Need headlight help
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 445
Likes: 2
From: Thomastown Mississippi
Need headlight help
'77 Vette. I'm trying to get my headlights working properly. So far I have replaced the two relays up front, both actuators, and vacuum hoses. Now the headlights open and close fine. When I pull the switch out, the drivers side light pops open, then the passenger. When I push the switch in, the drivers side closes, then the passenger side. Here's the problem, after I push the switch in and they both close, I shut the engine off, and the drivers side opens back up. 
Not just a little bit. It actually opens all the way and locks in position. I've tried adjusting the little 1/4 20 stop screw underneath, but it hasn't helped. The only things I havn't replaced are the two vacuum relays coming out of the firewall and the headlight switch itself. I'm leaning toward those two relays and praying it's not the light switch itself. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated as I'm out of ideas and wondering if I'm missing something simple. Thanks,
Kenny
Not just a little bit. It actually opens all the way and locks in position. I've tried adjusting the little 1/4 20 stop screw underneath, but it hasn't helped. The only things I havn't replaced are the two vacuum relays coming out of the firewall and the headlight switch itself. I'm leaning toward those two relays and praying it's not the light switch itself. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated as I'm out of ideas and wondering if I'm missing something simple. Thanks,Kenny
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 445
Likes: 2
From: Thomastown Mississippi
OK, I squeezed the hose from the two relays up front that goes into the firewall, not into a check valve, with the engine running, and both lights open.
Then I squeezed the hose going from the tank up front to the two check valves at the firewall, shut the engine off, and both lights open in locked position.
The hoses at the check valves at the firewall may be connected wrong. I need to look at a diagram.
The only way I can get it to work correctly is if I turn the light switch off with the engine running, let the drivers side close, then shut the motor off when the passenger side is almost closed. After the motor stops, the drivers side will burp and raise up about two inches, then it stays closed. If I turn the lights off and let the motor keep running for any length of time, then shut it off, that's when the light pops back up. Does that tell you anything? When I said in my original post that the only thing I hadn't replaced was the relays, I meant to say the vacuum check valves at the firewall. The relays up front between the actuators are brand new, as well as the actuators.
KC
Then I squeezed the hose going from the tank up front to the two check valves at the firewall, shut the engine off, and both lights open in locked position.
The hoses at the check valves at the firewall may be connected wrong. I need to look at a diagram.
The only way I can get it to work correctly is if I turn the light switch off with the engine running, let the drivers side close, then shut the motor off when the passenger side is almost closed. After the motor stops, the drivers side will burp and raise up about two inches, then it stays closed. If I turn the lights off and let the motor keep running for any length of time, then shut it off, that's when the light pops back up. Does that tell you anything? When I said in my original post that the only thing I hadn't replaced was the relays, I meant to say the vacuum check valves at the firewall. The relays up front between the actuators are brand new, as well as the actuators.
KC
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
If you pinched off the small white hose going to the relays at the front with the engine running and the headlights popped up then one or both of your relays is leaking.
Last edited by ...Roger...; Aug 24, 2008 at 08:51 PM.
