Headlight level adjust not working

Before I start throwing new parts at this, thought I'd ask the group. 

New to me 2003 JB33 Jimny

Spinning the headlight adjuster/rotary wheel 0-1-2-3-4 does not move the headlights. Is it simple as needing a new switch? Or both motors on the back of the headlights have died. I do not hear any mechanical noise from them when I spin the switch (standing outside the car with the bonnet up).

I pulled with switch out and opened it up. Not much to "clean" inside as far are corroded parts. Popped it back in, still nothing. 

Is it possible the previous owner disengaged somewhere as it has a 40mm lift, maybe not wanting to dazzle drivers. Have tracked the wiring from the back of the switch... looks good. Same as back of both headlights... wiring all looks good. 

 

 
 

Maybe get a test meter & verify power - all we can do from a distance is guess.

Blown fuse?

The common fault is the motor in the headlamp has rusted solid

fordem wrote:

Maybe get a test meter & verify power - all we can do from a distance is guess.
 

Understood, was really probing for any known solves or watch-outs. 

mlines wrote:

The common fault is the motor in the headlamp has rusted solid

Thank you... I'll pull one and see if I can open it up, have a look inside.

Soeley wrote:

Blown fuse?

From what I can tell, the whole lamp (headlight, signal, running light, leveling motor) are all on one fuse. It does not have an independent fuse for just the leveling motor.

They are actually a little position servo, like in an RC aeroplane etc.
The roller on the dash is a potentiometer that sets a voltage, and the headlamp motor winds a leadscrew in or out until the potentiometer attached to the light gives the same voltage. After a few years, dirt/wear on the potentiometer track at the headlight end causes it to continually hunt back & forth with a sort of high pitched zzzzzzz noise that will drive you nuts trying to find it, but a slight tweak of the roller on the dash will sort it.

They run continually with the ignition IIRC, which is why the noise is so annoying & hard to find, as the lights aren't necessarily on so you don't think it is them.

The whole light doesn't move, just the reflector inside it.

Anyway, as Martin said, could be seized motors, or sometimes the leadscrew gets disconnected inside the headlight and the motor runs straight to one end of its travel and stops trying to get the voltages to match.

PDX-ORE wrote:

Soeley wrote:

Blown fuse?

From what I can tell, the whole lamp (headlight, signal, running light, leveling motor) are all on one fuse. It does not have an independent fuse for just the leveling motor.

I don't know where you're getting this idea from, but it's incorrect, headlights are on two fuses (left & right are fused separately), turn signals are on a different fuse, running lights on another fuse - I've never looked to see where the level motor gets it's power from, but, we're upto a count of four fuses so far, not just one.

I took a quick look at the diagrams - headlight levelling gets power from the wiper/washer fuse ...

fordem wrote:

I took a quick look at the diagrams - headlight levelling gets power from the wiper/washer fuse ...

Interesting. The wipers/washer systems are working fine. But great to know! 

I do not have the Service/Workshop manual yet, so need to get my hand on one. Was assuming the beams/turns were on the same fuse as my box-lid does not label them individually.

Appreciated!

fordem wrote:

I took a quick look at the diagrams - headlight levelling gets power from the wiper/washer fuse ...
 

That explains why mine made that noise whenever the ignition was on.