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Thread: Headlight motor fear

  1. #1
    LX User Tailfin's Avatar
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    Headlight motor fear

    Well, putting aside the larger problems I have with this car... I just wanted to have a little thread on this. What do you guys do/recommend doing to prevent headlight motors from freezing up and/or failing with wear? Last night I went out and thanks to the snow, one headlight needed my help to come all the way up. This cannot be good for the motor, and I can see this as a reason this type of headlight isn't as popular today...but anyway...

    I thought of silicone spray around the moving parts like you would use on door gaskets...but I'm not sure how long that lasts or if it is a decent freezing barrier...and I think it might be unwise to get too much into electric parts with it. Ideas?
    The only thing worse than having a half bowl of your favorite cereal left is working on a 3G carburetor...



  2. #2
    3Geez Veteran MessyHonda's Avatar
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    Re: Headlight motor fear

    i would leave em in the open position if they tent to freeze...i never had a problem with my lights...but it does not snow here.

    1989 Honda Accord LX-i
    B18c1 swap since 7/2011
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    Redzone tuned

  3. #3

    shepherd79's Avatar
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    Re: Headlight motor fear

    what do you mean it needed help raising up? did it have ice on it?
    was the motor running slow, what happened?
    if the motor is runing slow, you can take it out and take it apart and clean it. put new grease and it should work like new.
    Alex.

  4. #4
    LX User Tailfin's Avatar
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    Re: Headlight motor fear

    Yeah, I mean it got stuck halfway up because of snow/ice buildup. Indeed, I should grease it. I was also just thinking in general for motor wear. It's just one of those things that gets used a lot, and I could just see breaking down. Maybe not, but I just don't want another repair job on my hands now lol.
    The only thing worse than having a half bowl of your favorite cereal left is working on a 3G carburetor...

  5. #5
    3Geez Veteran A18A's Avatar
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    Re: Headlight motor fear

    i read that the chances of these headlight motors wearing out is very rare, but it's prolly different in your situation, i would leave them up like messy said or open and close them a few times just to get them working by them self, maybe recondition the motors. thats what i did to my mirrors, along with a bit of oil or something, and they were working again

    damn im slow with my posts

  6. #6
    LX User Tailfin's Avatar
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    Re: Headlight motor fear

    Mm hmm, it's not like mine aren't working, just had to give it a little push with my hand for the legitimate reason of slush partially frozen on there. I just don't want that kind of thing to be wearing down the motors.
    The only thing worse than having a half bowl of your favorite cereal left is working on a 3G carburetor...

  7. #7

    Re: Headlight motor fear

    rebuild/grease them and/or just leave them open
    Eric
    3geez member since October 12, 2000
    "All this worldly wisdom was once the unamiable heresy of some wise man." - Henry David Thoreau

  8. #8
    LXi User Jasonf860's Avatar
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    Re: Headlight motor fear

    Snow and ice is the reason for that nifty switch on your dash to leave them open. I had a 90 eagle talon TSI that had pop-ups and it had the switch too. My friend had a Daytona w/pop-ups and left them down and in one winter they met their maker.

  9. #9


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    Re: Headlight motor fear

    Quote Originally Posted by Tailfin
    Well, putting aside the larger problems I have with this car... I just wanted to have a little thread on this. What do you guys do/recommend doing to prevent headlight motors from freezing up and/or failing with wear? Last night I went out and thanks to the snow, one headlight needed my help to come all the way up. This cannot be good for the motor, and I can see this as a reason this type of headlight isn't as popular today...but anyway...
    I thought of silicone spray around the moving parts like you would use on door gaskets...but I'm not sure how long that lasts or if it is a decent freezing barrier...and I think it might be unwise to get too much into electric parts with it. Ideas?

    Under 32 degrees I keep them up with the button.


    wp

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