DAD111

New to Corvettes - Not old cars. New to vacuum headlight switch system - Question - what is the little plunger under the dash used for and what is the process to turn/ bring the headlight buckets up?

Mike

henrikse

The plunger is too bring the lights up as long as there is sufficient air stored in tank. If not you can also push them up from underneath. If you cannor reach may have to take grill off. Watch you don't pinch fingers. To put down from underneath there is an elbow on rods that you collapse.

jackson

Suggestion:
Get a copy of a Chevy Corvette Owners Manual for your year. Sometimes originals on fleabay etc. Reprints widely available.

CF supporting vendor Willcox probably has yours for under $20.

DAD111

Come to think of it i do have an owners manual that the wife bought. Didn't think of that one. So i am doing right - Pull the plunger and then pull the light switch out. When i do this the lights did come up as they should. Next question - When switch is pulled/lights up - I hear a vacuum pull/ leak by the switch. Is this right? New switch and vac hoses.

MelWff

Normally you only pull the headlight switch out to raise the buckets and turn on the lights. If you only want to raise the buckets and NOT turn on the lights you pull the plunger.

gbvette62

The pull down vacuum switch under the dash was intended to open the headlights without turning them on. This was so you could clean the lamps, change a bulb, leave them up in snow or ice, so they wouldn't freeze closed, etc. If your headlight switch is working correctly, and your vacuum hoses are properly routed, the headlights should open and close just by using the headlight switch. You should not have to use the under dash switch when turning the lights on.

I haven't driven my Corvette in a while, especially at night, but I can't say that I notice any vacuum noise, when I operate my headlights. There have been issues with the vacuum switches on some of the aftermarket headlight switches though.

Easy Mike

If you can hear a hiss, you have a vacuum leak. One of the hoses on the light switch is disconnected.

Dave J

Did you just replace the headlight switch? If so, are you sure you connected the vacuum hoses properly? If the hoses are reversed, the headlight buckets may not open and you will also have a vacuum leak, sometimes audible like you are experiencing. The vacuum source hose goes to the vacuum port closest to the pull **** on the switch, and the other hose to the port farthest away.

theandies

Your main switch on the dash should raise and turn on your lights. This is the primary way to use the headlights. The plunger switch under the steering column is called the headlamp override switch. If you have a wiper door there should be another override switch under the steering column and also a switch with a big **** on it that rotates. In the event the normal headlamp switch doesn't open the buckets you can use the override switch to open them and the normal switch to turn them on (you can also push up on the arm as stated to get them open). This is true for the wiper door override switch and the big knobbed switch is to stop the wiper arms while they are traveling to change the blades.
You can use the headlamp override switch to clean your lamps and other things suggested but the main purpose of the override switch it to open the buckets in situations such as yours. You should never have to use that switch.
If you are hearing a noise from your main switch it's probably a vacuum leak as suggested above. Unfortunately it's not fun to get to.

28buick

You may need to check the new switch itself as the switch needs to hold vacuum. Some of the new switches are not of the best quality and may to be disasembled and have plastic burrs removed so the the switch properly seals internally.

Rescue Rogers

You should not hear a leak with just the headlight switch.

DAD111

Thanks for all the reply's - Now i understand how it works. Yes it is an aftermarket switch and is a bear to get too. Hope its not a bad one - Will keep you all posted.

Thanks,
Mike