1995 Pontiac Firebird troubles with the driver's side headlight

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1995 PONTIAC FIREBIRD
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
80,000 MILES

1995 Pontiac Firebird mileage: 80,000. I have constantly had troubles with the driver's side headlight of my car. It recesses just fine, but after it has recessed fully, a very loud noise starts and lasts for about fifteen seconds. It sounds like it might be a motor noise. I have taken it into the dealer to be repaired once and they said it was the actuator, I believe. I have also heard from others that have Pontiacs with recessing headlights that they have had similar troubles. Have you heard of this before, and do you know if it can be fixed by someone who isn't a mechanic? If this is a problem with the car that is going to keep occurring, I would like to fix it myself instead of paying the dealer $250.00 to $300.00 every time to fix it.

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There is a gear in the motor for the headlight doors that strips out which would cause the problem you described. There may be a kit available that will have the replaced gear in it. Check with your local Pontiac dealer. A Mitchell, Chilton, Haynes, dealer auto repair manual or a specialty repair book for your make of car will have step-by-step instructions so you can judge for yourself the difficulty based on your level of experience.