Strange headlight pod motor behavior

[1esprit]

I seem to have some kind of gremlin with my headlight pods. After I turn off the headlights, it sometimes takes several minutes before the pods will lower. I know that a slight delay is normal if you have been running the high beams. However, my problem seems to have nothing to do with the high beams. Last night, it took almost 5 minutes before the pods finally decided it was time to go to sleep. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Steve

[mikelr]

Steve,

Did you try turning the lights on then back off again? I'm not sure what year car you own but I think starting with the Stevens body Lotus started using a dual curcuit current sensing relay box borrowed from the GM parts bin to operate the headlight pods. This unit has no time delay of any kind, just a current sensing cuicuit to stop the motors when they bottom out/hit top of travel. Maybe you have an intermittent contact in you dash board switch or at some other connection piont?

Good luck

Mike R.
94'S4 NY/NJ LEO

[deecee]

It sounds like a problem with the Relay...

[1esprit]

The car is a 2001 V8. I agree that it is probably some kind of problem with the switch or relay. I have tried turning the headlights off/on again and sometimes this corrects the problem. Thanks for the info.

>> Edited by 1esprit on Monday 9th January 00:23

[Autocross7]

Stick you head down under the bonnet and be sure the motors are not running. OEM used a worthless gell fill to engage the gear...
Anyway, this stuff has a habit of turning to powder - mine actually failed in both sides within a day of each other - and the motor spins until the powdery left over gets packed in enough to work...

However, I agree that it sounds like a relay or switch first as the lights open okay (?)... but hey, 30 second check to rule out the pod motors! (BTW- do not replace the motor 'when' this happens... pull it apart and put in some nylon dowels)

Drive topless!!!
Cameron

[ragingfool]

if the flash function works correctly
then replace the master light switch
chris
90SE

[jrjajs]

I have a 94 s4
Same exact problem cold good, warms up and goes berserk at some point.
I have had the suggestion that it could be a bad solder joint at one of the pins.
And yes the dash is a pain to get into. (not hard just a pain)
So at some point I will pull it and check the pins.
As with yours, mine runs just fine.
Good luck, any break thoughs be sure to post.

[erik_t]

Some months ago my S4 also had strange headlight pod movements. When parked, they suddenly raised in a stepwise way. It turned out to be the pod delay module (a relay with some delay circuitry added). I repaired the module and until now everything is working ok again. There is some more info on my website, http://homepages.ipact.nl/~theunissen/,

Good luck,

Erik