BAD night with the cops...

[Midnite]

But I guess I got lucky in the end.

Here's the story...went to a bar/club that I go to every Tuesday night in cherry hill, and had a of couple beers and I was heading home with my not so sober friend following me home and she gets pulled over by a cop. I kept driving and pulled over ahead to wait for her. I was waiting for a while and I was worried, so I went back to check on her. When I got to where she was pulled over, she was driving away, and the cop swings around and pulls me over. The cop pulled me over for one of my headlights not popping up, which I didn't know about, but she let me go. Called my friend to check on her, and she got pulled over for swerving and they gave her a ticket for obstruction of view. No biggy, and I consider her lucky. So, literally 4 minutes later(i saw the clock, and had entered a different town), I got pulled over AGAIN. BUT this time, for going 70 in a 50. OOPS. I played the innocent angel in her fast car(I LOVE being a girl!) and told him about how I was just pulled over for my light, and I got a parking ticket earlier at the bar(did i mention that yet?), and my feet were killing me for being on my feet for 14 hrs straight in 3 inch heels(YEP, i really said that) and I wasn't watching the speed cause I just wanted to get home. So he gave me a ticket for my headlight, no speeding ticket! WOOHOO! Funny thing is that he said that he just pulled someone else over that was coming from the same place I was. So after I pulled away, I called my friend....and she got a speeding ticket from the same cop for going 54 in a 40! What a crappy drive home. Got a parking ticket, got pulled over twice and a ticket for my headlight....but mostly pissed that my headlight isn't popping up! I guess my friend did get the bad end of the deal with her two tickets. OH well, now does anyone know how to make my headlight pop back up?????

Alicia

[JL8Jeff]

You need to pick another night to go out! Definitely get that headlight fixed. I always tell my brother not to go anywhere and have anything to drink if you have something wrong with your car like a headlight or taillight out. Those are just invitations for a cop to pull you over.

[Oddball]

Originally Posted by Midnite

OH well, now does anyone know how to make my headlight pop back up?????

Alicia

Walk into a freezer wearing something shear?

[j0n]

[Untamed]

It's probably the motor (that controlls the pop up lights). You can manually crank the lights open just by opening the hood and locating the round knob to the left of the driver side light, or just to the right of the passenger side light. Leave the light up - looks like crap, but will prevent you from getting pulled over until you can have the motor replaced.

[SpeakersGoBoom]

and pull the fuse for the headlight motors. my old firebird had that problem. they wouldnt go up, but they had no problem comming back down.

[ar0ck]

Yeah the headlight thing isnt a big deal. Glad you made it home ok though.

[V]

i got pulled over last night too, i saw the cop race up behind me and i wasnt even doing anything wrong. he said it looked like i had a light under my car. i got out and looked and nothing there, so i told the cop he was imagining things, but it was all good, it was just my gf's dad. haha

anyway, yeah with you're light you can manually raise it up if just the motor is out, but if the gears are shot, i dont think even that will work. anyway once you do get it up, just unplug the motor for that light, i'm not sure if these fuses are just for the motors or the lights themselves as well.

[bencar]

Originally Posted by Oddball

Walk into a freezer wearing something shear?

Funny, very funny

[Midnite]

Originally Posted by bencar

Funny, very funny

First reaction: (the blonde in me)
Second reaction:

[Midnite]

Originally Posted by SmokingSS

anyway, yeah with you're light you can manually raise it up if just the motor is out, but if the gears are shot, i dont think even that will work. anyway once you do get it up, just unplug the motor for that light, i'm not sure if these fuses are just for the motors or the lights themselves as well.

There is a noise that sounds like the motor is running, but nothing happens. Does that mean the gears are shot? Anyone know any kind of pricing for getting this fixed?

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by Oddball

Walk into a freezer wearing something shear?

I almost fell out of my chair..... 8)

classic.

[79dizZy28]

someone must've been thinkin of some words when the strobes came on the second time around lol. at least all you got was a ticktet for the disfunctional light when you were pulled over twice

[SpeakersGoBoom]

Originally Posted by Midnite

There is a noise that sounds like the motor is running, but nothing happens. Does that mean the gears are shot? Anyone know any kind of pricing for getting this fixed?

yup. sounds like the gears are The headlights themselves and the motors are on seperate fuses. It was designed that way, because GM knows that, as cool as fliplights are, they always break. When you spin the knob, does the headlight go up? Does it go up only some of the time, or never. If you can get the headlight up, pull the fuse for the headlight motor, and you wont have to worry about it. as for repairing it...not worth it. just get another headlight setup from a junk yard or something.

[Midnite]

Originally Posted by SpeakersGoBoom

yup. sounds like the gears are The headlights themselves and the motors are on seperate fuses. It was designed that way, because GM knows that, as cool as fliplights are, they always break. When you spin the knob, does the headlight go up? Does it go up only some of the time, or never. If you can get the headlight up, pull the fuse for the headlight motor, and you wont have to worry about it. as for repairing it...not worth it. just get another headlight setup from a junk yard or something.

I'll get back to you tomorrow on that when I can actually see what I'm doing during the day. Thanks!!!

[matt98ls1]

Originally Posted by Midnite

There is a noise that sounds like the motor is running, but nothing happens. Does that mean the gears are shot? Anyone know any kind of pricing for getting this fixed?

It's not the motor, but its the plastic gears that GM used for the headlights. It's able to be fixed by spending a mere $0, and about an hour of time. I did it about a year ago on my 98 Formula, and it really wasn't that bad at all.

I'll try to find that link again, it goes step by step instructing how to fix it.

Also, what bar were you at on Tuesday....top dog??

[matt98ls1]

http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headl....htm#FreeGuide


This will walk you through the installation.... basically, what happens is the plastic gear becomes stripped inside the assembly. The design of the motor only uses half of the gear, so you can take the assembly out, and flip the gear around to use the good side. Easy and simple fix that will take about an hour, maybe longer if you really take your time.


Some Signs of a stripped gear:
Grinding sound when headlights are raised or lowered
Activation of alarm (lock doors) will sometimes cause headlights to pop up and down, then grind

[SpeakersGoBoom]

Originally Posted by matt98ls1

It's not the motor, but its the plastic gears that GM used for the headlights. It's able to be fixed by spending a mere $0, and about an hour of time. Â*I did it about a year ago on my 98 Formula, and it really wasn't that bad at all. Â*

I'll try to find that link again, it goes step by step instructing how to fix it. Â*

Also, what bar were you at on Tuesday....top dog??

huh. well, then again, my firebird's lights stopped going up and down after i got hit by the monte carlo down in S jersey. wonder if that had anything to do with it...

[Midnite]

Originally Posted by matt98ls1

I'll try to find that link again, it goes step by step instructing how to fix it. Â*

Also, what bar were you at on Tuesday....top dog??

Thanks so much for the link, looks like I'll have to give that a try tomorrow, since I suddenly have off tomorrow when I was suppose to have off today. I wasn't going to argue!

And yes, top dog....And it looks like I'll be heading out there yet again tonight, but one things for sure, I won't be driving!

Alicia

[j0n]

Originally Posted by matt98ls1

http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/headlightfix/index.htm#FreeGuide


This will walk you through the installation.... Â*basically, what happens is the plastic gear becomes stripped inside the assembly. Â*The design of the motor only uses half of the gear, so you can take the assembly out, and flip the gear around to use the good side. Â* Easy and simple fix that will take about an hour, maybe longer if you really take your time.


Some Signs of a stripped gear:
Grinding sound when headlights are raised or lowered
Activation of alarm (lock doors) will sometimes cause headlights to pop up and down, then grind

good find! this should be added to our collection of fix-it/mod-it articles once its up and running

[matt98ls1]

Originally Posted by Midnite

And yes, top dog....And it looks like I'll be heading out there yet again tonight, but one things for sure, I won't be driving!

Alicia

I wish I had seen this last night I'm about 5 minutes from TopDog, and usually stop in about once every 2 weeks or so with some friends


Any luck with the headlight ?

[Midnite]

so i can't even raise the headlight using the manual knob. Any suggestions? This is making me mad!

[SpeakersGoBoom]

means the gears are stripped. someone mentioned before that you can move the gear and make it work again. idk. i never heard of that. if that doesnt work, just call up a junk yard and get the assembly. thats what i did

[Midnite]

Originally Posted by matt98ls1

I wish I had seen this last night Â* Â* I'm about 5 minutes from TopDog, and usually stop in about once every 2 weeks or so with some friends


Any luck with the headlight ?

Looks like I'm heading to TopDog once again tuesday night! It's becoming an addiction. I'm going to see Hoobastank in Philly and stopping back at TopDog on the way home for a couple drinks, and I'm NOT driving! (Don't want to get pulled over again several times with the light out) Let me know if you happen to be going.

[BigAls87Z28]

all this talk of drinking makes me wish I was 21.....
who am I kidding, no one cards me. 8)