I have the same problem. Sometimes the eyes open and close and sometimes they just stay closed. Both heads had problems when I bought it recently. One had a burnt coil and the other a broken linkage. After seeing what was involved in removing both heads, I ordered the necessary parts to totally rebuild them. I did not want to have to play with them again. I replaced all coils, linkage, and springs. About $120 in parts for both. I figured that it was good insurance. So, the problem is not in the heads themselves. While in the test mode, and the eyes did not open, I grounded the drive transistor and the eyes opened. Now I am thinking that it is a software communication error. So, I had a friend burn me a new rom which also gave me the latest version. Not it. I replaced the ribbon cable that connects the CPU and Driver board. Not it. My next step is to replace the drive transistor as it may not be switching all the way on or off. Any opinions on possible solutions or theories are appreciated. Am I making any sense? Just letting you know what I have checked so far.