Need headlight help

[magicharley]

Ok guys, I need your help again. My headlights were working fine except they would raise kinda slow...I was told its because of the beefed up cam. then tonight, I turned them on and waited and.....nothing. The lights were working but they didnt raise. I gently pulled them up into place and they stayed there. I came home and turned them off but they didnt lower...The passenger side will go down if I push on it but the drivers side will not go down. I looked under the hood and it looks like someone put in new vacuum relays in the car but the actuators look old. It has all new vacuum lines. Is there a trouble shooting chart anywhere online that I can get.
Thanks for your help!
Doug

 

[petes74ttop]

Don't push them down!

Hi magicaharey, it sounds like the "O" rings in the relays are dry and maybe a little worn. Try a few drops of oil in each of the 4 relay hose connections, that will or might fix it for a while.
You can push the headlights up from the bottom but don't try to push them down.
Here's a link to basic trouble shooting. PG.
http://www.corvette-101.com/vacuum.htm

 

[magicharley]

Thanks Pete! I will give it a shot. I would still like a diagram of how the system works if anyone has one. I am not sure that the guy that had the car before me put things back like they should be.

 

[magicharley]

Ok, I took the relays out and as I thought they are new and working great. Tested with a vacuum pump. I then took the vacuum line off that goes to the relays and applied vacuum and was able to get them to go up and down so that system is ok. I am not getting the vacuum to the relays no matter where the light switch is...I followed the line up to the firewall and came inside to write this for more help....Its damn hot out there!!!
Is there something under the dash I should check? I assume there is. Maybe a line popped off? Also I noticed very poor vacuum on the main line going to the can. I temp. dissconnected the vacuum line going to the brake booster and put into my headlight system..WOW it works really fast now(when done manually by hand held vacuum pump)..Can I put a tee in the line going to the brake booster for my lights?
I dont have any diagrams on this car and I want to put it back the right way. The way it deserves to be put back. The guy that had this car before me has hacked it up pretty bad. Got alot of wiring problems as well but I will get to those later. I know I should buy a book and I will, its just that sometimes people know better or can explain better than the books, and..thats what these forums are for anyway...Right?

 

[magicharley]

Pete, just went to the link you sent me in this post, thanks thats what I needed...Still want to know about teeing into the brake booster though...

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

The last thing you would want to do is start putting in Bubba connections that may compromise your brakes.

Find out why there is insufficient vacuum at the stock connector and fix that. There's plenty of on line guides for the headlight system, have a quick search in the archives here.

 

[magicharley]

Well, Its the main vacuum going to the can. It works if I use the vacuum off of the brake booster. I started to check why I lost my vacuum in the first place but it doesnt just go to the manifold like in the drawing you sent me Pete, It goes to the manifold..teed to the transmission, teed to the cruise, teed to somewhere behind the firewall...and so on. I guess I am just going to have to break down and get me a book.. needed one anyway.

Vettehead Mikey, I never said I was going to tee into the brake booster (bubba fix) Just wanted to know why I couldnt. What could happen? Lose vacuum somehow and have maual brakes?
As I said before, I want to put it back the right way! Someone else has already made plenty of (bubba connections)

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Vettehead Mikey, I never said I was going to tee into the brake booster (bubba fix) Just wanted to know why I couldnt. What could happen? Lose vacuum somehow and have maual brakes?

You would have LESS than manual brakes. A power brake master cylinder has a larger diameter piston than a manual. As a result, the pedal pressure required when the vacuum or booster fails is considerably higher.

Not much fun if you're not expecting or prepared for it.

 

[KANE]

Ok, I took the relays out and as I thought they are new and working great. Tested with a vacuum pump. I then took the vacuum line off that goes to the relays and applied vacuum and was able to get them to go up and down so that system is ok. I am not getting the vacuum to the relays no matter where the light switch is...I followed the line up to the firewall and came inside to write this for more help....Its damn hot out there!!!
Is there something under the dash I should check? I assume there is. Maybe a line popped off? Also I noticed very poor vacuum on the main line going to the can. I temp. dissconnected the vacuum line going to the brake booster and put into my headlight system..WOW it works really fast now(when done manually by hand held vacuum pump)..Can I put a tee in the line going to the brake booster for my lights?
I dont have any diagrams on this car and I want to put it back the right way. The way it deserves to be put back. The guy that had this car before me has hacked it up pretty bad. Got alot of wiring problems as well but I will get to those later. I know I should buy a book and I will, its just that sometimes people know better or can explain better than the books, and..thats what these forums are for anyway...Right?

Just go electric-

http://mcspeed.homestead.com/Our_Products.html

I'm acquiring parts for my conversion. I have the brackets... I'm collecting the motors and relays now.

 

[magicharley]

Sounds interesting Darkshark, I am going to give that some consideration! Thanks!!!