1969 Charger Headlight doors

[RT SE 440]

Hello guys my charger headlight doors stay open i close them manually but as soon as i start the car and they get vacuum they open up & stay up don't matter what position the head light switch is in.I'm thinking a bad vacuum selector on the headlight switch maybe

 

[davek]

would help to know year. 68/69 has vac and 70 has vac and relay in dash

 

[davek]

70 Charger headlight door trouble

Today I installed a new set of LED headlights in my 70 charger R/T, all of the lights fit and worked as they should. The problem is that when I go to shut the lights off when it’s in the low beam setting, the headlight doors won’t close upon shutting off. When the lights are on high beams, the...

www.forbbodiesonly.com

 

[pnora]

Hello guys my charger headlight doors stay open i close them manually but as soon as i start the car and they get vacuum they open up & stay up don't matter what position the head light switch is in.I'm thinking a bad vacuum selector on the headlight switch maybe

Check the lines at the switch. One should have manifold vacuum. Make sure there is vacuum first. Then with a hand held vacuum pump apply vacuum to each line one at a time. One will close and the other will open. If all those tests check out than it could be the switch. You need to verify the switch is working off the headlight rocker switch.

 

[RT SE 440]

It's a 1969 charger the vacuum hoses are all new & i think it's holding vacuum as the doors open & stay open as soon as i crank the car over .I'm guessing the switch but was hoping someone has had same issue as it saves a whole lot of work pulling out the switch.As it could also be the hoses are wrong considering it's a repop vacuum like kit

 

[pnora]

It's a 1969 charger the vacuum hoses are all new & i think it's holding vacuum as the doors open & stay open as soon as i crank the car over .I'm guessing the switch but was hoping someone has had same issue as it saves a whole lot of work pulling out the switch.As it could also be the hoses are wrong considering it's a repop vacuum like kit

Get the FSM and read page 23-34 explains the system of operation. Its not rocket science.

 

[Mopar Hunter]

I had the same kind of problem before somebody stole all my vacuum parts from my headlights. I went with the electric conversion kit.

 

[Sixpactogo]

I would start at the switch since that is where the changes are made.

 

[Coelacanth]

would help to know year. 68/69 has vac and 70 has vac and relay in dash

1970 has an electric motor, not vacuum-operated. A big improvement IMO.

 

[SgtSuperbird]

Can I ask a stupid question? Don't the vacuum operated headlight doors stay closed (via vacuum) when the car is off OR the headlights are off (like the '70 Superbird)?

On the Superbird, the vacuum reservoir stores vacuum when the car is off, to keep the doors closed. Poorly stored vacuum due to leakage (the reservoir, vac lines or the switch), is why you'll see one or both headlight doors creeping open. With weak or no vacuum, springs pop the headlight doors fully opened, as a safety feature.

I'm just wondering if it's the same type system.

 

[davek]

1970 has an electric motor, not vacuum-operated. A big improvement IMO.

And a relay switch in dash

 

[davek]

Can I ask a stupid question? Don't the vacuum operated headlight doors stay closed (via vacuum) when the car is off OR the headlights are off (like the '70 Superbird)?

On the Superbird, the vacuum reservoir stores vacuum when the car is off, to keep the doors closed. Poorly stored vacuum due to leakage (the reservoir, vac lines or the switch), is why you'll see one or both headlight doors creeping open. With weak or no vacuum, springs pop the headlight doors fully opened, as a safety feature.

I'm just wondering if it's the same type system.

doors stay closed only open when light are turned on.

 

[davek]

Your switch good?

 

[davek]

canister good?

 

[davek]

this might help

 

[Coelacanth]

And a relay switch in dash

Obviously.

 

[RT SE 440]

Problem solved i had 2 lines at the front of the car mixed up swapped them around now all good thanks for the reply's guys

 

[robert horman]

Problem solved i had 2 lines at the front of the car mixed up swapped them around now all good thanks for the reply's guys

Well here is my 2 cents about the headlight doors performance 1968-69 Dodge Charger. I own a 1968 Dodge Charger and parted several cars in the 1990's. I saved some headlight parts from broken grills. there are 2 different headlight actuators. Type 1, part number, 2926961 I believe came on the 1968 cars. Type 2, part number, 2889883. Chrysler Corporation had problems with complaints with the grill headlight door operation, so they came up with a so-called problem solver. In headlight actuator type 2 they placed a permanent magnet in the base of the actuator to get better operation of the headlight door. Guys the actuators come apart. You can check to see if the actuator diaphragm has a hole in it. I have tested the actuators, and I believe they work correctly at 13 inches of vacuum. If your car has big cam came in it and vacuum is lower that 13 inches you can have problems with the headlight doors working properly. Also, any corrosion on the attaching from the actuator to the plastic doors will cause problems with the headlight door. also check the plastic door. I have found the plastic door where it pivots on metal stud (housing that hold headlight door) can get worn out of round and cause a sticking/binding of the headlight door movement. I am posting a picture of me in about year 2000 and I had headlight problems on my car just like all of you guys out there. If you want more information, you can email me, and I can explain fully all the things I have found with the operation of the headlight's doors 1968 Dodge Charger. Bob Horman

 

[KozmicKuda]

this might help

This helps me a lot!

I'm dealing with my "new" 1969 Charger trying ti get things fixed. A previous owner had stripped the interior of this car and a LOT of other components to make it into a "racecar".
The HL vacuum hoses are cut off at the firewall, the vacuum reservoir is gone, and the hoses are mostly gone at the actuators. This was all done before the car was stored in the mid 90s.

I studied the FSM and saw they referenced color coded hoses but I have none of that.

Researching vacuum canisters I see that late 60s Camaros and GTOs have a similar system and one even looks like the Mopar coffee can so as I get more onto it I may go that route. Of course being GM they're repopped. I have not found a Mopar version yet.

This car is a total project that my GF kindly allows me to keep in her garage. I have no idea what cam is in the 383 but I doubt it's producing enough vacuum to operate the lights. It's pretty rowdy.

I brought my Mity-vac with me and have 25' of vacuum hose and fittings arriving from Amazon tomorrow. Looking forward to testing the actuators tomorrow.

Of course the triangular part of the left door that the actuator attaches to is broken off.

Pretty much EVERYTHING on this car is missing or doesn't work.