Failing hood mounted turn signal indicators and headlight covers

[Lizzy]

Hi guys,

Like you just read, I'm trying to deal with these 2 problems...

1. My hood mounted turn signal indicators were missing when I bought my '68 Charger. I bought a set of used signals (lenses and brackets and wiring). Installed it. Don't work.

2. When I turn on the headlights, they do their job very well, but the covers don't open. I know it's vacuum operated, but I don't know what I have to do to fix this problem.

Hope one of you MoPar-wizards can help me...
Thanks!

[TylerCharger69]

Okay.....first the vacuum issue.   Look at the canister that resembles a soup can underneath the battery tray.   Make sure it isn't rusted out, and make sure all of your hoses are connected to it  and no breaks are in the hoses themselves.   Next,  check all the hose connections at the pods behind the headlights, and the hoses themselves.   If everything looks  and seems to be okay there,  making sure the vacuum pods aren't rusted away,   then there is the vacuum line coming from the rear of the intake to that canister.    If that line seems okay,  then  the problem  would most likely be in the headlight switch itself because that is where all of the vacuum transfers directions to activate the headlamp doors,  and that is where the three vacuum hoses end.
As far as the hood turn signal lamps....assuming that the bulbs are good...there is a connector under the hood in the vicinity of the driver side firewall...grey in color.   The turn signal lamps go through the channels of the hood and have a connector on the end, in which connects to the mating connector near the firewall.....in the brake booster area.   Make sure that's connected.....also....you may want to check the grounds on those as well.

[mikepmcs]

Ace is all over it.  I bet it is the canister.  You can also check the pods with a vac gauge to see if they are operating correctly and also to troubleshoot the rest of the system.  there is a thread on here that has the schematic to the hoses and operation stuff, i'll look for it.  if it is the can under the battery, go get yourself a 46 oz dole pineapple juice can(or beverage of your choice)   and cut an offset hole in the top and JB weld your vac t from the original in there.  make sure it's offset or you won't get the can back in there due to battery tray clearance.  Mine works great and cost me $2.49 US.

I'll find the thread for you hopefully in a few minutes.

UPDATE!!!! No thread but here's the schematic on the headlight vac system.

v/r
Mike

[TylerCharger69]

LOL...beverage of your choice!!!    To be honest, and I forgot to add...  I deleted my canister and just went straight from the manifold to the switch.   Works great.   The only thing i believe the '69 canister is used for is to maintain a vacuum  so the light door can be shut while the engine is off.   

[mikepmcs]

Once again, Ace is on it like stank, that will work just fine as well.  Jim Shine has done this too.

Lots of options here.

Still lost on the turn signals though.  That's a simple system and would like to see what fixes that one.

v/r
MIke

[AWSOM50]

I'm no help on this one, but I have the same prob with the hood mounted turn signals on my '70.  The bulbs are good, the grounds are good, and its connected in the right place.  And they worked fine in my other charger.  Annoying.

[kab69440]

As far as the hood mounted turn indicators, hit the local wrecking yard and find yourself a G body Daytona or LeBaron. Under the console are two light pigtails. One of them is the ashtray light and the other goes to the rear defogger switch. Even if the car is not optioned for them, the pigtails are still on the harness. They use push-in style bulbs, and fit into the 68-69 hood indicator housings as if designed for them. Much better than the rotten old twist-in connectors, and one heck of a lot cheaper than repop units.

[Lizzy]

There are not much wrecking yards here in Belgium...    That is... there ARE wrecking yards, but all you van find there are Fords, VW's, Opels and so on... 
But thanks for your help guys, I'm gonna take a look at the can and the hoses & hose connections tomorrow