Can water in connector ruin headlight motor?

[SilverEsprit]

One of my headlights isn't popping up.  I'm sure there are other threads I can look at to figure out how to fix this. But the one that was working just stopped.  I looked and found one of the connectors (salmon/green wires) full of windshield wiper fluid from this morning's tank leak and subsequent repair.

Could a connector filled with fluid short out the motor?  Or should it be ok if I just open it up and let it dry?

[CarBuff]

For sure, unplug and clean out the gunked-up connector.

 

Then tell us if that worked.

 

Usually, with the TR7 lift motors, they corrode on the inside if the motor.

[snowrx]

I highly doubt the fluid could carry enough current to affect the components. Check/clean/swap the headlight lift circuit relays as an easy first diagnostic for headlight weirdness.

[SilverEsprit]

Thanks...blew a fuse (#16).  Weirdly, it continues to blow now every time the headlight switch turns on, even with the relay unplugged and motor detached.  The journey continues.

[drdoom]

Time for a deep dive into the wiring diagram. The headlamp operation is electrically somewhat complex, hope you keep us posted on progress.

[snowrx]

"the relay unplugged"?  I would pull both the headlight motor relays before I dove into the harness, They're interconnected and if someone put the dual contact style relay in either socket I think the circuit path would short to ground. I think the adjacent high and low beam relays are dual contact rather than changeover.