About to take a 10lb Sledge to my Headlights

[faceboy]

So I bought this 86 HB LX-i mint condition (no rust) with 80,000 verified original miles for $400. Have been spending 4 hours a day everyday on here for the last 3 weeks. So I have searched the forums for a possible fix to my problem, but theres not much out there. It just sucks that I have to justifiy my asking the board a question, but whatever...

I copped a P-side retractor motor from a junkyard, threw it in to replace a non working one on my car. Never removed the #6 and #7 fuses as I found this out later, but of course the battery was out for access. Everything was replaced. I hit the switch (both of them Headlight and Flip) to find out my whip is high on crack or something. One goes up, the other goes down alternatively, whenever i hit the switch. So I'm like wtf? I pop the #6 and 7 fuses out and even their positions but when i restore the fuses. BAM. One of them flyies open/closed to the opposite positon. ( I tried this with different switch positions as well.) So I tried to adjust them with all the fuses in, and they almost take my fingers off in an attempt to piss me off. You guys that have replaced them problably know what I am talking about. So Im a Mobile Electronics Tech, so I'm thinking of doing a little rewiring, to correct the problem but I dont believe it has to come to that. I must be missing something, just not exactly sure what.... Keep in mind, that I did not half-ass the job, I tried just about every possible combination of fuse in/out adjust up/down and switch up/down (for both switches). Help would be appreciated before I customize my HB with 2 ram air scoops using a sledge....

:mad:

[Magny]

I may be wrong, but did you wire them in backwards??? Some electrical stuff in our world have that thing goin on, most of them have polarity adjustments. Just a thought.

[A20A1]

Wait so they always go alternately...
or is there anytime that you have them
both up, but not both down
or
both down, but not both up

when you mean you hit the switch.. do you mean the one on the dash or the one on the combination switch on the steering collum?

[k-roy]

Try download the shop manual from http://www.pauldesign.ru

[MrGlicko]

try disconnecting the line to one motor
flip the lights once
attach the line again.

[faceboy]

Ill give your idea, MRGlicko, a shot in the morning. To dark out right now. And I was using the manual from paul's site, kroy. No, I did not wire them in backwards and yes they ALWAYS are in opposite positions.

[locknload68]

A guy I work with told me that if you push the switch on the dash and the combo switch at the same time a few times rapidly the lights will start alternating like that. I can ask him on monday if he knows of any way to fix them since he helped build these cars.

[faceboy]

BUMP.....gave it another shot today, really starting to piss me off. No mater what I try they never are both down or up. It opposite positions for both. That sledgehammer is starting to sound better and better by the day. At least that way they will both stay down....

[MrBen]

Yeah one time I was fixing my headlight and it decided to go down, and while doing so it decided it liked my finger and closed it in there. Let me tell you that hurt. Good luck and be safe. I don't know the answer to your problem but I, along with many others, have been there before with the dang headlights.

[Mac]

When I first read this I thought WTF. Then after I thought about it I'm pretty sure I figured it out. The problem isn't electrical but it is mechanical. Just to make sure I experimented on my car and confirmed my idea.

Anyway first you need to find out which one is wrong. My bet is that it is the passenger side since that's the one you changed. Make sure that the combo switch and the switch by the defrost switch are both OFF. Which ever headlight is up is wrong.

1.Now push the switch to extend the headlights. (The one that is wrong should be down)
2.Then disconnect the linkage from motor to headlight. (10mm nut)
3.Pull lever off of motor.
4.Push the switch again to retract headlights (now both should be down and the wrong one still disconnected)
5.When both lights are down reconnect the linkage and tighten 10mm nut.
6.It should be good to go.

[MrBen]

I agree with your analysis but if the problem IS electrical it would not be solving it and could lead to other problems. I would only your solution if in fact both sides don't appear to be the same in set up.

[Mac]

I agree with your analysis but if the problem IS electrical it would not be solving it and could lead to other problems. I would only your solution if in fact both sides don't appear to be the same in set up.

I really can't see how it could be electrical. All he did was change the motor. The motor has a plug to it and I'm pretty sure that you can not hook it up backwards. He never mentioned anything about changing any wiring. I think that when he put the new motor in it was in the opposite position as the drivers side. A simple mistake. When he pulled it from the junkyard it might of been in the up position and when he installed it his headlight might of been in the down position.

[MrBen]

I really can't see how it could be electrical. All he did was change the motor. The motor has a plug to it and I'm pretty sure that you can not hook it up backwards. He never mentioned anything about changing any wiring. I think that when he put the new motor in it was in the opposite position as the drivers side. A simple mistake. When he pulled it from the junkyard it might of been in the up position and when he installed it his headlight might of been in the down position.

Agreed.

[faceboy]

Wow, your right Mac, the Accord I pulled the motor from had the light up, and I thought about it, all i have to do it adjust the mechanism and it should be golden. It never even slightly occured to me. I'll give it a shot when the hangover wears off. Thanks guys....

[Mac]

Yep, sometimes you just look too deep into something and overlook the simple things. It happens to the best of us. Glad to help. Let us know if everything turns out all right.

[AccordEpicenter]

did you get the motor from the correct side? If you didnt they are different but you could make it work