Headlight pod relay

[danceswiththewolf]

Hello!

I've just defected from years of TVR ownership and I'm very chuffed but...

The offside headlight pod on my 89 (F) Turbo won't pop up. The motor is OK as I can swap the connections from the other and it works ok. Both fuses are OK. I suspect the black box under the washer bottle on the nearside which I think is the pod control unit. Does anyone know how to test it?

I know it is the same as the Pontiac firebird one and I can get a new one easy enough but I'm not sure if I have diagnosed the problem Ok. Is there anything else I should think of?

Any help much appreciated.

thanks

Kenny

Edited August 9, 2006 by danceswiththewolf

[Mysterae]

I think you have sussed it.

At the lift module, you should get voltage on input connection A when the switch is on to lift the pods up. Voltage at connection C for when the pods are down. These voltage come from the pod delay module (the bank of relays next to the fuse box in the front of the car). You've swapped the motor connections and that proves the signal is there.

Just out of interest, is the lift module serviceable?

[danceswiththewolf]

Just out of interest, is the lift module serviceable?

I think so. I have bought one from the US for $40 but it said on the site it was refurbished so I suppose they must be fixable. It seems to be a GM part originally (Firebird)

Thanks for the help. I will post a reply if this fixes it.

[lince]

Normally the engine always work fine but they requiere a rebuild kit, the best way to test is turn the lights on if after the the first one goes up you still hear the other one trying to work the engine, you must get the rebuild kit if you donpt hear it then it might be a conector or something like that

[CNH]

It seems to be a GM part originally (Firebird)

Thanks for the help. I will post a reply if this fixes it.

Not sure if the Firebird uses the lift mechisim but I do know for sure it is the same as the Fiero.

[danceswiththewolf]

Now try not to laugh to much at this but....

I got a Firebird on at last and plugged it in and-

it worked for about 2 minutes before the lovely odour of burning circuits.

Strangely it was the left side that failed and burnt out in the module.

(the original failure was on the right)

I have tried swapping connectors to the headlights and I get no problems at all so I don't think

there is any electrical fault or headlight motor fault - I think I have just been unlucky with 2 knakered modules.

Question is- as 1 now works only the left light and 1 works the right- surely I can split the wiring and have one driving each light.

Anyone know what all the inputs are so I can split them.

I know about A and C on the input side but what about the other side or B and D on the input side.

I know it sounds a bit complicated but it could work and I would like to see what happens before I fry another module.

Thanks

Kenny

[Mysterae]

If you've got a set of electrical drawings, it's on sheet 13, section MK.

On the bank of 5 connectors:

A - pods up

B - fused supply (F26)

C- pods down

D - ground

E - fused supply (F25)

On the bank of 4 connectors:

A - to B of the r/h motor

B - to A of the r/h motor

C - to A of the l/h motor

D - to B of the l/h motor

To do what you suggest will mean a lot of extra wires, best of luck!

p.s. best to get a set of drawings!

[danceswiththewolf]

If you've got a set of electrical drawings, it's on sheet 13, section MK.

On the bank of 5 connectors:

A - pods up

B - fused supply (F26)

C- pods down

D - ground

E - fused supply (F25)

On the bank of 4 connectors:

A - to B of the r/h motor

B - to A of the r/h motor

C - to A of the l/h motor

D - to B of the l/h motor

To do what you suggest will mean a lot of extra wires, best of luck!

p.s. best to get a set of drawings!

You are a genius! Assuming my wife has not killed me for spending too much time with the car I will let you all know how it goes...

Thanks

[danceswiththewolf]

Sort of happy....

I have connected all five input side wires up to both modules, and 1 module only to each side.

Success!

Both pods now go up and down just as they should except that after they drop there is a buzz for about 6 seconds which I think is the left hand side motor still trying ot lower the pod.

No idea why.

Any idea if the fused supplies on the input side are for individual sides?

Perhaps it would be better if each module was only getting 1 fused supply?

Still I have lights now until I can hunt down a working light module, I am just a bit worried about damaging the light pod motors meantime.

thanks again for all the help.

Kenny

[danceswiththewolf]

I have now cut the wires so each module is truly independant, each with only 1 supply-

still the lights try and lower for a good 6 seconds or so after they have gone down.

Ho hum- The hunt for a single working module continues...

[andye]

i've got s similar problem on my '97 gt3...

the drivers side head light doesn't always go down! they both pop up ok but sometimes it goes down and sometimes it stays up... is really bugging me, can anyone help?

Edited September 7, 2006 by H1 4 ESG

[danceswiththewolf]

It's fixed. Wahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I tried another control module from the US and it failed instantly.

I then got a Late 90's Pontiac unit. It's different inside from both the 88-92 pontiac unit and the original esprit unit. The two capacitors at the top of the board are bright blue in place of the original brown ones. There are also resisors missing (let me know if anyone needs photos)

Using the relay unsoldered from the original lotus board this unit worked fine!!!

The two units ( both partially faulty ) working one light each does not work.

I suspect the module sends a 'wakeup' pulse (about 6.4 - 7.6 volts) to each side on turning on the motor.

The motor is (I think) jump started onto 2 contacts within the motor and it then gets power on demand until it runs off the end of the contacts.

If 2 units are used they both sense the lights taking current and each tried to supply enough for both lights hence the motors try and run for twice the time. There is a little chip in the modules which I suspect controls the amount of current supplied. Please correct me if I am wrong about this.

I would imagine if the contacts in the motor became dirty the lights may rise and not go down or vice versa depending which end of the strip they are at.

The original lotus unit was blown at one of the power transformers. I think as I had washed out the pods before it went that one of the lights had water in it and it was too much of a strain to lift.

If anyone is getting a replacement unit from the states I would suggest avoiding 'top-down-solutions'

It was the unit from there that was faulty when it arrived and sent me. I contacted them and they offered to 'sell me another' but no warranty as it was used part.

The working unit I now have was 30 dollars on e-bay. Seems to be about the going rate.

I've also replaced the washer bottle as it seems likely this is one of the causes of water getting to the unit

(36 pounds inc motor from Peninsula - well worth it to avoid future grief).

Cheers and thanks again for all the help.

Kenny

[iainskea]

Andy,

Opposite sides of the world are two cars with one pod staying up when you turn off the lights - maybe our car are interfering with each other?

I particulary like it happening outside the video store infront of 'cool' kids - geez.

Unlike you guys - I don't think I have a control unit under the water bottle, just good old relays and mechanical stuff (probally steam too).

It's my next fault to hunt down - so i'll be interested in your find - and I will post how I go too. At present I am suspicious of one relay, as I think the motor uses seperate relays to drive up and down. This theory is more hope than anything though, as the other option is the motor is likely to have a sensor wiper that has coroded - yikes. I will search the forum for S2 pod problems next.

[edit] like this - http://www.glcforum.com/esprit/forums/inde...l=headlight+pod

...and stop flicking your lights on and off - my car can't take it!

Iain

Edited September 10, 2006 by iainskea