Headlight motor for 1989 240SX

[Rockhoundrob1]

The headlights on this 1989 240SX (55,000 miles) are both stuck in up position. The guy that sold it to us said it's been that way for a few years and said it need headlight motors.

I found it odd that BOTH are up and that both motors went bad at the same time. So I got a 9 volt battery and disconnected the wires. Then tried to mess with the motor, and it started to move back down. Then my son pushed a button on the dash and it went back up. so I know the motors are good.

Questions...
1) How does it go back down? Push the button on the dash again? (that didn't work when we tried it)

2) I saw a video that said to clean the contacts in the turn signal switch.
Is this a common problem? Does turning the light off on the turn signal make it go down?

3) Where can I find a electrical diagram of this section. Is there a relay for up and another relay for down?

[afishysilvia]

Welcome to Zilvia,

I cant answer on the operation of the S13 headlight buttons, however here is a useful link to the FSM's. The search button yields many answers...

http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=431245

[Rockhoundrob1]

WELL!! This is a BIG help! I just got in from working on the switch that was inside the steering column and that was not the problem.

Quickly looked at the link you provided and I see there is a "Retract Relay" on the diagram.

Too tired to try figuring where those relays are, but I will look over every thing tomorrow!

Thanks again for this link!

[Rockhoundrob1]

WOW... this is weird!!

After looking at the wiring diagram, I went to work on the car. I can disconnect the wires to the light motors and make BOTH light go up and down.

I tested all the relays and they work.

I cleaned the contacts in the turn signal and put it back on.

Once again lights go up, but not down!

Any ideas??

[jedi03]

check for continuity along the wires now...

[Rockhoundrob1]

UGH !!!! Well at least I just have to figure which wires control the down movement...

[Rockhoundrob1]

Well I think I found the problem! It is the turn-signal switch. After looking at the wiring diagram closer- I realized that when you turn the switch "OFF"- it really is not open. It send ANOTHER signal to close the headlights. I bought a replacement turn-signal switch and will get it Tues.

A quick test can confirm this problem.
1) remove the steering column cover.
2) disconnect the light brown connector that is on the left side of the steering column. This is the wire you see coming out of the turn-signal switch shaft.
3) Jump a wire into the light-blue and orange-blue wire to the connector side that comes from the steering column. The headlights should go down.
5) If not, check that you have 12 volts on the light blue wire.
6) If you have voltage, then your problem could be a bad relay #3, bad headlight motor, bad headlight button (on the dash panel), or a bad headlight timer.

Another test is to check the wires coming out of the shaft. Check that you have 0 ohms on the light-blue and Orange -Blue wire- WHEN the headlight knob is OFF. Then turn the headlight ON and you should read "Open". If the readings are bad, then your problem is the knob at the end of the headlight shaft. easier to replace the whole turn signal.

[Rockhoundrob1]

Yup! replacing the turn signal knob fix everything

[jedi03]

awesome! I used to take these apart, clean all the carbon off the contact points and they would work perfectly after!

[Rockhoundrob1]

That's the thing I don't understand about the "contacts"- The contacts don't make the light go down... only up and on.

If you look at the wiring diagram, turning the knob does turn off the light (through the contacts), but the wires coming out of the knob to the brown connector is the set that goes to relay #3. Relay #3 is the way only way to make the lights go down.