Chevy Corvette Forum banner

New C3 owner needs help with stupid questions.

5K views 29 replies 11 participants last post by  fishslayer143@yahoo.com 
#1 ·
Hi there! I just bought a 1971 Corvette! This must be the most stupid question that was ever posted on a Corvette forum, but how does the front lights work? Pull it out halfway and it's parking light, all the way and it's headlights? How do I change between half/full light?

Also, when I push the brakes (in Parking) the warning for both turn signal lights comes on, it's an electronic problem?
 
#2 ·
For half and full light I'm assuming you mean low beam and high beam , there should be a foot switch up by where your left foot resides, it's called the dimmer switch. It is a rotary toggle switch, press once for high beam, press again for low beam , press again for high beam and so on...

For the turn signal problem sounds like it's searching for a ground. check all instrument ground connections. I'm not sure where they are located. Someone on this forum will know where they are located. Anyone??:seeya:
 
#3 ·
It sounds like the ground wires back at the rear lights aren't fastened to the ground stud on the light housing so it's backfeeding and lighting up your turn signal indicators. As these Corvettes are all fiberglass every light that is mounted in the body has to have a ground wire.

As far as your high beam/low beam goes there is a push-button selector switch under the carpeting to the left of the clutch/brake pedal just like the 50's and 60's cars had.
 
#5 ·
Great, thanks a lot for the help! :coffeetime: I have actually not seen any hazard light switch anywhere, this is a bit of a race build, so things aren't totally original. I definitely mean high and low beam! English is not my native tongue, and in Swedish schools they just want to teach you Shakespear, not anything car related.
 
#7 ·
Trust me there is no stupid questions when it comes to these cars, if you figure most are over 20 years old and have been at the hands of buba.
The hazard switch should be a black knob in the right hand side of the column, if its missing the hole should still be visible. If it turns out that a ground is the issue, the ground on my 77 is located on the passenger side rear and grounded at the frame. The down fall of the vettes is grounding issues, over half my issues were solved by just re-grounding.
Oh yea, welcome to the forum.

Ron
 
#14 ·
I think actually there's a 15 gallon tank in mine, it seems more reasonable from what i have learned from filling it, how much the gas-meter shows, etc. It's a '71, and originally with a small block. The 496 I have now could use a bigger one! My Chevy Suburban has a 30 gallon tank or so, but I can only fill it up on payday! 8 usd per gallons mean i will probably soon receive a gold card from the local petrol station. :Irule:
 
#18 ·
Now the electricity dies when I touch the brake pedal. :z1-2: I will try to charge the battery, I think it might be out of charge.

Another question: The headlights never go down! The vacuum system needs to run a while before it can operate? or it's broken somehow? From the beginning, it took some time after I turned the car off for them to go down, but now they stay up. I can still turn the lights on and off, but either way they stay up.
 
#20 ·
Just a thought but when I was specing out a cam for my 350 I wanted a nice lope to it but the guys at Comp talked me out of it since the Vette needs lots of vacuum to operate the systems for street use... if all your connections are good maybe you need a vacuum booster to get it working properly, since your cam may not be producing enough vacuum.
 
#21 ·
for brake boost vacuum you are correct..you need at least 11hg.. but my headlights operate with only 6-7hg with my cam..I have an electric vacuum booster pump for brakes , and thought I would need to also connect the headlights to it, but, they work fine on just manifold vacuum. now, everything is in good condition on mine..old components may not do as well
 
#29 ·
Also, when I push the brakes (in Parking) the warning for both turn signal lights comes on, it's an electronic problem?
Also new here.
The Lights on the Shifter Column are Fiber Optics to let you know that your Bulbs are Good. From what I read the Fiber Optic systems do not always work on these older vettes. My 68 has all my Fiber Optics working. So when I hit the Brakes my Lights come on. Turn Signal should light them too.

Hard to believe they had Fiber Optics in use way back in 68... Not for Communications like Nowadays, but as a Feature in a Muscle Car...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top