Headlight Bounces Up and Down (Electrical trouble)

[LaurentD]

Hi folks,

My 88 Supra (Canadian model with DRL) developed a pretty annoying trouble this week. When I turn my light control switch to the head position; both headlights light up, the right headlight pops up like a charm and stays there, however the left side head light motor keeps running so that the left headlight bounces up and down. It did that on all occasions where I tried the headlights, over the course of the week. I never left it on more than 6-7 seconds, since I didn't want to burn out the retractor motor.

This afternoon, I figured I would try to diagnose the problem. Looking at the wiring diagram I figured that the only part where the left and right headlight rising mechanisms were separated was within the retractor assemblies (containing the motors). I pulled out the left one and later ended up plugging it into the right side feed for testing. It worked perfectly, meaning that the actual retractor assembly is not the problem, right?

What this leaves me with is that the #2 integration relay would be faulty. Or could it be anything else? I am still pretty new to troubleshooting electrics and would like to pinpoint the source before buying new parts.

Thanks a lot!

 

[LoveMySupra]

I think that the motor only runs in one direction so for it to be continuously going up and down there would have to be power supplied to the motor the whole time it's going up and down. Something must control it to only be powered for a second or two while it goes up and then again when it goes down. Inspect the wires, something might be shorting out into the head light wiring since it doesn't stop going up and down while the head lights are turned on.
Edit: A bad relay could do the same thing. Being stuck in the on position.

 

[planemos]

Do your headlights catch on the nose piece (or anything around it) when it retracts? The reason I ask you is my headlight is doing the same thing and my nose cone slighly overlaps my light making the motor have to work hard to actually fully retract the light.