1983 944 headlight motor

[hindswillrox]

1983 944 5 speed project car: I have been building this car for my son, great car but there are a few problems. First- the head light doors went up and stayed up the first time they where used, I have replaced the relay with no luck in fact it started to melt the wires as soon as i hit the switch. do i need a new motor or could this be something else? I am also looking at rebuilding the steering rack (not power steering) as the steering is a bit vage and maby a bit stiff,has any one done a rebuild on the non power rack.

[FrontEngineWaterCooled]

I don't have all the answers but, you can disconnect the electrical connector to the light mechanism motor. It should be easily accessible on the top of the motor in a rubber shroud. Disconnect that.

Then, on the big cylindrical part, which is the motor proper, it should have a rubber boot that covers it entirely. Once removed, you will find a knurled, flat knob that will allow you to raise and lower the headlights manually.

This thoughtful feature goes back to the 924 and the Germans familiarity with freezing rain which can lock your headlights down. Naturally, just turning the normal switch on could cause the fuse to blow.

It does, however sound like the mechanism is binding somewhere. They should operate smoothly and almost 100% silently. No scraping, or grinding sounds. Use the manual method to check that. The mountings for the headlight bearings are well hidden, but the inboard ones can be most easily gotten to first. They are held in place by three screws each and when loose or jarred out of position, can cause the headlights to malfunction or even lock up.

The wire frying sounds like someone put the wrong rating fuse in the box. If the headlights bind up, it's better to blow the fuse than that motor.

The manual knob takes several turns to get a noticeable movement from the headlight eyelids. Be patient.

HTH

[wvicary]

Just a note about the head lamps, check the wiring for the motor as it can get caught in the operating mechanism.