How fast are the headlight doors supposed to open?

[253862656971]

I've replaced all the vacume lines on my 69 charger and I was just seeing how well the headlight doors opened.  In the past it has been a very slow process and it took them at least a minute to open.  Now when I turn the headlights on the passenger door opens faster than I can walk to the front of the car.  The drivers door however takes about 10-15 seconds to open.  I'm wondering which is a normal speed for the headlight doors to open and if the drivers door is opening a little slow should I consider replacing the vacume pod?

[Blue Pentastar]

The one always opens first on vacummn operated units. It then provides stonger suction to the remaining one.

Just be glad they work fine but the pods if defective just don't work.

Mike Schrader

[253862656971]

Ok cool.  Thanks!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

The drivers side is always slower due to the extra weight of the emblems.........at least on a 69 anyway

[myk]

Hmm...My passenger side stops midway sometimes during closing-it opens up just fine though.  I don't see any leaking lines or anything.  I'm guessing that the door is physically getting hung up on something and the vacuum isn't strong enough to push it down...

[Plumcrazy]

The drivers side is always slower due to the extra weight of the emblems.........at least on a 69 anyway

Get a 1970, then they'll open together. 

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

The drivers side is always slower due to the extra weight of the emblems.........at least on a 69 anyway

Get a 1970, then they'll open together.

OK if you dont burn the car to the ground trying to open them  right back at 'ya!

[Ghoste]

I doubt there is a "normal" speed for the doors to open.  I bet if you check 100 different cars the best you are going to come up with is an average.

[OttawaCharger]

I doubt there is a "normal" speed for the doors to open.  I bet if you check 100 different cars the best you are going to come up with is an average.

Now theres an activity for the car show you're at. 

[Ghoste]

Only if someone is actually anal enough to collect the data for an average, that average will then be posted as the official standard and we will have an endless supply of people asking how to speed up or slow down their headlight doors to meet the "factory correct rate".

[OttawaCharger]

 

[4402tuff4u]

You might want to drop some lubby (silicone) on the moving parts. It might help.

[bull]

Yea, what was the numbers matching, original, OEM, NOS headlight door velocity and timing sequence rating?

[Ghoste]

Depends on your engine option of course and how much vacuum it could draw.  Naturally, there is a completely different set of rules for 66,67, and 70 with their electric motors.  We should also keep in mind that engine rpm at the time of opening has an effect.  And OHMIGAWD, let's not even get started on gravitational fields.  Up is slower than down, effects of the lunar phases, geographical location on the planet.  There are a lot of very crucial variables that have to be factored in.
The question is, if you set you headlight door up to be correct in SoCal during a full moon and it is 1 second out during a new moon judging in Columbus, Ohio, should your car have been recalibrated beforehand, requalified, or disqualified?  Oh Galen, where are you when we really need you?

[Brock Samson]

there was a Govt. D.O.T. standard for the doors to open in a specified time, i seem to remember it was under three seconds,..
but standards change over time..

[TylerCharger69]

I dunno...but mine open pretty quickly, and almost at the same time....and believe it or not...the vacuum canisters still have the original vacuum hoses to them!!!   Yeah...I've cut the ends off due to cracking at the connection, but still the originals.   I agree with lubing them up.  Mine were really slow when I first got the car.  I knew WD-40 was NOT the stuff to use.  What I did was put a few drops of Singer sewing machine oil directly into the holes of the vacuum pots.   loosened them right up!!!  Of course I WD'd  the outer parts, but for getting the inside  that sewing machine oil works wonders!!!   It also keeps those internal diaphragms from cracking and failing!!!    Just my

[Lord Warlock]

Mine never worked with the switch, but if you swapped the two tubes near the battery running to the grille area both would open in less than 2 seconds.  Since they are vacuum powered it probably is dependent on whether there are leaks in any of the hoses running from the switch to the vacuum cannister under the battery, and from there to the grill and vacuum pots behind each door.  I figure my problem was just the two hoses going thru the firewall to the switch, and it always looked like a clusterphk to replace those.  Guess I'll fix mine during the current rebuild though, will have to take off everything on the firewall to repaint anyway. 

[69chargeryeehaa]

i wrote up a little thing about how i fixed the dash switch; read this:  http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,9472.msg112759.html#msg112759

99.99999% of the problems with this system other than the hoses is caused by the switch leaking.