‘71 Charger a joy except for dim lights

Dear Bob: I have restored a 1971 Dodge Charger. The car is a joy to drive, but I have noticed a problem at night. The vehicle has the old-style round headlights, which work but were not replaced during the restoration.

The charging system is new and is putting out the correct voltage, but I’ve noticed that the headlights seem dim when I turn them on. When I step on the brake pedal, they seem to dim even more. The heater-blower motor also seems to change pitch or slow down.

The vehicle has a new alternator and a new voltage regulator, and good grounds on all the wires. What else could be my problem? Do old-style headlights get dimmer with age?

Any advice would be appreciated.

— R., Belleville, Ill.

A: “Old style,” sealed-beam headlights do indeed dim with age, as a silver-like coating gradually comes to coat the inside of the sealed-beam glass. This makes the lights dimmer than they should be.

Another possibility is that the battery is not holding the charge properly. You can have an electrical system that is charging perfectly but, if the battery isn’t storing the charge, you will get symptoms such as the heater-blower motor slowing down or the lights dimming when other electrical devices are operated.

I’d do two things: First, buy a new set of sealed-beam headlights for your Charger — good name for this vehicle, huh? — and, second, have the battery checked to see if it is holding the charge.

My feeling is that a new battery and new headlamps will shed a new light on this whole problem.

Dear Bob: I have been using graphite powder on my door and trunk locks for a long time now, with great results.

Now my ignition lock is starting to stick when I turn the key. Is graphite OK to use on ignition locks that use a key with a built-in chip, or am I asking for trouble?

If it matters, the car is a 1995 Formula Firebird.

Thanks for your help.

— No name, via e-mail

A: Great stuff, graphite powder. I use it myself for various shop and vehicle applications.

The graphite should not interfere with the ignition or the chip-key. I’d give it a try, using the least amount that gives results. Better that than to purchase a whole new ignition unit, which you’ll probably have to do eventually if you don’t try the graphite.

Dear Bob: I’ve been reading lately about recent-vintage Cadillacs with the Northstar engine using oil. I have a 1999 Cadillac DeVille, and I used to put in oil quite frequently. A friend had the same problem with the same car with a Northstar engine.

He found that the factory had put in a plastic oil-pan seal. When the engine runs this seal does not hold, and it leaks oil when the car is moving at highway speeds. It does not burn oil, nor does it leak oil when the engine is off and the car parked.

He found that the fix was to buy a new rubber or cork oil-pan seal and throw away the plastic one.

— No name, Harrington, Wash.

A: Thanks for the update on the Cadillac oil-use problem. Hopefully those readers who have complained about Northstar engines’ oil consumption will be able to benefit from a cure as simple and inexpensive as yours.

AMERICAN DRIVERS FIGHT BACK

Here’s a tip that will help you get better gas mileage while fighting terrorism and cutting our nation’s dependence on Mideastern oil:

Whether you’re aware of it or not, there’s a Catch-22 involved every time you pull into a gas station to refresh your tank.

The puzzle: If you fill the tank to the top, you’ll have to lug around the weight of the extra gas until the tank level gets lower, which will cost you a small but measurable penalty in fuel efficiency. You can avoid that penalty by filling the tank only part way, but not only will this inconvenience you by forcing you to gas up more frequently, but also leaving the highway to refuel involves driving at slower, less efficient speeds. In addition, low fuel levels invite condensation.

The answer: Fill the tank to the top — but don’t overfill it — whenever you stop for gas, and use up most of the fuel before you refill. This will let you average out the weight in the tank, with the mileage you gain by driving with the tank less than half full offsetting the mileage you lose by driving with the tank more than half full. Theoretically you should get a little better gas mileage for each mile you travel, because you will be continually using up fuel and thus reducing the weight in the gas tank.

Most important of all, perhaps: Filling the tank to the top gives you a chance to check your gas mileage, an absolute must for every economy-minded driver.