Lazy Headlights???
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by dwncchs
Vacumn leaks
Wish there was better news. Though my car _did_ have a lazy headlamp when I bought it. I don't think it was driven at night much ever, before I got it. By the time I'd had the car six months, the lazy headlight was working fine and it has now for five years. Maybe the retrator motors get stale from non use and they stick?
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 22
From: Yooperville MI
Since they work (kind of) one or both of the actuators might have a vacuum leak. If you have a hand vacuum pump, connect the pump hose to the vacuum port on the bottom of the headlight actuator (the bottom port opens the headlamps, the top port closes the headlamp) and see if you can pump each headlamp open manually. If nothing happens you can try replacing the seal on the actuator shaft, costs about $10 at the Vette parts distributors. A lot cheaper than buying new actuators. Just be carefull disassembling the retainer that holds the seal in place, the tabs that are bent over are fragile. Good luck.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 281
Likes: 0
From: Brookfield IL
Following up with ahoover's advice-- if the actuators hand pump ok, then move to the actuator relay(s). Remove the top hose and plug it off. Use the hand pump to pull vacuum on the top hose connection-- this is the "control" part of the relay and it should pull and hold vacuum. If not-- the diaphragm is bad.
If that's ok, then start the car. Now by pulling/removing vacuum with the hand pump the headlights should go up and down. By default the headlights will open. When you apply vacuum to the control port of the relay-- the headlights will close. If they still operate slow-- you might have a big vacuum leak somewhere and the operating part of the system just doesn't have a lot of vacuum so things move slowly.
With a hand pump (especially one with a built in gauge) you can quickly check all of the actuators and actuator relays. At least on my car, the wiper door and climate control are also vacuum controlled, and can be other sources of leaks.
Also if you have a racing style cam that doesn't produce much vacuum to start with and maybe have a small few vacuum leaks-- that kind of combination could make everything operate slowly as well because the vacuum system never really builds up a good vacuum.
If that's ok, then start the car. Now by pulling/removing vacuum with the hand pump the headlights should go up and down. By default the headlights will open. When you apply vacuum to the control port of the relay-- the headlights will close. If they still operate slow-- you might have a big vacuum leak somewhere and the operating part of the system just doesn't have a lot of vacuum so things move slowly.
With a hand pump (especially one with a built in gauge) you can quickly check all of the actuators and actuator relays. At least on my car, the wiper door and climate control are also vacuum controlled, and can be other sources of leaks.
Also if you have a racing style cam that doesn't produce much vacuum to start with and maybe have a small few vacuum leaks-- that kind of combination could make everything operate slowly as well because the vacuum system never really builds up a good vacuum.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,601
Likes: 0
From: BETHEL PARK PENNSYLVANIA
Originally Posted by 5day
Does the engine idle rough, mine did and it was due to vacumn leaks in the headlight and wiper system. Cylinder number eight was lean as the manifold vac came from that location.
THANKS FOR ALL THE INPUT, JUST PICKED UP THE CAR TODAY AND WILL DIG IN AND SEE WHAT I FIND.
THANKS GUYS
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,095
Likes: 299
From: Midlothian VA
You don't need a pump to test the headlight actuators.
Simply unplug both vac lines from the actuator.
Now, cover the one of the vac connections on the actuator with your finger so no air can pass and push/pull the headlamp assm up/down by hand. If the headlamp moves up and down easily then you have a major leak. If the headlamp assm cannot be moved then the actuator is holding air/vac. If you can move it slowly up/down then it simply has a small leak. If it's leaking then it's most likely, the actuator boot (@6$) that needs to be replaced (easy job). Perform this test on both vac connections on each of the actuators.
You could also be leaking at the valves between the headlights.
Simply unplug both vac lines from the actuator.
Now, cover the one of the vac connections on the actuator with your finger so no air can pass and push/pull the headlamp assm up/down by hand. If the headlamp moves up and down easily then you have a major leak. If the headlamp assm cannot be moved then the actuator is holding air/vac. If you can move it slowly up/down then it simply has a small leak. If it's leaking then it's most likely, the actuator boot (@6$) that needs to be replaced (easy job). Perform this test on both vac connections on each of the actuators.
You could also be leaking at the valves between the headlights.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
www.corvette-101.com
This website has some pretty good troubleshooting ideas that can help you find your leak if it is in your headlight vaccum system. Look in the menu on the left for Vaccum Trouble.
This website has some pretty good troubleshooting ideas that can help you find your leak if it is in your headlight vaccum system. Look in the menu on the left for Vaccum Trouble.
