Joined: Fri Apr 21 2006, 06:23PM
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1
Have a 72 Fury with the hidden headlights. The headlight motor opens fine, but when it closes, it doesn't stop- it keeps cranking down on the headlight doors to the point where they crack. I turn the manual knob on the motor to relieve the pressure on the doors, but as soon as the key is turned on, it cranks right back down on them. The factory service manual describes how to repair the 'limiter switches' which sound like they are in the motor housing. The text makes reference to some diagrams, but they aren't actually in the book. So, does anyone have either a good motor, a diagram that shows what I'm getting into before I tear it apart, or prior experience repairing these motors? Am I even on the right track? Thanks, -Andrew W.
Joined: Tue Oct 11 2005, 01:33AM
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 5893
I took a couple apart and as it turned out each used different internal switch mechanisms. Send me an email (my address is public) and I send you a bunch of photos I took when they were apart.
Joined: Thu Oct 13 2005, 02:28AM
Location: Germany
Posts: 318
The limiter or stop switch is nothing more than a couple of brass prongs that reside in the round gear housing (that's the one with the square opening in the middle for the rod that actually moves the doors).
most probably these contact fins (prongs) are dirty and/or are bent so they don't connect/disconnet poperly anymore.
Remove the motor and open the housing. By cleaning and bending the prongs you should be able to return he unit to working condition again.
Joined: Mon Oct 31 2005, 12:48PM
Location: Bakersfield, California
Posts: 1755
A buddy of mine with a Charger had the same problem. It turned out to be the relay under the dash and not the motor at all. Once he changed that relay the problem was gone.
Joined: Thu Oct 13 2005, 02:28AM
Location: Germany
Posts: 318
Replacing only a relay would of course be much less hassle. But from the description of the symptom I doubt that the relay is faulty. All it does is give power to either connector of the door motor if ignition is on and the lights are (turned) on or off. So if the ignition is off and the doors don't work (but work once ign. is on) the relay seems fine to me.
I think this picture in the 1973 body manual (found at www.imperialclub.com) might help you in readjusting the switch in the gear housing.