Arrangement of taillight bulbs

[TomoHawk]

I've never seen an orginal or restored 280Z from the back at night, so I don't know which areas light up for the running lights, turn signal or brake. Can omebody 'enlighten' me?

thx

[Zedrally]

You mean you have never walked around the back of your zed at night?

[TomoHawk]

I have, but I don't know if the right bulbs are in the right holes.

[Arne]

The lower red section (amber in the rest of the world) should be a turn signal/hazard only. The upper/outer red bulb is brake and tail. I can't recall if the upper/inner section is also brake/tail, or tail only. I've seen wiring diagrams that show them both ways. So if the three bulbs back there are a pair of dual filament bulbs and one single filament bulb, the single filament goes in the lower, and the two duals go in the upper. If you have one dual filament bulb and two singles, the dual goes in the upper/outer, the dimmer of the singles goes in the upper inner, and the bright single goes in the lower.

On a related note, the taillight bulbs and wiring are another way that the US Series 1 240Zs differ from the later 240s. Series 1 cars have tail lights in the upper two bulbs, and all three red areas serve as brake/blinkers. The later 240s are almost the same, but the upper inner bulb is tail light only, and does not server as a brake/blinker.

[Blue Meanie]

Is there anything you don't know Arne?

Thanks man! Don't go anywhere!

[Arne]

Is there anything you don't know Arne?

Lots of things I don't know. But I tend to go overboard on things that I'm interested in...

[Blue Meanie]

Wanna meet my wife? !!!

[TomoHawk]

Thanks, Arne, I couldn't find that in any book or even thwe FSM. Because of the size of the upper inner lense, I assumed it was just a locator lamp. And I like the iea of the two bigger sections lighting up when you press the brake. I'm even working on a high-mounted brake light with a Z logo on it.

Just for kicks. I made up a graphic

[sblake01]

Wanna meet my wife? !!!

I'm not sure I get that. :squareeye

[TomoHawk]

Well, thanks Arne for confirming what I was thinking about the light bulbs. I'll change them the next time I go in there- probably to add an extra ground wire.

[LanceM]

Thanks, Arne, I couldn't find that in any book or even thwe FSM. Because of the size of the upper inner lense, I assumed it was just a locator lamp. And I like the iea of the two bigger sections lighting up when you press the brake. I'm even working on a high-mounted brake light with a Z logo on it.

Just for kicks. I made up a graphic

Tomo,

I think your graphic isn't correct, brake on the top, turn on the bottom from what Arne said. "The lower red section (amber in the rest of the world) should be a turn signal/hazard only. The upper/outer red bulb is brake and tail."

[TomoHawk]

That's how I had things. Too late to edit the graphic...