park light fuse blows out

[Zs-ondabrain]

First. What size fuse is blowing, for the parking lights?

Second, Fix the drainage hose and dry all the connection.

It's never a bad idea to pull all the bulbs and clean the sockets and the bulbs to remove as much resistance as possible.

Might be time to get a PLH (parking light upgrade harness)for your 240Z. Motorsport Auto has them and can take Debit, credit or paypal and easily ship international packages.

Dave

[Kimi]

First. What size fuse is blowing, for the parking lights?

Second, Fix the drainage hose and dry all the connection.

It's never a bad idea to pull all the bulbs and clean the sockets and the bulbs to remove as much resistance as possible.

Might be time to get a PLH (parking light upgrade harness)for your 240Z. Motorsport Auto has them and can take Debit, credit or paypal and easily ship international packages.

Dave

Hi Dave,

It was a 20A fuse, and I tried to replace it three times.

The draining is fixed, and all the lights was working fine when i put the car in garage. I thought that I let the car dry in the garage, but maybe there is water now in some connections.

I already have that awesome parking light upgrade harness Just haven't installed it yet. I think I try to fix this problem first before I install it.

[Zs-ondabrain]

Get your air hose out and pull the connections, one at a time, blow the hell out of them and dab a little "Di-electric grease" on each and every connection. This will stop corrosion and shorting issues if water is ever a problem again. It also cuts off Oxygen so corrosion doesn't have a chance.

[Kimi]

Get your air hose out and pull the connections, one at a time, blow the hell out of them and dab a little "Di-electric grease" on each and every connection. This will stop corrosion and shorting issues if water is ever a problem again. It also cuts off Oxygen so corrosion doesn't have a chance.

Thanks Dave.

I'll try that. I really hope I can fix this, it's the only thing that has to be done before I'm able to get the car on the road

[Kimi]

I disconnected all the parking lights, side markers and the licenseplate bulbs. I also disconneted the connections under the dash (they looked dry and ok).

I found out that if I left the front blinker and parking light on the right side disconnected (not just the bulb but also the connection in front of the radiator) the fuse wouldn't blow. I used now a 10A fuse (even if there should be a 20A fuse I think) and it still worked. I found a wire that went from the blinker/parking light to the headlight. But it was connected only with one wire, so I think that wire could have been the problem, becouse when I disconnected it the 10A fuse was ok (also 20A of course). Maybe it had got wet or something and started to ground? I don't need the parkinglight in the headlights, so it's ok.

Now all the lights work again, but the fuse (tested with 10A and 20A fuses) gets really hot, the fusebox actually melts around the fuse on the inner side. I think it has done that earlier too, but probably not as much as now.

Can this problem be fixed with the parking light upgrade harness, or should I continue to search if there is a wire grounding or something?

I disconnected the right side parking light but the fuse got hot even if it was disconnected.

I can try to disconnect one bulb at the time, and test if the fuse stays cooler. Is it common that the parkinglight fuse gets hot even if it doesn't blow?

Edited May 22, 2010 by Kimi

[Zs-ondabrain]

You just described every other reason that the PLH was designed and made, and should be installed NOW!!

That's exactly what the PLH does, stops the overheating fuse and melting fusebox syndrome.

So install it already.

Dave

[Kimi]

You just described every other reason that the PLH was designed and made, and should be installed NOW!!

That's exactly what the PLH does, stops the overheating fuse and melting fusebox syndrome.

So install it already.

Dave

Thanks Dave,

I installed the PLH and now the fuse stays cool. The parkinglights seem to be brighter too

Installing the harness was really easy, it was totally plug and play. Really nice!!! Thank you for this awesome product!!!

Only problem I had was getting the new harness to fit inside the plastic cover. When I finally got it in place, I thought that I'll test the parking lights once more now when the cover was in place. I almoust got a heart attack when the lights didn't work. Checked the fuses and everything was ok. Then I used some not that nice words, cursing that plastic cover. Started to think that maybe I had broken something while I installed it. I tested the lights again and I heard the relay click, and now the lights works. Don't know what could be the cause, but now it works

When I tested if the fuse stays cool, I thought that I'll test the driving lights fuses too. The left sides fuse was cool, but the right was really hot. Starts to sound that there is some kind of a problem in the right headlight (earlier the parking light fuse blew when the right side parking light was connected with the right side headlight). Got to open the headlight and check it.

There is also a red wire connected with a black wire coming from the switch that goes to the other side of the steering axle, probably to the blinker switch. That wire gets warm too when I turn on the headlights.

Maybe it's time to order the headlight harness too But first I got to check the headlights wires.

[Zs-ondabrain]

The HLH will do the same as the PLH. It'll stop the overheating fuses, warm or hot wires and make the lights brighter.

Whenever you're ready. Just let me know.

You're welcome, it's what I do.

Dave

[Zs-ondabrain]

Also, The red to black, under the column to the T/S switch is your low beam/hi beam control. It'll get warm or hot without the HLH installed, as it is the headlights Negative wire. flipping the hi/lo switch will either give a ground to the low beams or the hi beams.

Typically, if a hot lead (positive wire) gets hot, the negative will too, as they are the same circuit.

The HLH will cure this.

Dave

[Kimi]

Ordered the HLH today, now I hope it arrives soon

While waiting I'll try to find the cause to why the right side headlight fuse gets hot. It doesn't blow, but definitly ain't healthy either.

I tested first with disconnecting the low-beam wire near the connection in front of the radiator. The right low-beam did'nt work of course and the fuse stayed cool. I then switched the hi-beam on and the fuse started to get hot.

Then I tested disconnecting the whole connection, and the right side headlight didn't of course work and the fuse stayed cool.

Didn't have time to test it more today, and I don't know if I understand the problem more than earlier. But becouse the left side work ok, I guess that the problem could be somewhere in the right front corner, or maybe it could be the red wire that goes from the right headlight. Does it go directly to the fusebox?

I'll continue tomorrow, any suggestion what could be the cause and what I should try to look at?

Edited May 25, 2010 by Kimi

[Zs-ondabrain]

It's all about Resistance. Resistance causes heat. Resistance in your system comes from aging wires, contacts and connectors. The 240Z's wires were too small of a gauge to begin with. Then the Z ended up lasting 40 years. Hi amperage, thru 40 year old wires causes resistance.

Get it? Thought you would. Now the solution.

Pull each and every connector in the headlight circuit, clean them and make sure they are tight and making the best connection possible. There are chemicals out there that will eliminate the corrosion and expose a clean metal surface.. Can't remember the name at the moment but I'm sure someone will chime in with the right answer.

When I say "Each and Every connection" That means, the Headlight connectors at the bulbs, the ones in front of the radiator, inside the passenger side dash area, the fusebox (power in and out) the fuses, the combo switch contacts and connectors.

The HLH will take your weak signal in front of the radiator and activate the relays, which get their power directly from the battery via a fused 10 gauge power wire, New connectors and terminals. So the only weak spot after installing an HLH is the pigtail harness between the connector at the bulbs and the new harness.

Hope that helps,

Dave

[S30Driver]

I'm guessing Dave is thinking of Caig DeoxITThe D series is probably right for this application. Can't go wrong with this brand of contact cleaner...