Headlight motor replacement advisary - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

GOLDCYLON · 01-31-2018

A couple of weeks before Christmas my Passenger headlight motor stopped working on my 90 Auto Z. It would go about half way and up and stop. Upon investigation a cracked plastic gear was the issue and bits were binding in the mechanism. So I ordered this replacement unit from Corvette Central. After waiting a month it finally showed up. The installation was very straightforward and came with no directions. Basically its four bolts and 2 nuts. Not a hard job. I was a little skeptical as the unit was sporting a made in China label on the box which did not inspire confidence.

https://www.corvettecentral.com/c4-8...2-wire-444342r

After the installation I turned the light on and the Drivers side functioned normally and the newly installed Passenger headlight turned 100% the opposite way. After scratching my head and checking the connector I assumed the manual trimming knob was not set correctly. So I trimmed both the manual headlight knobs to even and tried again. NOPE. Same reaction. So I unplugged the 2 pin connector and incorrectly reversed it. BINGO. The Chinese Polarity Commission had wired the unit backwards. The good news story is this unit uses a clamshell weather packed connecter so opening the connector and then unpinning the pins (If you have unpinning tools) was pretty easy.

As the motor was 28 years old and had been rebuilt a couple of times before and now with a broken gear it was time to look for a replacement that I could take apart to repair correctly as I did not have a handy core replacement to send in.

This is GC reporting. OUT

secondchance · 01-31-2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLDCYLON

A couple of weeks before Christmas my Passenger headlight motor stopped working on my 90 Auto Z. It would go about half way and up and stop. Upon investigation a cracked plastic gear was the issue and bits were binding in the mechanism. So I ordered this replacement unit from Corvette Central. After waiting a month it finally showed up. The installation was very straightforward and came with no directions. Basically its four bolts and 2 nuts. Not a hard job. I was a little skeptical as the unit was sporting a made in China label on the box which did not inspire confidence.

https://www.corvettecentral.com/c4-8...2-wire-444342r

After the installation I turned the light on and the Drivers side functioned normally and the newly installed Passenger headlight turned 100% the opposite way. After scratching my head and checking the connector I assumed the manual trimming knob was not set correctly. So I trimmed both the manual headlight knobs to even and tried again. NOPE. Same reaction. So I unplugged the 2 pin connector and incorrectly reversed it. BINGO. The Chinese Polarity Commission had wired the unit backwards. The good news story is this unit uses a clamshell weather packed connecter so opening the connector and then unpinning the pins (If you have unpinning tools) was pretty easy.

As the motor was 28 years old and had been rebuilt a couple of times before and now with a broken gear it was time to look for a replacement that I could take apart to repair correctly as I did not have a handy core replacement to send in.

This is GC reporting. OUT

I think it's sort of cool to have left and right headlight bucket rotate in opposite direction.

GOLDCYLON · 01-31-2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by secondchance

I think it's sort of cool to have left and right headlight bucket rotate in opposite direction.

Well I will admit it was a WTF moment. I thought I had installed the motor the wrong way for about a nano second

Crusin · 03-17-2018

Aaaaaah the joys Goldcylon, very funny ( perhaps not at the time) I have to buy a new right head light door motor as mind gave up the ghost recently, those little suckers don't come cheap, and have to pay extra till they receive your old motor, thinking of no night driving. lol

GOLDCYLON · 03-17-2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crusin

Aaaaaah the joys Goldcylon, very funny ( perhaps not at the time) I have to buy a new right head light door motor as mind gave up the ghost recently, those little suckers don't come cheap, and have to pay extra till they receive your old motor, thinking of no night driving. lol

That’s why I went with the replacement. I had no core and I figured it had already been rebuilt a few times so it was time. Imagine my surprise when Corvette Central did not post up this review on the product they sell. The truth never made it past the web gate keeper

Paul Workman · 03-17-2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crusin

Aaaaaah the joys Goldcylon, very funny ( perhaps not at the time) I have to buy a new right head light door motor as mind gave up the ghost recently, those little suckers don't come cheap, and have to pay extra till they receive your old motor, thinking of no night driving. lol

Well, ya know the Chinese read backward (right to left unless characters are vertically arranged).

I know Daryl (aka Goldcylon) and I switched to LED headlights ("Larson" type) and they are soooo much brighter, that even ONE headlight would be an improvement over the stock Sealed Beam lights In the interim!

Crusin · 03-17-2018

Hello GoldCylon! Yes I have found Corvette Central does a bad job in posting their products and they don't seem to have as many parts for ZR-1 as Ecklers. When purchasing motor had to send a deposit for core as well which they would return upon arrival of my motor core. Since motors are rebuilt had no idea how many times so purchasing a new one, if I don't sell the car. I noticed you have many mods on yours, I am sure runs good times. I was contemplating doing the same to mine after I bought it but thought it may deter people from buying it later if I sold it. Cheers!

01-31-2018	#1
GOLDCYLON Join Date: May 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 9,155	Headlight motor replacement advisary A couple of weeks before Christmas my Passenger headlight motor stopped working on my 90 Auto Z. It would go about half way and up and stop. Upon investigation a cracked plastic gear was the issue and bits were binding in the mechanism. So I ordered this replacement unit from Corvette Central. After waiting a month it finally showed up. The installation was very straightforward and came with no directions. Basically its four bolts and 2 nuts. Not a hard job. I was a little skeptical as the unit was sporting a made in China label on the box which did not inspire confidence. https://www.corvettecentral.com/c4-8...2-wire-444342r After the installation I turned the light on and the Drivers side functioned normally and the newly installed Passenger headlight turned 100% the opposite way. After scratching my head and checking the connector I assumed the manual trimming knob was not set correctly. So I trimmed both the manual headlight knobs to even and tried again. NOPE. Same reaction. So I unplugged the 2 pin connector and incorrectly reversed it. BINGO. The Chinese Polarity Commission had wired the unit backwards. The good news story is this unit uses a clamshell weather packed connecter so opening the connector and then unpinning the pins (If you have unpinning tools) was pretty easy. As the motor was 28 years old and had been rebuilt a couple of times before and now with a broken gear it was time to look for a replacement that I could take apart to repair correctly as I did not have a handy core replacement to send in. This is GC reporting. OUT __________________ GOLDCYLON - 91 ZR-1 #2014 GOLDCYLON - 90 ZR-1 #2794, 4L60e (Formerly Schrade's) GOLDCYLON - 11 CTS-V Arizona State Director 91 WHITE/BLACK #2014. 380 P&P&PCed,Ported Heads, Jeal Long tubes, Corsa Exhaust/FIKSE FM-5s /LED TLs, LED Headlights, Front Wilwood 6 piston narrowlite calipers and rear Wilwood caliper street shop mod,CNCed Coolant Pipes,TPI Cvr,Filter cover,Stainless Bolts, DRM/DOM PROM /ZFDOC mod build #102,DRLs,BMAD with stainless Debris Screen,Coplan Air Blaster, Pioneer APP Radio 4,Brey-Krause HB,Sub Bar,Fire extinguisher seat mount,DRM Coilovers,LEDs everywhere,Compass mirror (orange),V1 DIC hidden display, Homelink sun visor, Carbon Fiber top x3 and APSIS Carbon Fiber interior, APSIS CF Steering Wheel/NAPA Leather, Banski trailing arms, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension) ZFDoc drive shaft safety loop, raptor shift light (orange),AO engineering louver front plate, Console seat cushion, 96CE seats with black custom Sheepskins, ss billet catch can,Viper remote entry/alarm,Cragar Rear Louvers,LED side louver lights, Dewitts Radiator with SPAL fans and a Woods 160 T-Stat 90 RED/BLACK #2794. 4L60e Automatic Stage V by RPM Transmission, TCI Dedicated TCM, OBX Stainless Headers, Corsa Exhaust, SAN Secondaries and Haibeck PROM, Exotic Muscle Coil overs, LED Interior Lights, LED Tail Lights, LED Headlights, 94 Sport seats with black custom Sheepskins , Cragar rear louvers, GS Front calipers, Banski Trailing arms, APSIS Carbon Fiber steering wheel, Front and Rear Baer Eradispeeds, DRLs, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension), Dewitt's Raditor with Dual SPAL fans and a Haibeck 170 T-Stat 11 RED/GREY CTS-V Last edited by GOLDCYLON; 01-31-2018 at 12:21 PM.

03-17-2018	#4
Crusin Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 69	Re: Headlight motor replacement advisary Aaaaaah the joys Goldcylon, very funny ( perhaps not at the time) I have to buy a new right head light door motor as mind gave up the ghost recently, those little suckers don't come cheap, and have to pay extra till they receive your old motor, thinking of no night driving. lol

03-17-2018	#7
Crusin Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 69	Re: Headlight motor replacement advisary Hello GoldCylon! Yes I have found Corvette Central does a bad job in posting their products and they don't seem to have as many parts for ZR-1 as Ecklers. When purchasing motor had to send a deposit for core as well which they would return upon arrival of my motor core. Since motors are rebuilt had no idea how many times so purchasing a new one, if I don't sell the car. I noticed you have many mods on yours, I am sure runs good times. I was contemplating doing the same to mine after I bought it but thought it may deter people from buying it later if I sold it. Cheers!