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john
 
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Default Car headlight (no response on Car Maintenance)

My car (Honda Civic) has a 4 position dial to tune the headlight aim. One
has become detrimental and either sticks or "hunts" intermittently.

To get inside would mean removing the bumper so I am not too keen - I would
like to get an idea of how the mechanism operates. Not sure if the fault is
likely to be something like a dirty commutator - or a seized mechanism.

Slapping the wing gets it to move a bit - have used contact cleaner on the
plug.

Any ideas?

--


--
John


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Default Car headlight (no response on Car Maintenance)

Last winter I slid into a fallen tree at about 2mph. No actual damage
but my nearside headlamp then pointed up into the trees. This is a
Volvo V70. I was able to remove the headlamp and spotted that a small
polythene ball had popped out of a slotted forked piece. I popped it
back and all was fine. While I was in there I 'clarted' everything
first in WD40 to clean it then Vaselene to protect it. So basically
what I'm saying is spray WD40 all over any exposed parts while hitting
the wing and/or activating the thumb switched that activate the
headlamp.

Chris.

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john
 
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Default Car headlight (no response on Car Maintenance)


wrote in message
ups.com...
Last winter I slid into a fallen tree at about 2mph. No actual damage
but my nearside headlamp then pointed up into the trees. This is a
Volvo V70. I was able to remove the headlamp and spotted that a small
polythene ball had popped out of a slotted forked piece. I popped it
back and all was fine. While I was in there I 'clarted' everything
first in WD40 to clean it then Vaselene to protect it. So basically
what I'm saying is spray WD40 all over any exposed parts while hitting
the wing and/or activating the thumb switched that activate the
headlamp.

Chris.


Thanks - the trouble is that everthing is inside the plastic shell. I don't
want to try and remove it without a clue of what I might be up against. Any
idea how the notors know when to stop? There are 4 positions.


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Harry Bloomfield
 
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Default Car headlight (no response on Car Maintenance)

john laid this down on his screen :
Thanks - the trouble is that everthing is inside the plastic shell. I don't
want to try and remove it without a clue of what I might be up against. Any
idea how the notors know when to stop? There are 4 positions.


My own guess would be....

A small motor driving a screw thread which sets the beam. A
potentiometer which provides feedback of the position of motor to the
controller. The switch provides 4 resistor values and the controller
compares the voltage from these against the feedback voltage, driving
the one way or the other until the two voltages are a close match.
There has to be an acceptable 'close match' (hystrerisis), otherwise
the motor would be constantly hunting to find a none acheivable perfect
match.

Your description of the problem suggests it could be (in most likely
order)...

1. Intermitant remote potentiometer or intermitant wiring between.
2. The switch.
3. The controller.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk


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Michael Chare
 
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Default Car headlight (no response on Car Maintenance)

"john" wrote in message
...
My car (Honda Civic) has a 4 position dial to tune the headlight aim. One
has become detrimental and either sticks or "hunts" intermittently.

To get inside would mean removing the bumper so I am not too keen - I would
like to get an idea of how the mechanism operates. Not sure if the fault is
likely to be something like a dirty commutator - or a seized mechanism.

Slapping the wing gets it to move a bit - have used contact cleaner on the
plug.

Any ideas?


Can you get a Haynes manual from a public library?


--

Michael Chare




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