bucket

On my '69 vette, the headlight doors won't open automatically when I turn on the headlights. I must manually open the doors. However, the doors will close by themselves when I shut the lights off.

The windshield wiper door appears to work ok.

Where or how should I look for the most likely cause of the problem?

Mashman

Do they open when you pull the override?

dntoearthman

There a sticky atop this section, also a lot of forums you can search

Easy Mike

Sounds like you need a light switch.

bucket

No. I have to open them manually. I then use the override to keep them open.

bucket

Please help me out here. Which light switch are you referring to, and exactly why do you think I might need one?

Easy Mike

70-72 shown; 68-69 are similar.

The actual headlight switch in the dash has two vacuum ports on the rear of it. When you pull the switch to turn on the lights, a vacuum signal is sent to the headlight vaccum relays to open the headlight doors. When you turn off the lights, a vacuum signal is sent to close the doors. You could have a bad headlight switch or one of the vacuum hoes might be disconnected. Can you hear a vacuum leak in the area of the light switch?

The headlight override beneath the steering column works the same way. It sends a vacuum signal to riase and lower the doors. The vacuum reserve tank on the rear of the left fender skirt will hold enough vacuum to let you open and close the headlight doors a time or two with the engine off.

Operation of the lights is 100% electric. Opening and closing the headlight doors and the wiper door is 100% vacuum.

Willcox has a pretty good troubleshooting guide.
http://willcoxcorvette.com/repairand...e48b81cc958815

Chromie69

Wow I feel your pain..I had problems with my car also when I got it..my biggest wall I hit was I didn't know about the early and late 69 cars..they are different although minor..if you know your build date then that should get you to the right diagram to check the vacuum system..mine is a Dec 7 69..which really makes it a 70..if you have an early 69 then the car will be like a 68 -69 early..I think the sticky has both..default for the headlights is up..so for some reason the vacuum is not being released to allow them to go up..it applies vacuum to pull the headlights down so that side is working..I guess its a good thing that at least you don't have a leak! I am sure you have seen the peek aboo headlights that come up a little after you shut the car off..that's a leak..basically the switch is a leak as well as the bypass switch ..just controlled..so to find out why I would pull the vacuum line off the bypass switch with the car running..it should hiss..and hopefully the headlights go up..if they do go up then you know the problem is from the bypass upstream..ie switch..check the sticky for a diagram and it will make sense..don't think about it too much cause it will drive you crazy!

volition

It is very common for the seals on the actuators to fail. This causes the headlights to close by vacuum but not open.

You can test this by using a handheld vacuum pump on the actuator ports. If you don't have a vacuum pump, you can take the vacuum hose off, raise the headlight then plug the hole with your finger. If air hisses out anywhere you've found your leak.

If applying vacuum to the actuator does not open the headlights, check out Wilcox's website for the repair kit that contains the new seals.

C3batmobile

but - the last 2 entries above might help me with a sudden 'new' issue I'm having.

My headlights have worked fine all along - until I replaced my headlight switch. Now they stay down. My interior pull-down switch has always been broken, but since the lights worked and I knew I could open them manually if I needed to change sealed beams, I didn't get a new pull-down.

I have double-checked the hoses to the new headlights switch, I have the blue-striped hose on the forward port. How likely is it that I got a 'bad' new switch ???

Otherwise, I have to believe that I have an actuator or check-valve issue that just happened to occur when I replaced the headlight switch. Or could there be another explanation?

I damaged the broken pull-down switch trying to troubleshoot this issue, so I will now get a new one - but for now this damage caused a pressure leak that does bring my lights up - and I can close this leak withg my hand to pull them down, then shut-off the ignition.

I'm reading all the troubleshooting threads - and other resources, but my problem of the lights not coming-up, suddenly, means that I don't have a vacuum leak - and inducing a leak at the broken pull-down switch causing the lights to open with the motor running means most of the system components work -

So, since this issue started coincidentally with replacing the headlight switch, I'm afraid the problem is in that switch - but I hate to ship things back to Florida as much as I hate opening-up my driver's lower dash area again - after just putting it all back together after re-dyeing everything.

Does any of this give anyone any ideas that might save me - and others - the trouble of removing a brand-new headlights switch ???

Could my system have been working properly due to a defect in the old switch? - and now that is 'fixed' by the new switch, so this problem of the lights not coming-up could be due to some problem in the system that was masked by a defective headlight switch, which compensated for the system defect somehow?

I suppose I am thinking out loud - maybe I should look for threads where I might be able to contribute to other folks' issues for a bit.... I think In have learned a few things lately...........

Thanks again (for 'listening').......

Thanks in advance.....

RobRace10

You for sure can have a bad new switch. I put a brand new one in my car and it was junk, the vacuum switch portion was no good, it leaked like a sieve. I believe there are two different suppliers, one is junk, the other is much better. As I recall I had to buy one that was sold as a GM replacement not just a generic brand.

If you have a hand mityvac type hand pump, that is the best way to tell if the switch is bad or for testing any of the components. Best investment I ever made in fixing my system.

C3batmobile

Sure enough - I had a bad new switch from Eckler's. I bought the $5 cheaper one ('lectric limited) with supposed improvement for newer headlight designs.

Eckler's sent me the GM replacement one with a $5 discount, but the shipping on each of these was $12 ($24 total so far). Now I have to ship the bad one back in order to get credited for the original $35 part cost.

So my new, albeit functioning, headlight switch will have cost me $70 total instead of $35 plus $12 shipping.

I wish Ecklers would give me $35 in credit for all of this.

So, go the 'extra' $5 for the 'GM replacement' headlight switch if you are replacing that part anytime soon - at least for your '69 shark.

bhk2

This might not apply to your situation, but I noticed my left headlamp was stuck--wouldn't come up. Upon closer inspection, it was binding on the front deck (?) evidenced by some paint abrasion. Will have to figure out how to keep the uniform gap around the headlamp door secure.

Horejsi

My headlights worked fine but the hoses were rotted and hard so I replaced them 1 by one. I also didn't have a vacuum tank so I installed one, my wipers don't work at all. I replaced the hoses and I was having a issue with my interior lights staying intermitantly on also, I couldn't find anyway to check the electrical portion on the switch so I replaced the headlight switch. Now my headlights will not go up or down and my interior lights stay on all the time. I manually put my lights up, drove it today, 1 light went down the other stayed up. I tried to activate them open by turning the lights on but nothing happened, one stayed up the other down. I bought the switch off ebay and I'm wondering if I got a bad switch? I have also replaced the door switches with new ones - bought them from Wilcox and also bought the little connectors for the door switches and replaced them. The switch was pretty cheap like $30.00 do you think the headlight switch could be bad? I don't think there is any short on the lights but the switch doesn't feel like I think it should when I turn it left or right just don't feel like it locks correctly all the way left. Is there any way to check a switch electrically to see if the courtesy lights are always hot from the switch? Any one have any ideas?

Easy Mike

Each pivot has a collar to determine the left and right side gaps. Loosen the collars, square the headlight door in the opening; tighten the collars.

68 shown; yours will be similar. Callout #6.