Printable Version of Topic

Click here to view this topic in its original format

914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Headlamp Motor Adjustment

Posted by: pjuk Feb 10 2006, 09:35 AM

Hi,

Hopefully you guys can help me - my headlamps move but when they "park" in the down position they are not fully down. When you switch them on - they go further down before they raise to the up position. Also they don't move quite together!!

Is there any way of adjusting the motor so that they 1. move together 2. stop in the right place.

Thanks for your Help

PJ

Posted by: SirAndy Feb 10 2006, 11:21 AM

QUOTE (pjuk @ Feb 10 2006, 07:35 AM)
Is there any way of adjusting the motor so that they 1. move together 2. stop in the right place.

yes and yes ...

but none of those adjustments is done at the motor ...
the motors always turn in the same direction the same amount, there is no way of changing that.

now, what you need to do:

0. turn off your lights and have the headlights close.

1. remove the headlight relays (just so you don't get your fingers crushed)

2. take a 13 mm socket and brake lose the retaining nut on the headlight stop screw and turn the screw all the way out.

3. take a 10mm socket and remove the "arm" from the headlight motor. you headlight assembly should now be free to be moved by hand.

3.a. put the relays back in and turn on/off the lights a few times to make sure the motors are in the correct position.

3.b. turn off the lights and take out the relays again (just so you don't get your fingers crushed)

4. move your headlight assembly until the headlight top lines up flush with the hood etc., hold it there and put the arm back on the motor and tighten the 10mm nut.

5. put the relay back in.

6. turn on the lights. if you did 0 - 5 on both lights, they now should move up at the same time and come to rest at the same point, up and down.

7. with the lights *up*, remove the relays (just so you don't get your fingers crushed) and screw in the stop screw until it just barely touches the stop at the headlight. fasten the 13mm retaining nut.

8. put the relays back in and grab a beer and be proud of yourself!

Andy

Posted by: pjuk Feb 10 2006, 11:32 AM

Andy,

Brilliant - thanks for the advice - I will print that out and sort them in the morning

Regards

PJ

Posted by: bondo Feb 10 2006, 11:33 AM

You forgot step 9.. re-align headlight bulbs.

Posted by: SirAndy Feb 10 2006, 11:35 AM

QUOTE (bondo @ Feb 10 2006, 09:33 AM)
You forgot step 9.. re-align headlight bulbs. ;)

you are correct, of course!

you might have to readjust the headlight beams afterwards.
two screws, done from the front.

i believe the procedure is explained in the haynes manual ...
Andy

Posted by: boxstr Feb 10 2006, 11:36 AM

Another "fine" adjustment is the outside pivot, the one that has the two 10mm bolts in wheel well. If the doors are not closing just right, loosen the two 10s and move the pivot until ithe headligtht doors are correct and flush.
CCLINADJUSMENTHEAVEN

Posted by: SirAndy Feb 10 2006, 11:39 AM

QUOTE (boxstr @ Feb 10 2006, 09:36 AM)
Another "fine" adjustment is the outside pivot, the one that has the two 10mm bolts in wheel well. If the doors are not closing just right, loosen the two 10s and move the pivot until ithe headligtht doors are correct and flush.

yes. those and the 3 bolts on the other side of the bucket can be used for fine-tuning the position of the headlight cover left/right and back/forth.

you should do that together with listitem #4 if your headlights are not aligned correctly left/right or back/forth ...

Andy

Posted by: 914-8 Mar 4 2006, 10:27 AM

Hey Andy - still having some trouble with this!

Can't quite get Step 3.

With the headlights down, I don't see any 10 mm nut that I can get to with a socket!

Which one is it???

Thx!

Posted by: SirAndy Mar 4 2006, 01:28 PM

QUOTE (914-8 @ Mar 4 2006, 08:27 AM)
Can't quite get Step 3.

With the headlights down, I don't see any 10 mm nut that I can get to with a socket!

Which one is it???

the one on the headlight motor where the "arm" that moves the headlight attaches to the motor.
you'll need to remove the black cover (if you still have them) ...

post a pic of your headlight motor assembly and i'll point it out to you ...
Andy

Posted by: 914-8 Mar 4 2006, 09:02 PM

Here's a pic with the headlights in the down position.

user posted image

Posted by: SirAndy Mar 4 2006, 09:19 PM

this "should" be a 10mm wrench/nut, if i'm not mistaken ...

remove that nut, you might have to pry a bit to get the arm off the shaft.

then refer to the above list as what to do ...
Andy

Attached image(s)

Posted by: 914-8 Mar 4 2006, 09:30 PM

"3. take a 10mm socket and remove the "arm" from the headlight motor. you headlight assembly should now be free to be moved by hand."

Yeah, the nut the arrow is pointing to is 10 mm.

But you aren't going to get a 10 mm socket it on it when the headlights are down! The other arm is blocking it. I guess that's what was throwing me a bit.

In the up position, the other arm moves out of the way and you can get a socket on it.

I tried that, but I couldn't get the arm off the headlight motor. It wouldn't budge. I didn't use too much force, though.

So I guess put the headlights up, take off that 10 mm, put the headlights back down, and pry the arm off the headlight motor shaft. Nothing else needs to be loosened or removed first? (Like the fastener on the other end of the arm, for example).

Posted by: SirAndy Mar 4 2006, 09:33 PM

QUOTE (914-8 @ Mar 4 2006, 07:30 PM)
So if I put the headlights up, take off that 10 mm, put the headlights back down, I should be able to simply pry the arm off the headlight motor?

yes. and be careful. that motor *will* take your finger off if you get them in there ...

i *always* take the relays out before i touch that thing with my hands. cheap insurance ...

i usually pry the arm off the shaft with a large screwdriver ...
Andy

Posted by: 914-8 Mar 4 2006, 09:37 PM

Cool, thanks, I'm goin' in!

Posted by: 914-8 Mar 5 2006, 11:03 PM

Did it, headlights, blind, hood and bumper now align nicely!

For anyone trying this in the future:

Put the headlights UP,

remove the 10 mm nut,

pry off the arm from the motor spindle,

put the nut back on, but only enough to get it on the spindle, (you need to do this because with the headlight in the down position, you can't get the nut on the spindle).

put the headlight DOWN,

now you can rotate the arm to position the headlight where you want it,

then, using an open end wrench, reach in and tighten down the nut. Now it's locked in position.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the splines are very fine, so you can make very small adjustments to get it just right.