Help me with a headlight problem

[code3z]

I need some help with a headlight problem. I have a 72 z. When i turn on the headlights, all the parking lights come on but no headlights. Highbeams work fine but when i click the turnsignal to change it to low, no headlights. I have new headlights and a new turnsignal switch. Everything else works great. Whats up??? HELP?!?!?!

[Virto]

Some kind of electrical failure, I'd imagine.

You know, I haven't tried flashing the brights with the switch off, I assume it's a flash to pass feature just like practically every other car. If that's the case, you may have a worn out headlamp switch. Try flipping the switch back and forth 10 or 15 times real quick to see if it clears some crap off the contacts. Otherwise, there's a guide you can search for here for taking apart and cleaning the combination switch, which is the stalk the headlamp and wiper controls reside on.

Edit: You can test the headlamp harness for current with the switch on if flipping the switch several times has no effect. This is probably a bit easier than pulling the combo switch if you haven't narrowed down the problem.

[code3z]

I installed a brand new combo switch. Still doesnt work.

[Virto]

Definately time to test the circuits then and see where the fault lies. These cars aren't known for having fabulous wiring, and it's not uncommon to have to do a tear down and replace portions.

[SteveJ]

I need some help with a headlight problem. I have a 72 z. When i turn on the headlights, all the parking lights come on but no headlights. Highbeams work fine but when i click the turnsignal to change it to low, no headlights. I have new headlights and a new turnsignal switch. Everything else works great. Whats up??? HELP?!?!?!

First it helps to have a wiring diagram to do the diagnostics. If you don't have a FSM, you can find the wiring diagram here: http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/wiringdiagrams/72_240z_wiring.pdf.

If you look at the diagram, you'll see three wires going to each headlight. Two of these wires (red with a white stripe {RW} and red with a blue stripe{RB}) are common to both headlights. The RW wire carries the current to the low beam side of your headlights, while the RB wire carries the current to the high beam side.

The key to diagnosing your problem is that you have high beams, but you don't have low beams. This puts odds on that the problem resides somewhere around your turn signal switch. So let's pick up the questions from there.

You said you put in a new turn signal switch. Was it a new-old stock (NOS) switch?

Who supplied you with the switch?

Are you sure it was correct for the build date of your Z? (I'm not sure if there were any running production changes.) Are you sure the pin-outs on the turn signal switch match up to your wiring harness?

Did you test for continuity of the pin-outs on the turn signal switch?

Did you inspect the wiring harness plug going into the switch?

Is the lug for the RW wire still making good electrical contact with the RW wire? (It's not unusual to see some corrosion in the wiring harness. Lord knows, I've replaced many lugs because the wire corroded to the point that no current flowed.)

If answering those questions do not solve your problem, you have to dig into your wiring harness. The RW wire makes essentially a straight run from the turn signal switch to the headlights. There may be a plug from the interior wiring harness to the engine bay wiring harness, but since I don't have my FSM handy, I can't say for sure. That could be another site for corrosion. Otherwise, you'll have to look for any place where you or a previous owner have cut into the wiring harness.

[bg240]

I have had the same problem with my 72 for about 5 years. My car is not driven in the winter so the problem comes back each spring. To make the lights work, I turn my lights on and off slowly at least 10 times while pushing gently towards the steering column. The lights then work for the summer. You might want to try this. Something must be corroded but I am not going to take anything apart until they stop working.

[Fun_in_my_z]

I bet the contacs are coroded Take it apart a clean them see what happens

[sblake01]

Bill, isn't that basically what bg said?

[mlc240z]

after reading of all the probs with wiring and corrosion, every connector i touched has been cleaned. even though i had no problems, combo switch and turn signal has been disassembled, cleaned and reassembled.

cheap insurance!

better to take the time and prevent a short, fire or fusebox meltdown.

get some contact cleaner, sandpaper, small file, and your wife/girlfriend/other(?)'s emery board nail thingy and clean, clean, clean. take your time and be patient and thorough.

that should solve most of your problems.

[wa5ngp]

I had similar problems after I went to quartz headlamps. Undoubtedly, more amps. I put in relays to control it so all that current didn't have to go thru the switch and it fixed it like a champ and the lights are now A LOT brighter. Its a bit of a chore but if you go quartz IMHO that you will eventually have to do this. Rewirng and fusing the headlamps also removes a big heat load from the fuse pannel.

Don

[wa5ngp]

I should have said rewiring and fusing the headlamps separately helped the load on fuse panel.

[code3z]

I found the problem. It wasnt corrosion or bad wires or fuse or anything like that. It was simply unpluged (duh). I must have unpluged the wire when i installed the new glovebox. Dopy me. :stupid: