89 s13 Headlights will not go down?

[TX240SX]

I just bought this car and have rebuilt the engine and am trying to fix the only other problem. The headlights will not retract. They will pop up and the lights will turn off and on but they will not go down. I have run a search and have found others with the same problem but no solution. After checking the diagrams and interchanging relays I think I'm down to a bad #4 relay or headlight timer. I'm hoping someone that has had this problem can point me in the right direction. Thanks for the help!

[jrc90240sx]

How do you get them down?Do they go down when you shut off your car? If so here is the dumb fix, press the button on the left side of the steering wheel that controls the lights from going up and down with out turning on.

Or do they stay up all the time? Even when your car is turned off?

I had a problem with only one light that would never go down, unless I disconnected the battery, and used the knob at the top of the head light motor to manually get it down. I had to replace the motor and control assembly to fix it. If so I would buy them from a junkyard and save your self some green.

[TX240SX]

Once they come up they stay up all the time. I would think that if the motor works to go up that it would also go down. Is this not right? If it were one I would think the motor but with both it may be the headlight timer. Thanks for the help.

[RYNO_s13]

I took mine back to the dealer I bought mine from, and I kid you not, he fixed it by hitting the side of the motor assy with a screwdriver. Lots of times, its not the relay or the motor. In my case it was a connection that was just a little loose. Not that randomly abusing your car is going to fix...well... anything, but that was my experience.

[TooSicks]

I've had the same problem, and after replacing a few relays I had found bad the problems stil existed. i took the lighting switch off the column and found that the switch inside the rotating part of the stick was bad. you need to either figure out a way to disassemble it w/o breaking it, or jumper the two wires on the 4 wire connector that control the "down" position. As a quick fix i jumpered it and i use the dash button to actuate the lights, but i'm going to replace it when i find a working salvage yard unit or maybe find one online. but hey, for now it works fine.

[TX240SX]

Good job Too Sick. I took the switch off the column and bridged the 4 prong connector and my lights went down. I have found a guy parting his car that is sending me one for $10. Good luck with yours and thanks alot.

[TooSicks]

No problem, glad it worked for you too. I went through every single component in the system and finally found it there.

[secretsquirrel]

I know this an old string and all but, I have the same problem. I was wondering which wires you guys bridged to get the lights to go down. I don't know if you're still with the forum or not but, if you are, please let me know.