Headlight Won't Go Down
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
From: Laquey Missouri
Headlight Won't Go Down
Have a 76Vett, pulled into the garage a few days ago and, being in a hurry, I shut the car off before the headlights went down. I never thought anything about it but this evening I pulled it out for a drive and now the headlights won't go down. What do I have to do now?
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
check under the steering wheel first and make sure you didn't pull the over-ride switch down. (switch D below) This will lock them in the up position if it is pulled down.
If you didn't, then you probably have a line off the small hose side of the system. Translation, go to the relay and see if you have vacuum on the small hoses. (Check the small hose at point L in red below)
If you do have vacuum then you may have a part failure somewhere. If you don't go looking for the cause.
If you don't go to the over-ride again, L.. and pull off the hose H and see if you have vacuum there...
The default position on the headlamp relay is the make the lamps come open when there is a failure in the control side hose.
Willcox
If you didn't, then you probably have a line off the small hose side of the system. Translation, go to the relay and see if you have vacuum on the small hoses. (Check the small hose at point L in red below)
If you do have vacuum then you may have a part failure somewhere. If you don't go looking for the cause.
If you don't go to the over-ride again, L.. and pull off the hose H and see if you have vacuum there...
The default position on the headlamp relay is the make the lamps come open when there is a failure in the control side hose.
Willcox
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Aug 25, 2012 at 07:25 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,886
Likes: 9
Just joking. The headlight actuation system is designed to fail open, so that you can use your lights. You probably developed a vacuum leak somewhere. Put your detective hat on, and check it out, one thing at a time. If both sides failed at the same time, look at the common hoses and controls.
Good luck.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
$300 to get the car into the shop just to have someone look at it.
$300 for someone looking at it. Someone #1 might have to call upon the expertise of a Someone #2.
$300 for Someone #2 looking at it. Someone #3 is likely to show up at this point and offer free advice. Do not let them charge you for this.
$150 for Someone #2 to confer with Someone #1.
$150 for Someone #1 to actually offer a resolution to the problem.
$300 to resolve the problem.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski