headlight leveler actuator

Logan

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Couldn't find anything on this issue specifically. I had some ticking coming from the engine bay and tracked it down to the passenger headlight assembly. After feeling around in there it was apparently coming from the far right assembly dome (at least from what I could tell). I unplugged it, looked it over, nothing. Turn the lights on and the ticking commenced. Took the car into the dealer for dash replacement today and I was just told it is the headlight leveling servo that keeps firing and its toast. First question, has anyone heard of this issue? Second question can it be repaired or cut out and replaced? Replacing my modified assembly will be painful to say the least.
 
I've never heard of it, did you try adjusting the level using the manual knob that's on the headlight? Maybe the servo isn't toast, maybe it can't catch a thread or something. Instead of replacing the headlight, why not just the servo?

---------- Post added at 07:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:09 PM ----------

wait the servo is on the outside of the headlight housing as a separate piece, this is an easy fix...

OEM-03-08-Infiniti-FX35-FX45-Xenon-Headlight-WIRING-HARNESS-AIMING-MOTOR-BULB-231085069482.jpg
 

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That's a good idea, when I get it back tomorrow I'll get back in there and check it out now that I know what it is. Really, I never adjust the headlight levels anyway, if it can't be fixed and I could disable the servo I'd do it and be done with it for now.

---------- Post added at 04:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:13 PM ----------

Is the translucent white little button on the bottom unit in the photo the push piece that handles the Up/down you think? Much better to purchase and add this back in than replace the entire unit.
 
Yup, that's the piece that I think needs a philips screwdriver to adjust. Try that out and let me know. You can probably just disable it to see if that's exactly what's making the noise. Its weird this would start now especially when it only works when you adjust it. Plus how much use can a servo like this get.
 
Picked the FX up Saturday (dash took longer than expected), and the headlight servo issue is now gone.........both service manager and tech had left for the day and no one had an answer for me so I'll be speaking with them tomorrow to see what the deal is.
 
=D That's great isn't it? I mean it would be great to know what caused it..maybe the car was in agony from the old dash and with the new one, its happy now :P

So I found the headlight and that servo comes out like a bulb. You have to remove the neighboring bulb holder out then twist and pull the servo out. It is attached to the inner projector though some kind of clip mechanism. If you were to remove the servo entirely, the projector would flop around. So that explains how the projector stabilizes over bumps.

Hopefully the issue is gone, would be a pain to mess around with the tight space behind the lights.
 
Looks like you hit a hard Seattle Pot Hole. How many servos are there in the headlight that control movement? I wonder if the servo attached to the up and down movement was popped out of place?
 
For the first Gen, the headlight only has one servo that controls the vertical adjustment. When I looked at how it attaches, it looks pretty solid, might be hard to pop out but a possibility?

Sent from my SGH-I747
 
For the first Gen, the headlight only has one servo that controls the vertical adjustment. When I looked at how it attaches, it looks pretty solid, might be hard to pop out but a possibility?

Sent from my SGH-I747

Anything is possible. Really curious what the dealer did to fix the problem, as I usually don't trust them!
 
True, I'd be curious to know that f they did even touch anything on the headlight. The only thing I can think of that would make a servo make noise is if there was something preventing it from moving in the position it's being told to go. So maybe a wire inside the housing moved between the projector and headlight housing...

Sent from my SGH-I747
 
Sorry for late chime in, but I had the exactly same issue, ticking noise, which turned out to be a loose board inside the servo that connects two pieces inside together, enabling the leveling motor to move the light up and down, it basically popped out and the teeth were not catching on.

All it took was to just open the housing for the servo, the piece that goes in the light from the back, readjust the board and snap it back on, move the light up and down a couple of times and problem fixed.

I actually was driving with it like that for a year being too lazy to fiddle with it. Mine was on a driver's side, so there is barely any room to work with compared to the passenger.

So in your case, it wether somehow got back in place, or completely separated inside. Only way to tell is if your lights go up and down together or if one remains stuck.
 
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