Headlight Won't Go Down, Seeking Advice Options

[andys]

The driver side headlight on my '75 914 won't go down when the switch is turned off. I tried probing around and found I can get it to go down by lightly pushing on the black sleeving that covers the green wire. I thought, ok, must be a broken wire, or a broken solder joint. I cut away the sleeving and I see what looks to be a capacitor (?).

I the accompanying photo, if I push on the capacitor lead adjacent to the motor terminal, I get nothing. If I push on the capacitor lead at the green wire, I get nothing. However, if I push on the capacitor lead close to its (black) body at the one o'clock side, the light goes down. I get nothing pushing on the seven o'clock side. Damaged capacitor perhaps?

I have a set of motors from a '72 or '73 (don't know if they work), but will I find the same capacitor under their sleeving? Would I be better off buying a new capacitor from the electronics supply? Does anyone know the value of the capacitor?

Thanks,

Andys

[Old Yella]

I had the same problem. It had nothing to do with electrics. The lubrication at the pin of the rotating arm had dried up and the hole through which the pin goes was corroded. The arm which actuates the headlight was changes to metal in the later cars. This corrodes. Take off the black plastic cover and then the rubber boot and check to see if its all rusty in there.

I bought a second hand motor and took the actuating arm and the rotating arm off and fitted it to the existing motor. Job done.

Be very carful, you might loose your fingers if they are in the wrong place when the deadlight drops.