Headlight grinding AGAIN!! 3rd time!

[Punzak9]

I replaced my driver headlight gear a few months ago and fixed the grindinfg noise, then about a month later it did it again and i pulled it out and fixed it a second time. Last night i locked my car and headlights went up and down and same grinding noise again! This time i can't even turn my fog lights on wiithout the headlights coming up, staying up, and grinding.. Anyone have this happen before or have any suggestions?

[ssms5411]

Re: Headlight grinding AGAIN!! 3rd time!

I don't have a Pontiac but there are other posts about upgrading the headlights. I would search and find posts for upgraded headlight gears.

[FirebirdGT]

Re: Headlight grinding AGAIN!! 3rd time!

http://forum.camarov6.com/showthread...ht+gear&page=2
.

[2.8 Bird]

Re: Headlight grinding AGAIN!! 3rd time!

I replaced my driver headlight gear a few months ago and fixed the grindinfg noise, then about a month later it did it again and i pulled it out and fixed it a second time. Last night i locked my car and headlights went up and down and same grinding noise again! This time i can't even turn my fog lights on wiithout the headlights coming up, staying up, and grinding.. Anyone have this happen before or have any suggestions?

Yes, that's a sign that the gear is out. It will slam as it goes down and grind. I bought the metal gear on ebay, but got damaged too in time along with the worm gear.

Sometimes the gear gets damage because the glue that's suppose to hold that cover to the housing is terrible.

I gave up and decided to buy the lifetime warranty from Autozone and every time it does go bad I just replace the whole thing.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: Headlight grinding AGAIN!! 3rd time!

I replaced my driver headlight gear a few months ago and fixed the grindinfg noise, then about a month later it did it again and i pulled it out and fixed it a second time. Last night i locked my car and headlights went up and down and same grinding noise again! This time i can't even turn my fog lights on wiithout the headlights coming up, staying up, and grinding.. Anyone have this happen before or have any suggestions?

If you repaired it by simply trying to replace the gear inside the STOCK gear housing which requires glue and a brace, scrap that idea. It is very sketchy and it only works for some owners and not others.

If you want a permanent fix, here is what you will need:
2 Brand NEW (not reman but NEW) Cardone Select Headlight Motors - www.rockauto.com
2 Brand NEW metal gears from Rodney ****man - yes Rodney ****man and NOT Brent Franker because Rodney ****man's are lighter and have less stress on the actuator. - www.ebay.com
2 Washers from ACE Hardware - This is VERY important. Read below for more information.
Marine Grade Connectors and Sockets for your car and the headlamp motor or the first rain will rust them out.

When you get the headlight motors you will notice Cardone's improved genius design of including SCREWS on the housing for the gear, so they're not glued in but screwed down with phillips head screws this means you can replace the gear indefinitely and the gear wont come out the housing.

There are three flaws with the Cardone motor however, and this is this:
#1 - There is too much play in the gear housing as the washer inside the housing is too thin to prevent the gear from sliding away from the spendle - this causes the gear to spin on the edge which is too weak to support the full weight of the headlight motor, the result = Strrrrriiiiip ..and will strip very quickly too.

The Correction: Take the washer between the gear and the DOOR of the housing (which you unscrew and remove to replace the gear) OUT and take it to a hardware store, match it to another washer with TWICE the thickness of it but NO MORE and NO LESS - Buy two of them, one for each headlight motor. Use this to replace the Washer you just removed. Do not use both washers, it will add too much resistance. Too much resistance will cause the headlight to not raise when you turn them on.

#2 - Cardone used very cheap connectors, unfortunately they are very prone to rain and moisture and will rust if unprotected, they typically will be done within a month or two if no alternative means is made to protect or shield them from rain.

The Correction: Replace the strock connectors with Marine Grade connectors, That or cover the connectors somehow.

#3 - The crappy plastic stipping gear.

The correcton: Immediately replace with a metal gear while its out the car or suffer.