Help! many problems

[the legend]

I bought this 1982 corvette a few weeks back, overall cond. great for its age, but have a few problems besides the brakes previously mentioned. 1) engine idles rough and almost stalls, idleing at abought 600 in gear. 2)A few times engine has ran away to higher rpms almost imposible to stop. if turn off and restart usually solves problem temp. 3) Headlights were comeing up DS first then PS half way, after reading other threads determined seals were probably bad,ordered and replaced ,solved that prob. only to go to next prob. Now headlights come up only one at a time doesnt seem to be vac. leak. My last vette (1980)headlights opened and closed together. 4)power steering after warmup will have a howling noise (similiar to a wolf) comeing from it when you turn to the right but not the left. Has me believing that it might be in cylinder, any suggestions? Thanks

 

[bill81vette]

1) The throttle bodies may be dirty/out of sync
My '81 the headlites do the same thing!!! they come up one at a time and go down the same way WITH new seals!!! they work ,I live with it!!!!

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Randomly changing parts in the headlight system rarely fixes the problem. Get a troubleshooting guide and go through the system component by component.

 

[the legend]

Randomly changing parts in the headlight system rarely fixes the problem. Get a troubleshooting guide and go through the system component by component.

I never randomly change parts on anything without inspection or tests, actuator seal on PS was split this is why I changed it and might as well do both while I'm at it. (after all they are pretty old) Only asking, to see if maybe there is a reoccuring item that you guys know about that might have been the first thing to check before I started the system check. Thanks.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Aside from a cursory visual inspection for the obvious, it's not even worth opening the hood without a proper troubleshooting guide in hand, and a basic understanding of how the system works. Any one component with a slight fault will disable the entire system, similar to an electrical system with a open circuit. Unlike typical car wiring, unfortunately everything on a C3 vacuum system is on the same circuit so everything works or nothing works.

Most often, and as you've already discovered, there is more than just one fault. Which component? Your guess is as good as mine.

 

[6880 Mike]

...headlights come up only one at a time...

Vacuum relay. If you have two, sounds like the passenger side needs some R&R.