one headlight stuck

[kndlindsey]

My passenger side headlight is stuck closed. I have a FSM, I printed the 4 page article from OANA and it helped me to get this far. I have searched and searched.

I started by checking the cable and got it oiled and freed up. I could move the lever with the cable disconected and once i reconnected it, it wouldn't budge. So following the guide I knew to disconnect the passenger side headlight to see if one or both would roll over that way. I did and the drivers side rolls over with the lever fine. The passenger side is the problem and here is my problem.

When it's stuck closed how the heck do you get it open so that you can trouble shoot it, take off the cover, etc.?

I have looked and looked. The only thing I can see from the engine side of the headlight assembly is one bolt. How do I get the headlight open so I can figure the problem out? I am pretty sure that one of the 3 bolts that cause so much trouble is the culprit. The bucket wont turn fully because it is catching at the top, not laying in the proper spot to turn and that means something is loose right? But I can't see any of this except through the little gap between the cover and the hole so what do you do?

[maglinjosvinn]

there's a panel inside the tire well thats got three screws in it. needless to say, you're prolly going to have to grind that off. this creates an access to the hardware, or at least 2 more sets of bolts.

prolly the 'lock' is stuck, and you might have to get a bit medival on it.

if you bust it, i prolly got an 'hinge' assembly or two laying around the house. might even have one thats all re-greased and ready to go. dunno.

[kndlindsey]

Thanks!!! I did find one lone thread on that access panel last night and printed it but didn't think it could really be the answer. Thanks also for the offer of parts I will be going in, so to speak today. After getting the one headlight to rollover they are too cool and I really want to get them both working.

[baronbors]

Originally Posted by maglinjosvinn there's a panel inside the tire well thats got three screws in it. needless to say, you're prolly going to have to grind that off. this creates an access to the hardware, or at least 2 more sets of bolts. prolly the 'lock' is stuck, and you might have to get a bit medival on it. if you bust it, i prolly got an 'hinge' assembly or two laying around the house. might even have one thats all re-greased and ready to go. dunno.

NO- don't grind the panel! It probably is covered with undercoating. Take a paint scrapper and pry the undercoating off and look for three philips head screws that hold the panel onto the body. Remove these and the panel and that should give you access to the three bolts that hold the top of the rotator assembly.(Hope you have very small hands?)

[markandson]

Actually, if you can find them, there are two hook shaped latches, one at each end of the rotator assembly. Once you get the access panel off you might be able to push up on the one that holds the light closed, then you will be able to rotate the light housing, unless the reason that it is stuck is due to rust, then the only solution is to remove, clean, and lube.

[namba209]

Originally Posted by kndlindsey The bucket wont turn fully because it is catching at the top, not laying in the proper spot to turn and that means something is loose right? But I can't see any of this except through the little gap between the cover and the hole so what do you do?

The top of the bucket being loose is probably caused by the spring plate bolts are loose or broken, or the spring plates themselves are busted. Seen both. If you can get the overcenter locks to unlock, then you can rotate the bucket by hand to remove the cover. Once the cover is off, the removal is just like in the OANA pages you have. To see the overcenter lock mechanisms, check out the thread Keith Wilford did on overhauling the rotating mechanisms on this site. HTH.

[kndlindsey]

Thanks for all the info guys. I will be going out a little later today to have a look at that little panel and I won't grind it unless i have to. I'm very nervous about the headlight repair but figure i will just go slow and not undo anything until I'm sure i have too. I looked at keith's thread and saved some pics...I still dont have all the parts and names straight but i will muddle through it somehow. I seem to be a visual learner when it comes to cars, i read and look at the posts but until I have it in front of me and can see it working, or not in this case, I just don't get it.

[namba209]

Originally Posted by kndlindsey I seem to be a visual learner when it comes to cars, i read and look at the posts but until I have it in front of me and can see it working, or not in this case, I just don't get it.

Yeah I can relate to that, kinda, having been taught aircraft with mockups makes it so much easier to understand how things work. Kinda quick and dirty, if you get the headlight to rotate and get the cover over the headlite off, you'll be able to see the spring plates and the three bolts that hold it all together. The spring plates are bolted to the rotating mechanism and the buckets are bolted to the spring plates. On the back side of the mechanism is where there is an arm with a roller on the end of it. The arm is part of the rotating mechanism and the roller is what "strikes" the overcenter locking jaws causing them to lock on the roller, which holds the buckets in place. When you push or pull the headlight lever, the arm pushes on a spring loaded plate that allows the overcenter locking jaws to release and the headlights rotate, usually the spring plate is gunked up and won't release the overcenter locking jaws. Lotsa stuff to work the mechanism, but of prime import is to have the mechanisms cleaned and lubed.

[houserc]

You should not have to remove the wheel well access panel to do anything to the headlight rotator mechanism. The only thing I have used this panel for is routing the wire through to the headlight bucket.

There levers/catches for the light rotators that can be accessed under the hood. These can be flipped with a standard screw driver.

Check out this thread for maintanence.
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/2c-gt-h...dlight+rotator

[kndlindsey]

houserc, do you have a pic, looking in from the engine bay? i have looked and looked and I dont see anything, doesn't mean it isn't there though

mag- you are too right, no way those screws are coming out, and the panel itself is rusty, of course murphy's law applies here and the panel is falling apart everywhere but in the vicinity of the screws....have already ground one out but then little one was due home from school so probabl done for today.

[kndlindsey]

well, this one is my last, oldest 2 or 19 and 17, this one, his name is Colt, is 6 and god is he spoiled. we have an office in the shop and there's a couch, recliner, fridge with pop and a tv/vcr with movies for him. but i spent all weekend in the garage and think i will just wait till he goes to school tomorrow and have all day uninterrupted. The movies and pop dont stop him from yelling "mommmm" every five minutes.

[houserc]

kndlindsey,

I think I have one on my other PC. I'll check and let you know. You should not have to get into your wheel well to release or even remove the headlight rotators.

I did all mine through the Headlight socket in the front end.

I'll get you an answer about an hour and a half from now.

Chris

[houserc]

Here is a picture with a standard screw driver under the manual release. This photo was taken of the Passenger side headlight unit from under the hood.

Raise your hood. Stand on the Driver side. The camera position was in front of the radiator, tilted a little to the front to get this angle. See if this helps.

Which headlight is not rotating for you?

[houserc]

The picture did not seem to come through.

Here it is again.

[kndlindsey]

passenger side headlight. i have it disconnected from the drivers side, to confirm it was the problem.

pic doesn't show, did you forget to attach?

thanks so much for the help

Kim

[kndlindsey]

Chris!! I found it! ran out to the garage and standing on drivers side like you said(for anyone in the future you wont be able to see it from passenger side).

There is a little metal tab or protusion above it that stops it from going past a certain point, is that supposed to be there?

Now the big question. I lifted up all the way on it with the screwdriver but the headlamp still won't rollover, what now? Did I do it right?

Kim

[opelbits]

One other way to get some access is to remove the curved sidemarker light housing. This allows you to get a second hand underneath the headlight bucket. If the bucket is 'floppy', like the top bolts are broken or loose, then you might need a hand underneath to roll the bucket over, otherwise it might jam against the headlight opening.

Also, once you have that little panel in the wheelwell out of the way, you can squirt some WD40, PB Blaster, or Liquid Wrench all over the backside of the actuator mechanism. I've run across a few that were incredibly dry with little or no grease/lube. Just makes it all that much harder to turn.

[kndlindsey]

I would never have thought of that either, that's why i love this site. You guys ROCK!

[asdasc]

Is the top of the headlight assembly floppy? Or is everything locked tight into position?

Also in the photo in post 10 there are 2 tabs. Do they BOTH have to be lifted? Or one for each direction? If so, which is which?

[kndlindsey]

It all seems firm in place but when you start to roll it over, the top center catches, and rubs against the bucket opening. It almost sounds like a clunking noise when trying to make it roll over.

[asdasc]

So you have it moving? How far does it rotate before it stops? This is exciting!

[kndlindsey]

It's not moving anymore than it was when I started. I really suck at guestimating measurements but i would say it moves about 4", not enough to in. Enough to get your pinky finger stuck in it when you forget and let go and it flops back to the position it wants to be in, which is closed.

My hair, my fingers, what is next?

[houserc]

Are both headlights still linked together?

Does the headlight bucket seem to be mounted solid or is there any play in it? Maybe up and down or side to side?

When you say it moves 4", does it seem that the bucket has dropped down?

The tabs that I put the arrows on in a prior post are to release in different directions. One is to release it when it is locked closed. The other tab is to release the bucket when it is locked open.

[maglinjosvinn]

isn't it remotely possible the light has sagged and that the bulb curve of the housing is hitting the car?

i say this cause i had to get MEDIVAL with mine w/ a hammer so the housing would clear. *Shrug*

Kndlindsey - sending you a PM.

[kndlindsey]

it all looks level and sitting where it should, i have seen pics of them where it looked like the headlamp was sagging and lower than the body level and it doesn't look like that to me.