No High Beams

[venom42]

I disconnected the yellow wire going to the radio, and it still seems to work fine. I plugged the black wire that was loose into the red/white wire, and still no high beams. I am starting to think that maybe it really is the switch. It just doesn't make sense that the indicator light (for the high beams) would come on if it was the switch.

[TomoHawk]

In general, on the 280Zs, the red wires ( with a stripe) are for the lights (heavy wires with a white & yellow stripe for the headlamps), and the white (usually heavy gauge with a stripe) are battery voltage wires.

Stephen is correct about no headlamp relays on the 280Z. They started using those on the ZXs. The only relays on a 280Z are for the ignition interlocks, E.F.I system & fuel pump, the a/c, and the horn.

I was thinking first off, after Venom mentioned the engine being out, is a broken wire, but a loose connection is totally possible. With the headlamp connector unplugged at the front corner of the engine bay, you should get +12V to the red/white wire (with the switch on), the other two are ground legs for the lamp filaments, and you could test the lamps directly if your patch the red/white, and ground one of the other pins.

It is also feasible for the headlamp switch to be bad, as the power for the headlamps passes through the switch twice (both battery and ground legs.)

The headlamp connectors ( see p. BE-9 in the FSM) involved in the junction block are both white, ocated behind the glove box, but also accessible from underneath.

[geosecor]

my car did the reverse, high beams worked but no low beams....replacing the switch made it all btter, Ebay saved the day again.....geo

[slobound76]

goescor, which switch did you replace, my reverse and high beams work, but no low beams, 77 280z....

[zedevan]

after playing with my headlight wiring all day (competely seperate wires to stock now) i was just driving home then all my parkers went out, i hope its the fuse, otherwise i'm screwed! to dark to look now, my fingers are crossed

[bbordelon2]

My 78 did the same thing...found out the harness connector on passenger foot area (behind a horizontal black plastic cover) while connected required I clean the connector, spray contact cleaner, snap and unsnap numerous times. Wire was a red 12 gauge wire I believe bundled up in the wiring harness. I did the switch replacements and the like before I traced out this problem.

[sblake01]

I used to have problems with my turn signals and it turned out to be one of the connectors behind the console. I used contact cleaner and a small cylindrical wire brush on both the male and female contacts in those plugs (battery disconnected first!) and the problem never resurfaced.