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Pop-up headlights broke - stuck in 'up' position

Outrun944

Outrun944

New member
Gah! Pop-up headlights stuck in the up position - well at least they're up and I can turn on the lights and beam ....

But they're not completely fully up either - a little gentle push with the hand shows that on both. Although slightly angled down the beam, I don't think it's illegal but prob would be an MOT fail which is due this month.

Sorry for the quick topic and there's not much more info here ... as I'm rushing about ... anyone come across this before and what can a simpleton like me look at?
 
As a short term fix for the MOT, dis-connect the battery (very important if you like your fingers).
Pull the rubber cap off of the lifting motor and you should be able to manually adjust the lights to the position you want.

The same thing happened in my '82 944, my passenger managed to kick the relays getting out of the car. It was as I was turning the lights off and they stopped halfway down. Not sure which relay it was as it was a few years ago now.
 
Yes mate as James said all is not lost. There is a knob on the back of the lift motor (on the left hand side) which Porsche cunningly provided for manual raising and lowering for just such an occasion. They don't have to raise and lower electrically to pass MOT. They just have to work and aim correctly.



 
The wiring does chafe as the lights go up and down over the years. Please disconnect the battery, as mentioned. Adjusting them manually can cause the wires to make contact and the motor is dangerously powerful.
 
Thanks guys!

As to what the problem may be generally for a permanent fix ... anything I can look at? Wiring or motor?
 
Oh dear. Just jumped in car to get to work ... completely dead! Not a flicker of power or anything!
[:(]

I take it something's completely drained the battery - wiring? burnt out motor? It's been 17 hours since I last started it, not sure why it would have drained the battery unless there's something else badly wrong.

Also would it be safe to jump start it from another car so I can get it to my mechanic? Meh.
 
As stated mate the nature of the headlights moving up and down and causing 20 year old wiring to chafe is usually the root cause. Check all your fuses if the wiring was shotred it would generally blow a fuse. A seized motor could drain the battery. Did you notice whether the motor was hot at all. Should be safe to jump start but I would give the wiring the once over first as a simple jump start is not solving your problem. Have you disconnected the pop up motor completely?
 
make sure that it is the battery dead and not a bad connection from the battery to the relay box. Try the horn and lights .
If it was working before the relays were disturbed by the kick it can only be that the relay needs re-seating or replacing . (try another relay from another socket.) Or something else has been disturbed like a loose wire which has shorted possibly or becomne open circuit.

Visually inspect the relay /fuse box area carefully and look for something out of place like a loose wire .

OK to use jump leads but you'll need to turn the engine at at least 225rpm for the DME /ECU fuel injection system to work.


 
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