1991 Pontiac Firebird concealed headlamps

Tiny
STEPHENDRAHOS
  • MEMBER
  • 1991 PONTIAC FIREBIRD
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 90,000 MILES
The car has sat undriven for about 2 months and now when I try to operate the headlamps, the motors spin but one lamp doesn't move and the other only opens sometimes. When it operates, it bobs up and down, but seldom opens all the way. Also, I thought I should be able to manually open them with the knob, but it spins freely and doesn't open them. Why? And can I repair them without replacing the whole motor assembly. I also dont' understand why this problem would all the sudden develop.
Friday, July 16th, 2010 AT 6:49 AM

4 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/416332_1991_pontiac_firebird_head_light_door_inop_part1_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/416332_1991_pontiac_firebird_head_light_door_inop_part2_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/416332_1991_pontiac_firebird_head_light_door_inop_part3_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/416332_1991_pontiac_firebird_head_light_door_inop_part4_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/416332_1991_pontiac_firebird_head_light_door_inop_part5_1.jpg


First of all thank you so much for your donation.I posted the testing procedure and even the replacement procedure for the the headlight motor's.so that way you can see if it's the motor's themselves or something else.It sounds like your having troubles with the motor's themselves but do the test's first just to be sure.As far as why it would happen all of a sudden thing's just fail when they fail.Maybe from sitting is what did them in motor's don't like to sit especially when they get older.I know those headlight motor's,window motor's,sunroof motor's etc just fail all of a sudden.
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Friday, July 16th, 2010 AT 7:16 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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I'm sorry you asked if you could fix the motor if it tested bad no you can't you would just replace the motor if it was found bad. Also inspect the harnesses because as the motor goes up and down sometimes they get damaged.
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Friday, July 16th, 2010 AT 7:24 AM
Tiny
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The answer to my questions are not in a readable format. They are too small and blurry. Also, your reply would indicate that you are thinking that it is an electrical problem, yet the motor operates ( spins the manual knob) but doesn't actuate the mechanical mechanism to open the lamp. The reason that I brought up that operating the manual opening knob doesn't open the light but just spins freely is that I thought perhaps there is a gear mechanism or shaft keeper that is giving me the problem.
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Friday, July 16th, 2010 AT 8:19 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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I'm sorry you couldn't read it I could read on my computer so I thought it was ok.I emailed the trouble tree to you. When you read the trouble tree you will see why you check the electrical first. It pretty much say's make sure you have the proper electrical input's and if the input's are good then to replace the motor's.I would also check the linkage to each motor to see if it's loose or broken. There a pretty basic system let me know what you find.
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Friday, July 16th, 2010 AT 2:24 PM

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