C4 Corvette HEADLIGHT MOTOR REPAIR: 5 Useful Tips

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How to repair the pop-up headlight motor on a C4 Corvette (1984-1996)...My top 5 useful tips!
The gear housing area is a very common problem, where the headlights don't go up or down smoothly and make a "thunk" sound.
But thankfully it's an easy and cheap DIY rebuild fix!
THIS VIDEO ANSWERS QUESTIONS LIKE
How to fix C4 Corvette headlight motor gear?
Are brass or metal gears a good upgrade?
What repair product do I need to buy?
Should I replace the entire headlight motor or rebuild it?
Do both headlights need fixed if only one is making a thunk sound?
What Torx tools are needed?
How can I protect the paint while making this repair?
How much will this repair cost?
How long will it take to make this repair?
How do the headlight motor gears work?
FULL HEADLIGHT REPAIR TUTORIAL LINKS
Mirrock Corvette • C4 Corvette Headlight ...
ChrisFix • How to change the head...
SIMILAR TO
93-02 Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am have a similar headlight motor design.
Also 97-04 Corvette C5.
SPECIAL THANKS
Pop-up headlight footage by "Drive or Die Garage"
/ jtredden1
OTHER CORVETTE VIDEOS I'VE MADE
Playlist: • CORVETTES Forever
CHAPTERS
0:00 The Headlight Problem
1:33 TIP 1- What Repair Product To Buy?
4:11 Brass or Metal Gear Upgrade?
4:28 Replace Full Motor Assembly or Rebuild?
5:04 TIP 2- Fix Both Headlights (Not Just One)
5:40 TIP 3- Protect The Paint
6:44 TIP 4- Torx Tools
7:35 TIP 5- How Much Time Is Needed?
8:35 Final Fixed Results!
MY CAR
1996 Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition LT4 6-speed Z51
FOLLOW
Retro Cars Forever / Brad Hansen on Instagram
/ bradhansenmedia
#corvette #c4 #popupheadlights

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Опубликовано:

30 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 145

@themanguy2110 Год назад

I love how high-quality and informative your videos always are!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks so much!

@0xymfzzty0 Год назад

Always loved the c4s headlights, that flip is majestic

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

No joke, the C4's headlight "flip" was a big reason I wanted one!

@bdevitt55 Месяц назад

I bought a 95 C4 from someone who had only done the driver side....so a year later the passenger side needed it. Thanks to your tips the motor repair went well!😀

@RetroCarsForever Месяц назад

Glad this video helped you out!

@richardkjv1827 Год назад

My headlights on my 1986 convertible work great but its good to have this info for when it eventually takes a shit.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Heh, and these WILL fail eventually! Good info to know for the future I hope. And hey, you must have a Pace Car replica!

@michaels5809 Год назад

My dad got our 94 c4 in 2009 when I was in kindergarten, and now I get to drive it and its a really special car to me. Your videos have been great as I wanted to understand the car since its always been special to me.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

That's awesome to hear. C4s are quirky weird cars, and they are getting old and needing attention, so empowering yourself with knowledge about them is a great way to take good care of em. Enjoy your 94!

@michaels5809 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever Yeah haha its definitely having those “wait im a almost 30 year old car” moments but it was re built when we got it it was clean my dad “bulletproofed” it when we got it. It has 65k now, biggest issue is its leaking transmission fluid from the main seal but we’re fixing it soon. All the tech works I love the way the car feels.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

@@michaels5809 C4s feel GREAT. Fast enough to be entertaining, comfy enough to be livable, but old enough to have that special raw/connected feeling.

@pawsnpistons Год назад

Best C4 videos on RU-vid. I love them.👍👍 Thank you! 😎

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Awesome to hear, thank YOU!

@TofersCarTales Год назад

Who would have thought I would have basically performed this exact same repair on my parents '91 Grand Marquis window regulators. Though I ended up using steel ball bearings. I did warn the parents that closing the windows with an arm in the way would not be recommended.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

😅 Yeah, same basic design, right?

@speedracerjeff Год назад

Great vid as always. Had to replace the gears in both my 88 and 92. Went with brass gears on my 88, and plastic gears on the 92. Both worked great and never malfunctioned again till I sold the cars.

@MrCliffMalloy Год назад

Great Video Brad!! I’ve done this rebuild a couple time on two different C4s. You’re spot on!!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thank ya!

@hambonerodriguez4163 Год назад

Hey, I always watch your videos on this car. I have the same one with the red interior. Mine is currently in the shop getting the Bose head unit replaced with a modern Kenwood unit in preparation for the Hot Rod Power Tour long haul. Can't wait!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks for watching! Really cool that you have the red guts on your car, that's definitely the most rare/valuable color for the interior on these. Have fun on Hot Rod Power Tour!

@gladtoseeya986 Год назад

Another really cool and informative video! Please keep these awesome video’s coming. It really helps us C4 owners out big-time. Thank you,Brad.🙏🏻👍🏻🇺🇸

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thank YOU for watching and for the kind words!

@wallyr.7854 Год назад

Yes 🙌 a new video 😃👍🏻, I LOOOVVVEEE this channel ❤ Long live the C4 Corvettes 🥇. Excellent video as always, thank you 🙏🏻

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks so much, great to hear!

@wallyr.7854 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever 👊🏻

@yomuno2511 Год назад

Good video. My headlight problem on my 1995 seemed to be unique. I purchased the car new (my 29th BD gift to me). About seven years/100,000 miles old, the left headlight did as shown here. I ordered the bushings. However, when I took it apart, the old bushings were fine. Posts on forums such as corvetteforum yielded no results. As it turned out, the metal shaft was free spinning inside the plastic gear. I drilled a hold at an angle thru the gear and shaft and inserted a pin to connect the two. Twenty years and 161,000 miles later and it's worked great. Right side has never had an issue. I will also add that the right side since new has always flipped faster than the left.

@The_007 Год назад

Your production is always top notch!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thank you!

@user-fn8re8vr7m Год назад

Came across your video and thought to myself, that's exactly what mine is doing. Checked out your recommended video and just finished it. Even had the bushings, apparently came with the car when I bought it 10 years ago. Didn't know what they were for so just put them away. Good job, Thanks

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Awesome to hear! Glad this can be helpful to ya.

@revmatchtv Год назад

Great tutorial!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thank ya!

@josephgibbons1631 Год назад

I rebuilt mine in January. Easier than one would imagine. Fun to do. I used Chris Fix’s video.

@nikeiddude123 Год назад

Love the quality of your videos! Always a pleasure to watch and I don’t skip thru them like other youtubers. Stay rad

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks so much, that's awesome to hear. Doin' my best to stay rad!

@alexandercapuano4002 Год назад

Love the channel I’ve been watching for over a year and just picked up my first vette! Also a ‘96 collectors edition!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Awesome to hear! Thanks for watching and enjoy your Collector Edition (great choice!)

@dcope88 Год назад

Came across your channel late last year your videos have been great. Bought a 96 C4 earlier this year and love it!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Congrats! Glad to know these vids could be a useful resource to ya.

@jakeakhtar9424 Год назад

Thank you for pointing out the advantage of plastic gears as a mechanical fuse. I see plenty of people who feel that brass gears and/or bushings are an upgrade over the plastic OEM parts but ultimately, as you say, I'd rather replace the gears and bushings than the motors if something goes wrong. I rebuilt my headlight assembly when I bought my C4 and it wasn't a difficult job and probably took less than 2 hours but I was glad to have torx bits and that time doesn't include the time I spent going out to buy a pin that I broke while disassembling the assembly. All in it was still under 3 hours and very easy to DIY.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

You're welcome, thanks for watching and for the comment!

@jphelps50 Месяц назад

Great video my man Loved it

@RetroCarsForever Месяц назад

Thank you!

@mullighanistan3422 Год назад

Awesome video!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thank ya!

@JoeW-wr6fp 8 месяцев назад

Great vid! Thank you very much!!

@RetroCarsForever 8 месяцев назад

Thanks, hope it helped!

@yotu5279 Год назад

Congratulations from Córdoba,andalusia, Spain 👍

@rluciano828 Год назад

Great video!! I did this job on my LT4 last year and you nailed it, skip the brass, watch the paint, make sure the motor spins. I never thought to calculate the time and compare to the mechanic shops. You think of it all. Your production quality is awesome and love the extras, especially your work buddy curled up for a nap. I'm surprised you don't use painters tape around the entire hood when removing the headlight. I didn't trust myself not to touch the sides on the top and sides when free.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thank you! Gotta have my work buddy LOL Painters tape is a good idea, I didn't think of that one. I personally felt like I only had issues keeping the bottom edge from touching, the tops/sides were reasonably easy to keep clear. Still, you can't have too much protection for a job like this.

@Sfftly_ Год назад

I've been watching your content on the c4, and I'm actually considering getting one, so I'm just watching every piece of content I can find on them lol. Great video!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks so much! Best of luck if you get one, best to know everything you can to find the very best!

@Sfftly_ Год назад

Yeah, your videos have been super helpful

@uPilot Год назад

Great to see you back into videos, my dad has a 1986 corvette and both of our headlight motors worked but then we tried playing with wiring because the horn wasn't working and we accidently unplugged one of the headlight motors and we still haven't found how to plug it back in.... the other one works great and the one that doesn't work makes no noise since it's not plugged in.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Hmm, there's gotta be a way to replug that light in! Wish I was more familiar with those early designs to tell ya whats causing that issue exactly. Or maybe a wire just got pulled or stripped accidentally.

@uPilot Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever yeah, I recommend you try to do more content with earlier ones since not many have made content about those!!!

@uPilot Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever It's not a big deal, we usually only drive it to car meets and joy rides in the summer but it would be nice to find the right wire haha

@buickman00 Год назад

Great video ! I'm going to replace this on my LT1.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks, hope this video proves or use with your repair. Have a good one!

@stevem5428 Год назад

Love all the content . I have a 96 lt4 and my driver side is making the "noise"this will help 👍👍👍

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks! Glad to help. BTW on a 1996 one little thing I was surprised by was the very first step...How frustrating it was to remove the plastic wiring clip that's attached to the bottom of the car! Darn near had to break mine to get that out. Hopefully wont give you as much trouble.

@stevem5428 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever they get comfortable after 27 years 🤣🤣

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

@@stevem5428 Heh, yep!

@ninetwist3724 Год назад

Thank You Brad!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

You're very welcome!

@MarkVidal Год назад

good to know! the lights on my 93 make a strange noise but luckily still flip up normally

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

That strange noise is most likely the beginning of the problem I go over in this video. It'll get worse and worse over time, until finally they wont flip at all, so hope this video helps you get on it soon!

@alexl9334 Год назад

Another banger from Mr.Retro himself 😊

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Heh, thanks man!

@titoqwentezproductionz3406 9 месяцев назад

I lol'd the first 2 sec's its exactly the shit my 95 is doing right now. I hope I can fix it with your video,,, stay tuned !

@RetroCarsForever 9 месяцев назад

Best of luck!

@apexaddict302 Год назад

Keep up the good videos Brad! Fellow SoCal LT4 CE owner. Been through this repair too.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks man! What part of SoCal?

@apexaddict302 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever Santa Barbara. If you're ever on for a cruise it would be great to share tips!

@papoflores8515 Год назад

Thanks very helpfull 🥰

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Glad to help!

@jinzonight2 Год назад

Just had one of my lights get stuck today. Couldn't have asked for a better time for you to upload this haha

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Dang…Well happy this can help!

@jinzonight2 Год назад

@Retro Cars Forever for sure man, really appreciate ya making it! The aesthetic and quality of your channel is top-notch! :)

@wrongperson7363 Год назад

I bought my 1993 the beginning of 2023 with 106,000 miles on it and surprisingly the headlights work perfectly I did change them for LEDs, I remember telling you I was planning on buying a c4 as my first car best decision I've ever made

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

That’s awesome to hear! Thanks for checking in

@aramgarcia4104 Год назад

Hi Brad, i just wanted to tell you that i love you're channel and the way you make the videos, i hope we can get videos a bit more frequently 😅.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks so much! I wish I could post these more frequently. They do take a lot of time to make and it’s more of a hobby than a job to make them, but I enjoy making them when I can! Thanks for watching.

@ericrosen6626 Год назад

7:55 "schedule one full work day"... well you convinced me. Your one full work day is probably like three days for someone as mechanically handy as I am. So sounds like when that day comes, $400-600 will be worth letting a professional do it for me while I'm sitting in the waiting area drinking hot chocolate and likely drooling over the C8 in the showroom :)

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Heh, fair enough! I feel the same way about many Corvette repairs, and am happy to fork over some extra money to let the pros do it. But this one was actually pretty easy and satisfying, even for someone as amateur of a mechanic as myself.

@ClassicInvestments1 2 месяца назад

well done...

@RetroCarsForever 2 месяца назад

Thank you!

@SafetyRey Год назад

I was a complete amateur and got it done in an hour. So satisfying.

@SafetyRey Год назад

It should be noted, I wasn't as careful due to not caring about the paint.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Nice! An hour for just ONE side I'm guessing? And yeah it goes a LOT faster when you don't care about the paint!

@SafetyRey Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever yeah, I also used a power "screw driver" needed an extension for that one in the middle. I just happened to have everything I needed.

@Stinger430 Год назад

Fun, Fantastic and informative video Brad. As always. I noticed your feline assistant doing all the heavy lifting. Which explains how you did such an amazing job. :)

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Hahah, thanks! The cat really did all the work, I'm just the "face" of the video, like a Remmington Steel style situation...

@Stinger430 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever haha. Remington Steele! Wow, that's a blast from the past. Was there a C4 in that show?

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

@@Stinger430 Hmmm been awhile since I've watched it, but seems like EVERY 80s show had at least a few random scenes with a C4 (usually driven by some rich bad guy!)

@Stinger430 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever Haha. Yep, very true. I remember the A-Team had one, lol.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

@@Stinger430 Yes, Face had a white and red one!

@cooperhulswit8438 Год назад

Another great video! But I'm still waiting for another Jane's bond video 😅

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thanks! I'd love to do a video sometime that covers both retro cars AND James Bond and go over the "Silver Beast" Saab from the 80s books.

@cooperhulswit8438 Год назад

@Retro Cars Forever perfect! What about his blower Bently though for all your 95 year old subscriber's

@emelito888 Год назад

I love Corvettes

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Sammmmme!

@brucetapscott5345 11 месяцев назад

Nice vids learned a lot having problem with my 94 c4 runs like on 5 cylinder's after out for 30 miles come home turn off will not start till cool down or runs on 4 cylinder's dash borad lights on missing bad help

@RetroCarsForever 11 месяцев назад

Check out my common problems video. This could be the classic Optispark issue but take it to a professional to verify… ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9nR3rkZd2bQ.htmlsi=prNiTbbnfetqQDtE

@jimmorgan1078 Год назад

I try to steer clear of at all cost, turning on and off the headlights at highway speed, to avoid added stress on the gears while flipping.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

😅😆

@WebbRacingdotcom Год назад

Great tips, Brad. I was patient with the repair, and I spent about the same amount of time as you mentioned. One thing I might add is to be careful with the Torx bolts, as I managed to strip one during the removal process when I didn't have the Torx bit fully inserted into the bolt head. Happy headlighting flipping!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Thank ya! Glad to hear I wasn't the only "slow" one with this repair...If Ive learned one thing about DIY car repair, its haste really does make waste. Good tip on stripping the Torx bolts, SUCH an easy thing to do.

@chrisbjarkman Год назад

On my 93 I found the gears fine and just the pellets were dust. If you want readily available pellets that are match and often at local parts stores , the Dorman #74410 window gear plugs are a match.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Yep, I mentioned the Dorman plugs in the middle of the video, neat little hack!

@EliteWolf7 Год назад

Did my for $40. Super easy!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Nice! Did you get a similar kit to what I used? Either way...Great feeling spending $40 and doing it yourself instead of paying $600 for someone else to do it!

@EliteWolf7 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever Yeah got all the same stuff you did. Had 2 of my T30s break though. So had to drill them out and re-tap the holes. But not that bad.

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

@@EliteWolf7 A tip I've been hearing from a few comments that I wish I would've included- Using penetrating oil on those torx bolts beforehand. Mine seemed to come out no issues but my car is younger than most C4s with less miles (and a south/southwest car so not much humidity).

@EliteWolf7 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever yeah could of been worse. Oh well. Thanks for the videos either way though!

@Diamondiam0nd Год назад

Hey, Im glad I have found your channel this night. Im a 04 GTO owner but I always dreamed about having a 1990+ Corvette C4 (I saw one when I was just 5 years old). I found a guy who is willing to exchange GTO for a 95 C4 and I can't decide... I know GTO is just a better car but I wonder if its worth getting rid of great car just to fulfill a childhood dream? :P Probably it's even hard to compare those two cars. Whats your opinion? I had 95 Firebrid Trans Am with LT1 for a couple of months but I exchanged it for GTO. I ask you as an expert - is aftermarket optisparks still a lottery or there are some solid ones to buy? Please just tell me to go for a C4 and that I should not worry that much :P subscribed!

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

I’ve never driven the GTO so I can’t honestly answer your question! They seem like awesome cars. I’ve talked to a few friends who have driven both and they said the GTO drives like a big heavy car by comparison. C4 apparently handles a lot better. I know there are satisfied Opti custom users in the FB groups im in tho I can’t recall what brands are best. Just don’t go cheap! Thanks for the sub! New video next week.

@michealmartinez6644 Год назад

So I got a 94 and I bought a new driver side headlight and when I put it in it still didn’t turn the motor is new and the gears are good what do you think it could be? The light does turn on but it just doesn’t turn. Pls help if you have any idea thank you

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

So the electric motor itself (that I go over in this video) doesn't actually spin at all? When you say you got a "new drivers side headlight" what do you mean exactly...An entirely new unit? New motor? What was new exactly? And how certain are you that it is for the correct year?

@michealmartinez6644 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever yes sir everything motor and headlight

@michealmartinez6644 Год назад

Everything is new working order bought the headlight that goes on a 94 and the headlight does not spin at all

@michealmartinez6644 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever basically everything is new on that headlight

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

@@michealmartinez6644 So sounds like there's something going on with the electric motor then, if that top part doesnt spin at all. Or something wrong with the wiring to that specific part. I'd have an electrician look at it if you can. Otherwise, buying a new motor unit would be a "throwing parts at it" solution that may work. Honestly I'd be miffed at whoever sold me that headlight unit, and I'd want a refund! But too late for that I'm sure.

@cliftongillyard1085 Год назад

I put new gears in my headlight motor and it opens fine, but won't close. What's the problem? 1996 Corvette c4

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Strange! Before you swapped the gears, did the motor itself spin both ways?

@cliftongillyard1085 Год назад

@@RetroCarsForever yes, and I still don't know the problem.

@robs2341 Год назад

I did one headlight 😅 other one works fine but should probably proactively do the other

@robs2341 Год назад

I guess if it ain’t broke don’t fix it as they say

@RetroCarsForever Год назад

Heh...I was tempted to do the same but I bet you good money your other will go soon! I'd fix it when you have spare time, you should have at least a few months.

@WigglyBot 7 месяцев назад

It's a long shot to ask but i thought id ask here anyways because I haven't found an answer yet. I have a 84' Corvette (84'-87' year headlights) and I'm having this problem I have replaced the all the gears and all three relays, but Im still having the notorious thumping problem when I close my headlight, passenger side, what else would be the problem? I haven't found anyone else with the same problem as me so whatever advice or tips is appreciated.

@RetroCarsForever 7 месяцев назад

Hmm, I'm way less familiar with the earlier headlight designs so nothing springs to mind. Have you replaced both sides, and only one side is having the problem?

@WigglyBot 7 месяцев назад

@RetroCarsForever Yes, both sides have replaced gears and are lubricated properly, but it's only the passenger side that's having the problem, usually if I wait a week until the next time I pop up he headlights I might be able to get away with flipping them once or twice before the thumping starts and it usually happens if I were to drop the hood closed. I have also taken apart the both motors to see if the gears i replaced them with went faulty fast but both, and more importantly the passenger side gears are still in perfect condition. So for now I just have the motor wires disconnected so I can actually drive without going crazy lol. As a solution I'm leaning on just buying a professionally refurbished motor, but I'm trying to do all I can to avoid that

@RetroCarsForever 7 месяцев назад

Very strange issue! I cant think of anything that you havent tried (beyond buying a new/refurbished motor), assuming you put both sides together correctly. I would suggest posting this issue in any of the larger C4 Corvette Facebook groups. Super knowledgeable owners and whenever I'm stumped with a mechanical issue, I usually get answers there. Good luck!

@WigglyBot 7 месяцев назад

@RetroCarsForever I'll try asking on FB next. I tried on corvetteforum but didn't get anything so ill hope for the best lol

@RetroCarsForever 7 месяцев назад

Actual forums are difficult to use these days. I find Facebook groups to be much more immediate and helpful.

@slickthasloth5441 Месяц назад

When I turn them off one is slightly lifted upwards

@RetroCarsForever Месяц назад

Try adjusting it flush with the manual knob.

@foofghtr 9 месяцев назад

Great fix but for someone who was around when all these cars came out, your headlights are spinning too slow. They spin together which is good but way too slowly. Your HL motors are dying.

@RetroCarsForever 9 месяцев назад

Strange, I’ve done videos with many other C4s and flipped their headlights as well, they are all the same speed. Been awhile since I’ve flipped the earlier designs so maybe those are quicker? Or is it possible that you remember them faster than they really were?