DAMN LIGHTS!

[RobCapper]

GRRRR..
fitted a new vacume thing a few months ago and all's been well. Until tonight. The lights seem to be 'stuck', half up, half down, and there seems to be something stopping them moving (stopping the passenger side one moving really, but they're connected... it seems to be well and trully wedged. I didn't hear anthing go snap or ping, and a good look round and in didn't throw any light (bad pun) on the matter either..

any ideas?

[frearther]

Wat car do you have? Different years have different headlight mechanisms.

Art
26/4934

[brassringfarm]

Since you say they are connected, I presume you have the failsafe system where a tube connects the two pods.
There is a short flat piece of steel welded perpendicular to the tube right in the middle, which in turn has the vacuum canister and the return spring mechanism attached to it. Simply remove the bolt and slip off the two pieces (The scissors Spring is fairly strong - be careful). This will allow you to determine if anything mechanical is binding and preventing the headlights from rotating easily. If something IS binding, then use a flashlight from inside and outside to locate where the headlight pod is rubbing or hanging up.
If the headlight pods rotate smoothly without the vacuum canister or spring mechanism attached, then my bets are on the vacuum canister. The rod should retract quickly and smoothly when a vacuum is applied. Without the spring attached, you can use mouth suction to activate the rod. Try disconnecting the hose from the manifold and see if you can do it - if not then put a piece of tygon tubing right on the vacuum line nipple on the canister. If the former doesn;t work and the latter one does work - then it's something in the one way valve, or in one of the connectors.
Good luck
Paul Zimmerman
65 S2 (which I converted to failsafe when I restored it)