How to get healdights up but off on Firebird. - FirebirdV6.com/CamaroV6.com Message Board

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  • How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

    Winter is coming, along with the snow and ice. My Mazda RX7 with pop up lights had the ability to put the lights up and leave them off. This is common practice when snow/ice is coming so when you get out to the parking lot, you don't have to chip off a layer of ice and snow to put the headlights on.

    Is there a way to put the lights up but have the lamps off?

    If not a factory feature, it would be a great mod for those of us who have to drive our Birds in the snow.

  • #2
    Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

    yes but u have to do it every time....under the hood next to each headlight is the motor...if u take the rubber slip off and turn them you can raise em up. once u turn the lights on and then back off they will go back down though
    sigpic

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    • #3
      Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

      You can also unplug the headlight motors and raise them as mentioned above. Then they will stay up until you plug the motors back in.

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      • #4
        Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

        I'll have to look at the wires going to the headlight motor control module. Shouldn't be hard to add a switch just to power them up and down independently from the light switch.

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        • #5
          Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

          I found a wire diagram for the Headlight Door Module. It seems the best plan is to switch the two power feeds for the left and right doors going into the module. Once the doors are open, cutting power will prevent them from closing when the headlights are turned off, and the internal relay in the HDM will not be energized to keep the doors open.

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          • #6
            Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

            Update:

            There are two ways to modify the existing setup to keep the doors open:

            1) Switch the door motor power feeds. This requires that the doors be opened by turning on the headlights. Then switch off the power to the door motors and turn the headlights off. The doors will stay open. This I tested by just pulling the fuses to the door motors (located in the fuse box under the hood).

            The advantage of this design is that no relays need to be energized to keep the doors open.

            The drawback is that it relies on the headlight switch to raise the headlight doors. In other words, it will not raise the headlight doors by itself.

            2) Add a switched power line to the headlight and parking light feeds going into the Door Motor Control box. This will open and close the doors without out turning on the headlights. This design also requires a pair of diodes to prevent back feeding 12v into the headlight/parking light switch and headlights/parking lights.

            The advantage to this design is that it works independently from the headlight switch.

            The draw back is that 12v must be continually fed to the Door Motor Control box to keep the internal relay in the "doors up" position. Same as having the headlights on, but the alternator is not replacing the drain on the battery. I'm sure the relay coil does not pull much amperage, but it will be on nonetheless.

            Trying to decide which is the better design at this point.

            Comments welcome!

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            • #7
              Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

              Saw your post on frebirdnation.

              #2 seems to be the best for what you want to do. If you do #2, do a write up with lots of pics. :tup:

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              • #8
                Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

                yea if u do #2 def do a write up bc i need to do that. could u reiterate #1? still a little confused

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                • #9
                  Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

                  Originally posted by whitdog54 View Post
                  Saw your post on frebirdnation.

                  #2 seems to be the best for what you want to do. If you do #2, do a write up with lots of pics. :tup:
                  Originally posted by firebird19_99 View Post
                  yea if u do #2 def do a write up bc i need to do that. could u reiterate #1? still a little confused
                  I have to admit, Firebirdnation has some great tech info.

                  I'll make a point of documenting the project. Will put the photos and description on shareaproject.com. Then I can link the pics in here.

                  Already found a relay from Radio Shack that will work. This weekend I should get to it as long as the weather is nice and the yard work gets done and the front door gets a needed paint job. :)

                  Originally posted by firebird19_99 View Post
                  yea if u do #2 def do a write up bc i need to do that. could u reiterate #1? still a little confused
                  OK, #1 is the simple approach. Just kill power to the door motor after the headlights are raised using the existing headlight switch. The door motors have a "always hot" power feed. Just put a switch in the line.

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                  • #10
                    Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

                    Ok,I figured out how to do it. Finished the project today, and here is the end result.

                    Hid the switch in the center console:



                    When the switch is turned on, the headlight doors open, but the lights are off:



                    The details are documented on Shareaproject.com: http://shareaproject.com/pages/projectTut,p,543,00.html

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                    • #11
                      Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

                      Originally posted by Mark42 View Post
                      Update:

                      There are two ways to modify the existing setup to keep the doors open:

                      1) Switch the door motor power feeds. This requires that the doors be opened by turning on the headlights. Then switch off the power to the door motors and turn the headlights off. The doors will stay open. This I tested by just pulling the fuses to the door motors (located in the fuse box under the hood).

                      The advantage of this design is that no relays need to be energized to keep the doors open.

                      The drawback is that it relies on the headlight switch to raise the headlight doors. In other words, it will not raise the headlight doors by itself.
                      Are the fuse(s???) labeled for headlight motors? I want to do this, also you say the drawback is the headlight switch is required to raise them...just the first time right for when you pull the fuses right? As in..for now on after you raise them, pull motor fuses, then after that point you just switch the headlights on/off to turn the lights on and they will no longer raise/lower right??? Thanks

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                      • #12
                        Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

                        Originally posted by Firebird Phoenix View Post
                        Are the fuse(s???) labeled for headlight motors? I want to do this, also you say the drawback is the headlight switch is required to raise them...just the first time right for when you pull the fuses right? As in..for now on after you raise them, pull motor fuses, then after that point you just switch the headlights on/off to turn the lights on and they will no longer raise/lower right??? Thanks
                        Yes, the fuses are labeled. And when pulled with the lights up, they will stay up, and the headlights switch will turn the lights on and off.

                        But the best way is do it is the way I actually did the project and install the relay and switch. No pulling fuses, and it is a permanent change you can rely on. Up when you want, and back to stock when you want, all with just the flick of a switch.

                        Check out the details here: http://shareaproject.com/pages/projectTut,p,543,00.html

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                        • #13
                          Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

                          I have a motor out so my lights stay up all the time. What I did was turn the headlights on so they are up, open the hood, and unplug the headlight motor. Voila, headlights up all the time

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                          • #14
                            Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

                            Originally posted by mapolley07 View Post
                            I have a motor out so my lights stay up all the time. What I did was turn the headlights on so they are up, open the hood, and unplug the headlight motor. Voila, headlights up all the time
                            Great! Glad that works for you. Next step is to get that motor fixed. If you want to go the budget route, just open the gear case to the motor and flip the white plastic gear over. Only half the gear is used, so by flipping it over, you get a few years out of the other side. And you will be able to close the headlight doors again!

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                            • #15
                              Re: How to get healdights up but off on Firebird.

                              dude this is pretty genius. so you just use the switch in the console to pop the lights up then?

                              current car- 95 Trans am- bolt ons, parked and collecting dust. why? because **** it

                              Follow me!
                              http://www.twitch.tv/optimusprymrib
                              Or this

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