Daves Possible Parking light FIX

[Zs-ondabrain]

What would you pay if I told you I might have a fix for the dim parking lights??

Right now i'm working on my brothers early 240Z's (taillights, sidemarkers, and front parking lights)

With 12 volts the battery, I put a voltmeter onto the left rear sidemaker. It measured about 9.5 volts (give or take 0.2 volts) When I added power via a relay near the passenger side kick panel, the voltage kicked up to 11.2 volts and the lights got significantly brighter. Even the dash lights got brighter and use of the dimmer switch was still present.

I'm going to do a lot of tests before making them for the open public but I thought I'd give you guys (and gals) a heads up on a posible fix for the dull lights that we all suffer from. And ask you all about the price you'd pay for a simple fix that includes:

1) Mounting a relay on the passenger side kick panel using one of the bolts or screws that hold a stock relay in place ( must be a grounding fastener)

2) running a fused power wire from my relay to the battery thru the rubber grommet on the firewall below the heater duct, about 30" inches of 12 gauge.

3) tapping the parking light wire that is right there near the new relay( 6" of 12 gauge and a easy-on T-tap that squeezes onto the wire w/ a simple pair of pliers)

4) running one small wire (16 guage) thru the underside of the dash to the steering column. tapping one wire and cutting one wire.

Please keep in mind that I reserve the right to change the design of the wiring and installation proccess at any givin time that I find neccesary or fit!

The whole process will take less than an hour using a #1 (a phillips screw driver to mount the relay and the ground wire and take off the lower half of the steering column cover) #2 (a pair of pliers to squeeze on 2 T-Taps)

#3 (the correct size wrench to remove the nut that will hold the new power wire to the positive battery terminal) #4 a wire cutter to cut one wire near the steering column.

The Kit will include full detailed instructions, the relay and all neccesary wires and 2 T-taps. I'll do more research on the use of this product in all 240Z's but the use of curcuitry in the 260 and 280Z's may prevent this from being used. I'm not sure yet.

Spit some numbers my way and lets see if they match what I'm thinking.

Dave.

[Zs-ondabrain]

Keep in mind that the car was not running at the time of the test so the voltage readouts were lower than they would have been had the altenator been charging the battery

[Zs-ondabrain]

All I want to know is what is a good price? For all the research, building, selling, etc etc. $25 sounds good to me, what do you think?

[Virto]

All I want to know is what is a good price? For all the research, building, selling, etc etc. $25 sounds good to me, what do you think?

Sounds cool to me.

[texasz]

I would rather the installation not require tapping and cutting wires the way you describe. Is there a way to do this with molex connectors like you did for the headlight solution?

[Arne]

Is there a way to do this with molex connectors like you did for the headlight solution?

Looking at (and understanding) what Dave has proposed, there certainly would be, but it would be far more expensive, and require several of the connectors which I have found are becoming difficult to acquire.

[TomoHawk]

Either way you look at (based on Dave's design) you gotta tap into the lights wire (or piggyback a spade terminal?) to supply the extra volts to the circuit. One the 280Z, it's the green-white wire that goes to most all the running lights and one or two other things. I always thought you might run a 12 or 10 gauge wire to the front-left and to the back of the car, in case you need something with an actual 12 volts, then run a fuse/relay off it, with the OEM wire activating the relay.

thx

[Zs-ondabrain]

Here's the problem. We are trying to introduce a larger, cleaner power supply into the parking lights but in doing this, 1) the better power back feeds into the switch 2) the contacts are transfering even more power, wires get even hotter,THINGS MELT!!!!

The process I wrote about earlier will severly reduce the amperage flowing thru the fusebox, headlight switch, and reduse the reduce the power flow from the battery thru the stock power wires to the fusebox.

In order to Make a harness that ties into the system via. stock plugs, I'd have to FIND A SUPPLIER, ORDER PARTS, CHARGE FOR GAS, INCREASE THE PRICE OF THE HARNESS. And the list goes on.

If cutting one wire, connecting one wire to one side of said "cut wire" seams like too much damage to your stock harness (as if the last 30+ years was'nt enough) then find me a good supplier who'll deliver to my door for cheap.

I would need the male and female plugs that go to the headlight switch (6 pin, 1.5" X 1/2" plug and 6 male and female pins)

Dave.

[kinfish]

Sounds outstanding from my viewpoint. Based on the ingenuity and quality of your 240Z headlite relay system, I would place an order before you even finished development. I would love to get brighter dash lites since I tried to remove and bypass the dimmer switch but my aging body and not so nimble finger tips prevented me from getting access to remove it.

Keep up the great ideas and also a great product!

[wal280z]

<snipped....then find me a good supplier who'll deliver to my door for cheap.

I would need the male and female plugs that go to the headlight switch (6 pin, 1.5" X 1/2" plug and 6 male and female pins)

Dave.

You mean like this?

The price (excluding shipping) is $6.45 for a 2 pair of male and female connectors, with contacts. Buy multiple sets in order to reduce shipping cost per set. See the Eagleday Store Too bad they don't have the round ones (but then again, you aren't making the headlight harnesses anymore) for the 280 upgrade.

Wayne

[montoya_fan01]

I'd pay the required price (whatever it is) for a kit that preserves my OEM wiring intact. I would not be interested in anything from anyone that requires modification of any kind to my wiring.

EDIT: Just to be clear, my position on this is strictly related to my desire to keep my wiring 100% OEM. I am sure that Dave's work is first rate.

[Zs-ondabrain]

Hey Wayne,

Do I detect some sarcasm in there? Thanks for the heads up. I'll look into it and go from there.

Dave