Headlight question

[EagleAWD]

I have a 1990 Talon with the popup headlights. One of them is sticking, it still tries to move but got stuck halfway up, so it won't go completely up or down. I can see it try and move when I turn the headlights on or off, but it doesn't move much. Any tips on how to clear it up?

 

[sexehtopper]

I have a 1990 Talon with the popup headlights. One of them is sticking, it still tries to move but got stuck halfway up, so it won't go completely up or down. I can see it try and move when I turn the headlights on or off, but it doesn't move much. Any tips on how to clear it up?

sounds like the motor is going bad or the gears inside are stripped? i have no clue, i know on my girls car she had the pop-up headlights and hers did the same thing, just the motor was bad, junk yards have em.

 

[LaserDad91]

If one is working, motor might be OK. Motor is located on Drivers side of the car, I think. Then linkage runs to other side of car. So that would lead me to believe, motor might be OK. If not, sexy is right, junkyards have plenty of them!

Check linkages and the side that is sticking for anything that might be holding it, or might be loose. If you can, lube the hinge points the lights, with some WD-40 or something similar. Hope this helps!

 

[EagleAWD]

It is the drivers side that is sticking, the passenger is working just fine. I will probably pull them apart then lube everything up and put it back together. Any hints on tricky points with taking them apart, or is it uber straightforward?

 

[LaserDad91]

Not really! I think you have to remove the washer resivor to get to the motor? I do know a guy here at work that had problems, and said it was very important to have it all lubed!!

FYI.

I have a 93 Chrysler 5th ave, and the motor is mounted in the center of the grill. The bar that operates the lights, passes through the gear drive of the motor. On my 91 Laser, motor looks similar, and I am sure it is a Chrysler “left over” since they had a lot of models with concealed headlights around the same year.

Anyway, on my 5th, the lights would not always close, acted erratic. I finally notice on the motor is a plastic cover, where the square bar goes through, and it covers the gear drive. On my car, this cover was all plastic, with no external perimeter metal reinforcement, other than 3 screws, and obvious, engineering cost reduction. I noticed that after I got another motor from the junkyard, from an older 5th and I think the cover on it was metal? Anyway, I notice the plastic cover on my car was pushed out. This allowed the gears to slip, and not close the lights. I added a washer, around the outside. The washer was more like a “sealing ring”, from something I had. I think you could get an assortment at a hardware store. Anyway, it was a large diameter ring, and a large inside diameter, it was made of copper, I think. This allowed enough pressure from the screws to hold it all together like it should be. Lights worked fine.

I am sure a good shop manual would show you the entire set up. I also think a headlight motor from a 90 or 91 5th ave might work too. I have not looked that close, but the one that is on my Laser, looks a lot like the one I got at the junkyard for my 5th!! Hope this might help!

 

[HighPsi92GST]

If one is working, motor might be OK. Motor is located on Drivers side of the car, I think. Then linkage runs to other side of car. So that would lead me to believe, motor might be OK. If not, sexy is right, junkyards have plenty of them!

Check linkages and the side that is sticking for anything that might be holding it, or might be loose. If you can, lube the hinge points the lights, with some WD-40 or something similar. Hope this helps!

yea...the driverside is located on the driver side...and the passenger side motor is on the passenger side. so if one works, the other motor still might be dead....

 

[Kprime911]

hey both of my headlights are stuck up on my 91 talon and i cant manaully move them down using the motors also i can push the passenger side headlight down with my hands but they dont go up either they are stuck down so i had to pull them back up. i got new headlight motors but i didnt install them yet because i have no time and also i dont even know how to install or remove them. i got the chilton shop manual but they dont even say anything on removing or installing them in. they just assume your headlights pop up fine.
can anybody help? thanks

 

[HighPsi92GST]

pass side is pretty easy to get to, its either 3 or 4 bolts

driverside is a pain, youd probably want to pull the washer bottle down out of there first to give yourself some room.

 

[Kprime911]

how do i put them back in? i mean i cant stick my hand to bolt the motor in. its being blocked a bit by the air filter box.

 

[HighPsi92GST]

then remove that too. anything thats in your way just take off

its been too long since i worked on a car with popups, i forgot that was in the way as well. when you put it back on, just remember to hook up the actuator arms. i saw someone who got mad after they installed new motors that "didnt work yet" beat the heck out of the pop up assemblies with a hammer before i found their mistake...not having the arms connected.

 

[Kprime911]

damn that person reminds of somebody i know. and this person ran up a curb and messed up his bumper and then he got a new one but it wouldnt stay on he kicked it the crap out of it and his is a big guy.

 

[LaserDad91]

yea...the driverside is located on the driver side...and the passenger side motor is on the passenger side. so if one works, the other motor still might be dead....

Thanks for the info. Next trip to junkyard, going to grab another one for spare. I kind of wondered when I saw the one, how it operated the other light, knowing what I do about the 5th........

 

[LaserDad91]

hey both of my headlights are stuck up on my 91 talon and i cant manaully move them down using the motors also i can push the passenger side headlight down with my hands but they dont go up either they are stuck down so i had to pull them back up. i got new headlight motors but i didnt install them yet because i have no time and also i dont even know how to install or remove them. i got the chilton shop manual but they dont even say anything on removing or installing them in. they just assume your headlights pop up fine.
can anybody help? thanks

This is where the factory manuals help you...the can be found on Ebay, or even ck your library.

 

[EagleAWD]

Went nuts with the WD-40 and hit all the hinges. Now it's working great. Just needed a little TLC. Thanks for the help guys!