Self Leveling Headlight Stuck

[A-lex]

I jump started my 04 LS430 and heard a pop but everything seems well and working. Nothing wrong shows on the instrument panel. But by night when the lights came on, i motived that the driver side head lamp was aimed too low and the the driver side at usual level. When starting the car and turning the lights on, only the passenger side lamp moves up and down then levels off. The drivers remains steady. Has anybody experienced the same? What's busted?Any recommendations? Please help

[curiousB]

sounds like the bulb leveling mechanism in the headlight. Maybe you get lucky and find its just a dirty connector. Get some contact cleaner spray pull apart the connector and shoot both sides and replug it together. No guarantee but its the cheapest thing to try first. The ECU and axle height sensors seem ok because the one side works.

[cduluk]

I concur with curiousB above; there must be something wrong with the leveling motor itself on that headlight. If it was as simple as a loose connector, you'd see a little error light on the dash.

Luckily, the leveling motor is easy to get to. It's external, on the back of the headlight. You'd need to remove the headlight from the car, remove the motor, disconnect the headlight projector itself from the piston of the motor, re-attach the piston of the new motor to the projector, and attach the motor to the headlight, and plug it in.

Here's a diagram showing the motor on the back of the headlight. I have many, many of these exact spare leveling motors (from doing customization on my Lexus' headlights) if you'd like one; i can send you one!