68 headlight vacuum switch repair

[smasherofall]

I have read somewhere an easy fix on repairing these but cann't remember where. Anybody know? 

[Charger4404spd]

I had a fix for them on the old board, not sure if the tech articles made it here.

[smasherofall]

they didn't make it, do you still have it?

[Charger4404spd]

What problem are you having with it?

[smasherofall]

you can hear it leaking vacuum

[Charger4404spd]

Come into CHAT and I will try to explain it.

[69chargeryeehaa]

you can hear it leaking vacuum

i was in the same boat as you, could'nt find any info, i just posted how i fixed/rebuilt mine here:

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,9472.0.html

it's easy, and now works as good as new

[69fuchs]

I have read somewhere an easy fix on repairing these but cann't remember where. Anybody know? 

There is another option, if your switch can't be repaired.  If you pick up a dual fuel tank valve (electric), you can connect the vacuum lines to the valve, and hook the electrical wire to the dimmer switch wire on your car.

When you turn on your headlights, the valve will change paths, and open your headlight doors.  You can pick up a valve at napa.  The vacuum lines are usually smaller than the nipples on the valve, so you may have to get an adaptor to get the vacuum line size right.

[69chargeryeehaa]

I have read somewhere an easy fix on repairing these but cann't remember where. Anybody know? 

There is another option, if your switch can't be repaired.  If you pick up a dual fuel tank valve (electric), you can connect the vacuum lines to the valve, and hook the electrical wire to the dimmer switch wire on your car.

When you turn on your headlights, the valve will change paths, and open your headlight doors.  You can pick up a valve at napa.  The vacuum lines are usually smaller than the nipples on the valve, so you may have to get an adaptor to get the vacuum line size right.

i was considering that but after repairing the switch, i believe that all should be eaisly repaired:) here's how (from my other post):

I just rebuilt my headlight vacuum switch for the hide-away headlights. It was actually really easy to rebuild the switch, the most work was getting it out of the car, that fun underdash work we all love.

My original problem was this: if i start the car with the headlights in the off position, i hear a hiss of vacuum at the switch in the dash, sometimes after about a minute it stops and then if i turn on the lights the doors open. lately the hissing does'nt stop and when i turn on the lights the headlight doors don't open no matter how long i wait. all the vacuum lines are new, the canister is ok and i pressure tested it, the switch arm is there and conected properly. if i hook up vacuum to the "T" fitting at the front the headlights open and close fast. from the switch when it does work they open slow.

here is how i rebuilt the switch:

first i made sure that all the vacuum lines were ok and had no holes, i disconnected the vacuum head connector from the switch and hooked up a vacuum guage to the hoses and sucked on them and made sure it all held vacuum. also i found there is a one way valve in the vacuum accumulator canistor, if you hook up a vacuum guage to one connection and suck on the other, when u stop sucking on it and the vacuum guage holds vacuum then that connector hooked up to the vacuum guage is the one that connects to the vac line going to the dash. that way when you shut off the car the system still holds vacuum to close the lights with the car off. next the fun part, unbolt the vacuum switch from the back of the headlight switch. there are 3 screws. next there are little "tabs" that hold on the cover of the slider, the part that moves with the headlight switch, i broke off the tabs with some needle nose pliers, and noticed that there is a little peice of spring steel that pushes a rubber block with a channel that re-directs vacuum to either hose to open and close the light covers. that spring steel was broken on mine, giving it no pressure to seal properly. then i drilled under the tabs with a 1/16" bit on my drill press, and used small screws to screw the cover back on making the unit servicable. the funny part is that the cover originally looks like it was ment to be screwed on cause the holes in the cover are counter sunk/taperd for a counter sink screw. then the important part was to pack the whole thing with white lithium grease, the grease acts as a "sealant" with the rubber block. i made a sring plate from a small peice of clear "pop bottle like" plastic from a little container that was from #11 exacto-knife blades. before you take yours apart, push the slider into the unit and see if there is any spring action in it, if it's ok, then the unit could eaisly be fixed by packing it with white lithium grease thru the opening on either side when you move the slider. mine was full of dirt, and the spring was broken in half. no wonder it did'nt work!!!! my headlights would take over a minute to open when they felt like working 50% of the time, now they both open within about 5 secconds, big improvement!! at least now i don't have to get out of the car and open them manually!!!! 

heres a pic of the internals i drew:

[69chargeryeehaa]

another pic:

[smasherofall]

thanks guys thats perfect