 03:03 AM
my lights always go on and off just not up and down after the 2nd use. i am going to take the motor apart ckeck everything. something must be out of grease . the knob does not dave the same feel as the pasenger side. i was a draftsman by trade love a chalange that is why i own a fiero, my 2nd one. why in video's of fieros raiseing their lights the passenger side is just a little quicker than the drivers side.? this has been my car as long as i have owned it, 9 years. 3am my back hurts the pills should kick in soon. thanks for the replys, jim94
jim94 SEP 19, 09:04 PM
the one ball ballbearing was in the top of the motor. it fell out when i took it apart. how it went to the top i have no idea. my wife did help me put the motor back togeather. springs and brushes held back by my wife while i droped in the armiture. life is good. now i have to go put the ballbearing where it belongs. thanks again for the help, i am waiting for new parts from rodney. new clips and plastic bushings wil not hurt. good as new.
jim94 SEP 20, 01:24 AM
i removed the tension adjuster, filled the area around where the ballbearing needs to be. i dropped the ballbearing on the end of the shaft, perfect landing. i must say the bottom of the adjuster has never seen any ware. not a mark on it, 32 yrs old. just a little funny. i do like taking things apart and know the motor feels like it has a ballbearing in the bottom on it. nice and smooth when you turn the knob. time for bed 1:30am
fierofool SEP 20, 08:04 AM
Hope you marked the orientation of the windings when you took it apart. If you got them turned 180 degrees, the motor will run opposite of the other motor.

Something that came to mind that happens with the Gen. 2 motors is that the aluminum tripot on the through-shaft is only pressed onto a knurled shaft. On occasion it loses it's grip on the shaft and though it will kinda work, lights may not fully open or close or have a failure after a couple of uses, as you're experiencing.
jim94 SEP 20, 10:40 PM
both lights go up and on , both light lights go down and off. the next time i hit the light switch the lights go on and only the passenger side goes up, the drivers side motor is bound to tight. after all the work i think i need a new motor. no adjustment in the world can help this motor. thanks for the help. i even took my passenger side out rebuilt it painted, cleaned polished ans reinstalled it in record time.
jim94 SEP 24, 09:24 PM
new motor in, light goes up and down.$95.00 dollars rockauto. thinking about how the ball bearing got to the top, the motor has a strong magnet must have drawn it up to the top.