Okay this is the story. Before I replaced all vacuum hoses in my system my left headlight would come up all the way slowly but go right down when I turned off my lights. The right headlight would start to come a bit and then stop. If I coaxed it alittle by slightly pulling on it, it would come up the rest of the way and lock open. When I turned off my lights it would stay open until I pulled up on it ever so slightly and then it would go right down. I purchased an overhaul kit from Zip and replaced the filter, check valve and all the hoses in the system. Now when I turn on my lights both start to come up a little and then stop unless I pulled them up by hand. Now neither one goes down when I turn off the lights, and yes the override switch is in the right position. What I find now is, if I clamp the yellow supply line to the relay on the left side the right one comes right up and goes right down like it's supposed to. If I clamp the yellow line on the right side, the left side works fine. Another thing I found was that if I pull up on one headlight the other one goes down and I can hear air escaping. My question is this, is it the actuator seals that are bad or are the relays bad? I'm guessing it's the seals in the actuators because when I clamp one off one side the other one works fine which leads me to believe that the relay is working, or am I wrong? Anybody have any suggestions? Sorry for the long post, it's been a long day with this project.

 

It sounds like relays. If it was the actuators each light wouldn't work one way or the other.

Chris

 

If one side works right when both lines to the other are blocked, then there is a problem in the blocked off actuator. I would confirm by blocking the side that works and see how well the formerly blocked side works.

With a few tees you can also check your actuators by simply applying supply vacuum to the up or down side of the actuators, bypassing all of the control and relay functions. You can check them indivually or together.

 

That's just it, if I clamp the vacuum supply off to left side relay, the right side headlight works fine. Then if I clamp off the vacuum supply to the right side relay, the left side headlight works fine.

 

It sounds like slow leaks on both sides. clamp off one side or the other reduces the leaks and will allow one to work. I would bet on the actuator seals or the relays leaking through to the exhuast port where the filters are located. Try this, get some vac tubing, unhook the lines that connect to the reservoir and connect lines direct from the reservoir to the front connections on the actuators. You will also have to remove thetubing from the rear of the actuators. If they work now the actuators are ok and it is probably in the relays. If you have a hand vac pump you could also connect to each actuator and test them for leak down.

 

Have you checked the seals in the actuators. Maybe there is a small leak or tear in them. I think it may be relays but doesn't hurt to check the actuators too.

 

Well I took the relays out of the loop and went direct to the tank with the front actuator hoses and the headlights didn't budge, so I hooked it back up the way it supposed to be and the lights go up and down if I clamp off one side or the other just like before. So I guess the relays are working and the acuators seals are bad more than likely. So it looks like I'll be pulling the actuators out and replacing the seals in them. If that doesn't solve the problems then the only thing left is the relays and then they have to work, everything else in the system is new.

 

And this article might help walk you through the job.

http://www.corvettemagazine.com/2002...s/lights-1.asp

Steve

 

Yep, got it and printed it out, thanks Steve. It doesn't look like it's too bad of a job. It seems that getting the actuators out are the hardest part. Luckily the rebuild kit from Zip came with 2 new seals.

 

sounds like you had the same problem i had, i ended up changing the actuator seal on one unit , the other one i had to change the whole thing because it had been bubbaized, not repairable. any way it fixed the problem, head lights work great now and fast. and the acutators have to come out the bottom, and the drivers side i had to remove the horns to get that one out. good luck,