Headlights do/don't pop up and tires.

I'll do this in reverse order, the rear tires on my Miata are Falken
ZIEX 185x60R14s and were on the car when I got it. I can recommend
them for great fun and driving enjoyment as I found during a recent
rain that the wet weather traction is ZERO, ZILCH, NADA! If you enjoy
going down the road trunk first these are the tires to get!

Now on to headlights.

I put on (I don't get into or out of a Miata, I put it on and take it
off!) the '92 a few weeks ago, fired it up and turned on the
headlights. They went on but didn't pop up, I turned them off and on
again, still wouldn't pop up so I used the button on the dash and they
popped up as they should. Turned them off, lowered them with the dash
button and they worked fine next time and continued to work for
probably 6 - 8 weeks until recently the same thing happened. Again,
the dash button got them to pop up and they have worked again so far
but..... last night, when I got home and turned off the headlights, the
right side bounced up and down maybe 3 times before it closed and
stayed closed.

Something's wrong, switch? Headlight mechanism? Any guesses?


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XS11E wrote:
> I'll do this in reverse order, the rear tires on my Miata are Falken
> ZIEX 185x60R14s and were on the car when I got it. I can recommend
> them for great fun and driving enjoyment as I found during a recent
> rain that the wet weather traction is ZERO, ZILCH, NADA! If you enjoy
> going down the road trunk first these are the tires to get!

Yikes, I am about to order some Toyo's soon, and they are not cheap in
16 inch size.

> Now on to headlights.
>
> I put on (I don't get into or out of a Miata, I put it on and take it
> off!) the '92 a few weeks ago, fired it up and turned on the
> headlights. They went on but didn't pop up, I turned them off and on
> again, still wouldn't pop up so I used the button on the dash and they
> popped up as they should. Turned them off, lowered them with the dash
> button and they worked fine next time and continued to work for
> probably 6 - 8 weeks until recently the same thing happened. Again,
> the dash button got them to pop up and they have worked again so far
> but..... last night, when I got home and turned off the headlights, the
> right side bounced up and down maybe 3 times before it closed and
> stayed closed.
>
> Something's wrong, switch? Headlight mechanism? Any guesses?

Have you been parking next to a Fiero? (old joke)

Iva and Leon are the experts in all things pop-up headlight related,
both having performed advanced surgery on the setups. One of them should
be able to suggest something.

My guess is your headlight switch is going out since the dash button
works every time and the headlights light up.

Pat

pws > wrote:

> My guess is your headlight switch is going out since the dash
> button works every time and the headlights light up.

That was my thought until the bouncing right side made me wonder if it
was the switch?

I suppose replacing the switch is the usual procedure, fill trunk with
$20 bills, take to dealer, get back with new switch and empty trunk?





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Pat wrote:
> XS11E wrote:
<snippage>
>> Now on to headlights. I put on (I don't get into or out of a
>> Miata, I put it on and take it off!) the '92 a few weeks ago, fired
>> it up and turned on the headlights. They went on but didn't pop
>> up, I turned them off and on again, still wouldn't pop up so I used
>> the button on the dash and they popped up as they should. Turned
>> them off, lowered them with the dash button and they worked fine
>> next time and continued to work for probably 6 - 8 weeks until
>> recently the same thing happened. Again, the dash button got them
>> to pop up and they have worked again so far but..... last night,
>> when I got home and turned off the headlights, the right side
>> bounced up and down maybe 3 times before it closed and stayed
>> closed.
>>
>> Something's wrong, switch? Headlight mechanism? Any guesses?
>
> Have you been parking next to a Fiero? (old joke)
>
> Iva and Leon are the experts in all things pop-up headlight related,
> both having performed advanced surgery on the setups. One of them
> should be able to suggest something.
>
> My guess is your headlight switch is going out since the dash button
> works every time and the headlights light up.

My first check would be the retractor relay located on the left side
of the engine compartment in the relay bank. In US cars, it's in the
inner row nearest the back. If it's not the relay, then check the
wiring to the headlight motors. Replacing the headlight retractor
switch involves taking the center part of the dash apart since the
switch is located behind the eyeball vents and I'd tackle that job
only as a last resort.

To check the wiring, disconnect the wiring connector at each motor in
turn. Connect the positive voltmeter probe to the Red/yellow wire
terminal and the negative to ground. Turn on the headlight and
retractor switches and check for voltage on the Red/yellow wire. If
you've got voltage, check for continuity between the black/ground
terminal and a body ground. If you've got continuity, you need to
check and/or replace the motor. I'd doubt you've got continuity since
the headlights do retract using the center console retractor switch.


Iva & Vixen
2004 Classic Red
No more winkin' Miata

I wonder what the exact model of your Falkens are because I have a set that
are amazing on wet roads.
Specifically I have the Falken Ziex 512 "H" rated 195/50/15. I doubt that
the width of the tire makes that big of a difference, but perhaps yours are
not the 512's or are not "H" rated. I like these tires and think that they
are an amazing value at under $200 for a set delivered by
discounttiredirect.com. Other quality all seasons would be twice that price
and were not rated as better in all areas. I suppose you could also have
the exact same model but they are bald, over inflated, or your shocks are
shot?!? It is very curious how we could have such different experiences.
When it rains I feel absolutely no loss of confidence with these tires.
They are that good.

"XS11E" > wrote in message
. 184...
> I'll do this in reverse order, the rear tires on my Miata are Falken
> ZIEX 185x60R14s and were on the car when I got it. I can recommend
> them for great fun and driving enjoyment as I found during a recent
> rain that the wet weather traction is ZERO, ZILCH, NADA! If you enjoy
> going down the road trunk first these are the tires to get!
>
> Now on to headlights.
>
> I put on (I don't get into or out of a Miata, I put it on and take it
> off!) the '92 a few weeks ago, fired it up and turned on the
> headlights. They went on but didn't pop up, I turned them off and on
> again, still wouldn't pop up so I used the button on the dash and they
> popped up as they should. Turned them off, lowered them with the dash
> button and they worked fine next time and continued to work for
> probably 6 - 8 weeks until recently the same thing happened. Again,
> the dash button got them to pop up and they have worked again so far
> but..... last night, when I got home and turned off the headlights, the
> right side bounced up and down maybe 3 times before it closed and
> stayed closed.
>
> Something's wrong, switch? Headlight mechanism? Any guesses?
>
>
> --
> XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
> The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html

"Christopher Muto" > wrote:

> I wonder what the exact model of your Falkens are because I have a
> set that are amazing on wet roads.
> Specifically I have the Falken Ziex 512 "H" rated 195/50/15. I
> doubt that the width of the tire makes that big of a difference,
> but perhaps yours are not the 512's or are not "H" rated.

They're "H" rated.

> I like these tires

I do, too! It's fun exiting a corner rear end first in wet weather!




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XS11E > wrote:

>"Christopher Muto" > wrote:
>
>> I wonder what the exact model of your Falkens are because I have a
>> set that are amazing on wet roads.
>> Specifically I have the Falken Ziex 512 "H" rated 195/50/15. I
>> doubt that the width of the tire makes that big of a difference,
>> but perhaps yours are not the 512's or are not "H" rated.
>
>They're "H" rated.
>
>> I like these tires
>
>I do, too! It's fun exiting a corner rear end first in wet weather!

Could the rubber be very old?

Leon
--
Leon van Dommelen Bess, the Miata Bozo, the Miata
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
The only thing better than a white Miata is two white Miatas

pws > wrote:

>Iva and Leon are the experts in all things pop-up headlight related,
>both having performed advanced surgery on the setups.

I defer to Iva's vastly superior knowledge. But I do know what causes
one of the lights not to go up fully. A part that you lost during
a hood-lift installation got eventually stuck in the mechanism.

Leon
--
Leon van Dommelen Bess, the Miata Bozo, the Miata
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
The only thing better than a white Miata is two white Miatas

(Leon van Dommelen) wrote:

> pws > wrote:
>
>>Iva and Leon are the experts in all things pop-up headlight
>>related, both having performed advanced surgery on the setups.
>
> I defer to Iva's vastly superior knowledge. But I do know what
> causes one of the lights not to go up fully. A part that you lost
> during a hood-lift installation got eventually stuck in the
> mechanism.

That's not by problem but I did have something similar that I was able
to cure last week. When I first started the car I got a very bad noise
for just a minute. Then when I backed out of the driveway and put the
car in 1st gear the noise came back for a short time as I began to move
forward. When I looked under the hood I found a piece of a palm tree
frond stuck in the right side fan, it must have somehow blown in during
the really bad storms we had for a couple of days. Removing it fixed
the noise.



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(Leon van Dommelen) wrote:

> XS11E > wrote:
>
>>"Christopher Muto" > wrote:
>>
>>> I wonder what the exact model of your Falkens are because I have
>>> a set that are amazing on wet roads.
>>> Specifically I have the Falken Ziex 512 "H" rated 195/50/15. I
>>> doubt that the width of the tire makes that big of a difference,
>>> but perhaps yours are not the 512's or are not "H" rated.
>>
>>They're "H" rated.
>>
>>> I like these tires
>>
>>I do, too! It's fun exiting a corner rear end first in wet
>>weather!
>
> Could the rubber be very old?

I don't know how old the tires might be, they were on the car when I
got it. They could be anywhere from ???? to February of '05 when I
bought it but the tread looks like there might be almost 50%
remaining...







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