Rs Hideaway light issue

248 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by ridesdirt, 15 d ago

Khellen27

Discussion Starter · 15 d ago

I recently purchased a 1968 camaro with the electric conversion for the hideaway headlights. After a couple days the headlight doors stopped opening but the lights come on. If you manually open them and turn off the lights , the doors close no problem. Any suggestions on what I should be looking into to get the doors to open properly ?

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fairfax1000

· #2 · 15 d ago

Khellen27 said:
I recently purchased a 1968 camaro with the electric conversion for the hideaway headlights. After a couple days the headlight doors stopped opening but the lights come on. If you manually open them and turn off the lights , the doors close no problem. Any suggestions on what I should be looking into to get the doors to open properly ?

You will need to find out what company made them. I would highly recommend NOT moving them by hand. You could strip a gear assembly. Let us know.

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ridesdirt

· #3 · 15 d ago

I had a similar situation, @fairfax1000 is correct. You have a electric conversion "kit" to operate your headlight doors. There are several companies who make or used to make these. Most of the conversion motors I have seen do not have a company name on them, hopefully your does. Post some pictures, several pictures from different angles, chances are someone on here will know what you got.

Someone here helped identify mine. The company that made my kit no longer exists, so if and when it quits working correctly, chances are it is toast and will need to be replaced.

All that said, from what I understand, you are better off with an electric conversion kit than the factory design vacuum system.

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fairfax1000

· #4 · 15 d ago

ridesdirt said:
I had a similar situation, @fairfax1000 is correct. You have a electric conversion "kit" to operate your headlight doors. There are several companies who make or used to make these. Most of the conversion motors I have seen do not have a company name on them, hopefully your does. Post some pictures, several pictures from different angles, chances are someone on here will know what you got.

Someone here helped identify mine. The company that made my kit no longer exists, so if and when it quits working correctly, chances are it is toast and will need to be replaced.

All that said, from what I understand, you are better off with an electric conversion kit than the factory design vacuum system.

We’ll agree to disagree on whether electric or vacuum is better. If the car has a vacuum system, there’s minimal if anything to go wrong. For an electric system, If you let the smoke out of a component it can be pricey.

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327!275hp!Convt!

· #5 · 15 d ago

fairfax1000 said:
We’ll agree to disagree on whether electric or vacuum is better. If the car has a vacuum system, there’s minimal if anything to go wrong. For an electric system, If you let the smoke out of a component it can be pricey.

I say... I beg to differ old boy. I had an original 68 RS for over 20 years in the 80's until stolen in 2000. I NEVER could get the RS light assembly to work "like new."
So after the 68 was ripped-off by some illegal alien low lives, I bought my "new" numbers matching RS Camaro convertible in 2001. I really like & enjoy the properly functioning, all original electric system much better than the 68's vacuum system.

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ridesdirt

· #6 · 15 d ago

Khellen27 said:
I recently purchased a 1968 camaro with the electric conversion for the hideaway headlights. After a couple days the headlight doors stopped opening but the lights come on. If you manually open them and turn off the lights , the doors close no problem. Any suggestions on what I should be looking into to get the doors to open properly ?

I looked at my system last night. If I were to have problems like yours, I would be opening a "brain box" and trying to sort out what failed. My system does not have any external limiting switches, everything is handled inside the motors. My gut feeling is mine would have to be replaced, there is no support available and my electronic circuit board skills are not that strong... good luck fixing yours, wish I could be of more help.

@fairfax1000 I have zero experience with the vacuum systems. When I was in high school I had a couple friends with 68 and 69 RS Camaros. I just remember none of the headlight doors worked that well and they were always screwing with them... that was many decades ago. I was a Ford guy back then (someone had to be) so I remember razzing them about it.

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