The 1989 Chevrolet Corvette was designed with two headlights concealed in the hood. When you turn on the headlight, they rotate 180 degrees to expose the headlight bulbs. The concealed headlight design increases aerodynamic flow over the car and helps yield a sleek body design. The headlight assemblies use an electric motor and gear drive to rotate open. The electric motors and gear drives may fail after frequent use. A home mechanic with a limited set of tools is capable of replacing the motor unit.
Tools Used: Battery terminal wrench, Screwdriver, 14 mm socket, Ratchet and extension, 17 mm socket, 12 mm socket
Remove Headlamp Motor
Open the hood and lock the hood support rod.
Locate the battery, on the driver's side of the vehicle, in the engine compartment against the firewall. Remove the negative battery terminal from the battery with the battery terminal wrench.
Use a small flat-blade screwdriver to scribe or gently mark the location of the headlight assembly against the inside of the hood cover. Mark at least two sides of a corner to allow you to return the headlight assembly to the original position.
Using the 14 mm socket, extension and ratchet setup, remove the six nuts holding the headlight assembly to the hood. Two nuts each are located on the left, right and bottom sides of the assembly.
Disconnect the two electrical connection attaching the motor and headlight to the wiring harness. Lift the safety catch on the wiring harness side of the connector slightly and pull the connector apart.
Remove the carriage bolt holding the headlight to the hood hinge using a 17 mm socket and ratchet.
Lift the headlight assembly clear of the vehicle and lay it on a safe work surface with the electric motor facing up.
Use a 12 mm socket to remove the three bolts attaching the electric motor to the headlight assembly.
Tips & Warnings
Replacement motors can be sourced from many auto-parts retailers.
If the motor spins but will not open the hood, replacement gears are available to resolve the problem.
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