Headlights

Will not Retract

I turn the light switch all the way and the headlight unit flips up in all it's glory and the lights turn on. I turn the light switch all the way off and the headlight unit refuses to retract. I replaced the switch (upper most left on the pod) and the relay with no luck (relay XIX + XX). I know the motor works since if I manually turn the motor so the unit is fully retracted and then turn the light switch all the way, the unit flips up. I'm thinking that there must be a contact switch somewhere that is faulty and I'm wondering if anyone has come across this contact switch.

Thanks,

Benny
83 928S
91 928GT



The contacts that feed the motor power and also only let the lights come on when they are up are inside the gearbox part of the headlight motor. If you take the motor out and open the gearbox you can see them. On my 84 there are 4 separate wires that connect into the motor, you can change what is plugged in to test the motor, (make sure they are labeled before you start disconnecting them,) if you swap the correct 2 wires you can make them go down when you switch on the lights, I think your 91 is a single plug, so you won't be able to do this if that's the car you are having problems with. You need to look at the wiring diagram to chase this down, I don't remember which is which. On my car when I got it the PO had already replaced the relay before he replaced the motor and he'd smoked the new relay. So you may fix a problem with the motor and still have to replace the relay again.

Dan Larson (dlarson@mindspring.com)
1984 928S US Auto White/Burgundy