SOS-Tail Lights

[slobound76]

I have a 77 280Z and the kid I bought it from had done all sorts of modifications and such that I have been correcting and fixing, but I was flagged down the other night by someone who said my lights were out and sure enough no tail lights. This caught me off guard as every time I hit the remote lock, the tail lights pop on for a minute. After going through and pulling bulbs, testing brake and reverse lights, I decided that its something preventing the bottom tail lights from coming on and after rooting around under the back spare cover, discovered a female connector with 3 slots and 2 odd black wires with what I can only guess are ground connectors on the end, which is sprouting off of the wire bundle going to the drivers side bottom tail light. This plug's wires are a good 10" to a foot long and I cannot find any 3 prong male connector to attach it to, so am woindering if anyone knows where these wired with 3 prong female connector might attach to. (took pics of it but can't find my camera computer chord...grr)

HELP!! Thanks all

[slobound76]

As a follow up, I found parking light article threads on here saying to clean corrosion out of front and rear lights (realized i have all 4 lights out, not just rear) and I did that but no results after cleaning them, think it has to do with the wire bundle with the 3 prong female connector which has no home after drivers side tail light...help!

[slobound76]

yikes, usually I get a response within an hour or 2 of posting a help question on here, but has been a day and nothing, nobody knows where the wires off the drivers side bottom tail light lead off to?

[Arne]

What color are the wires in the connector? I don't know a lot about 280s, but I suspect that the connector could be for the original power antenna, which may have been removed from your car. Just a WAG, though...

[slobound76]

They are a kind of bluish-greenish, one with white stripe, one with red stripe on the top 2 slots and the bottom is black, there are also 2 short black wires sprouting out as the same point the connector wires branch off from the tail light bundle, one has a stubby brass male-ish connector end, the other with a hollow brass female connector end...?

[slobound76]

Oh and yes, I dont have any radio in the car anymore, so thus no antenna, but that shouldn't be affecting my lights I wouldn't think?

[Zs-ondabrain]

in the back left area of the car, blue/white, blue/red and solid blue are the antenna wires. You said you "hit the remote Lock", that tells me you have an aftermarket keyless entry?? If so, I'd start checking around the dash area where the keyless entry system ties into the Z's wiring. Most keyless entry systems have a White wire for parking light illumination when the Arm or Disarm is hit on the remote.

The rear lights are usually green based wires. Grren/white is parking lights, solid green is brakes, green/black is right T/S and Green/red is left T/S? Red/black is reverse and black is the ground.

Don't forget to check the grounds to make sure they are all grounded. Grounds are the biggest problems in the Z's. If you have brake lights and reverse lights, then the ground is working. Proceed to the front steering column area.

let us know what ya find.

Dave.

[slobound76]

Yikes you just gave me a full day OK will go play electrical Sherlock Holmes and report my findings

Brian

[slobound76]

OK found something, the green wire with white stripe coming off the column was cut into and some orange wire (shoddily) poked through and electrical taped up, not sure where the orange wire goes, but thoughts?

[slobound76]

Traced it and it goes to the remote locks, which I dont need the lights for piece of mind, so disconnecting the lights from the locks and fixing up the lights wire should do it?

[slobound76]

negative, removed the rogue orange wire and made no difference...anything else I should be looking for?

[Zs-ondabrain]

What all works in the rear? Brakes? parking lights (not likely) ? Reverse lights? what works and what does'nt?

This will tell me what to tell you, ya know?

Dave.