T/A Headlight motors

[MightySixPack]

Whats the jimmy on these guys? Just bought a 1995 Cherry Red Trans Am (pics after car wash), and the passenger light won't go up.

Car sat for 5 years or so and after a minute with the jumpers it turned right on. Turned on the lights, and the motor made that really odd loud noise. Banged on the driver side, popped up, passenger side wouldn't move.


Whats a new motor cost?

[Injuneer]

Most common problem with the 4th Gen Firebird headlights is the plastic gear that the motor drives to raise and lower them.... it wears out 1/2 the teeth. You can rotate the gear 180-degrees, and that puts newer teeth into operation, or you can buy metal replacements (not cheap).

Here's a link to a very good writeup:

http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/index.htm

[MightySixPack]

Thanks a bunch.

[formula_gramps]

Mighty6,

One other thing to consider is that sometimes these systems bind up even if the gear is O.K. after they have been sitting for a while.

My bird sat for about a month once, and one of the headlights wouldn't lift after that. It made a horrible noise so I figured the gear was toast (having been through that before....). But after lubing up the linkage, and manually cranking the light up and down with that little knob on the top of the motor a couple of times, it turned out to be o.k.

With regards to the gear, yes you can rotate it 180 degrees since the motor only uses half of it, but eventually the other side will wear out too. I seem to be able to get about 6 years per side.......LOL!

Now there's two schools of thought on what to use as a replacement.

When I had a gear that had been worn down on both sides I was all set to buy one of those nice brass replacements. But I looked at the way the device works and wondered if the brass gear would in turn wear out the plastic worm gear that drives it. So far as I know, if that happens you need a new motor.

Not wanting to chance that, and considering that I got about six years use per side out of the original plastic gear, I decided to replace it with another plastic one.

I'm sure the brass gear is a fine product, and is not likely to ever wear out, but I'm not sure whether or not it might transfer the wear to the plastic worm gear instead.

If anyone is interested in the plastic replacement gears, here's a link:

replacement gear

By the way, does it always seem to be the driver's side headlight that wears out, or is it just me?!!!

P.S.-- the write up for the procedure to replace one of these is pretty good, the only thing different I did was to use Gorilla Glue to seal the unit back up again instead of epoxy. Been holding up for a couple of years anyway.....

Good luck!

[Blazer]

If it's gears I have new never used brass ones I will sell to you for $30.00 you pay shipping. I am selling the bird and will have no use for them. I for got I had them.
Blazer