My headlamps will not turn on as well as the gauge/instrument lights.

Checked the fuses and all but the 2 Headlight fuses get power.

The fuses appear to be great.

I checked fusable links and stuff.

I dont have a ohmeter or anything just a check light to probe stuff with:bulb:

I also checked most of the connections and they appear to be good as well.

So what could be the problem? my model is a 77 280z and I have a FSM but its hard to trace through the car for stuff when you just bought it

Please don't start more than one thread on the same topic. The other has been deleted.

Actually PULL the Fusable links, clean the contacts that they came off, tighten or squeeze the ends of the fusable links and reinstall them. They should go on TIGHT.

Just because they light a test probe, doesn't mean they are making good contact with the terminals. So physically pull, clean, test and reinstall them.

Dave

I did pull the fuseable links and touched them up with some 180 grit to give a better contact.

Sorry for the double post I thought it would double my chances =P

I have an update though. The lights do come on after flicking the switch up and down about 8 times then it may come on. The gauges still dont illuminate.

And even though the headlights come on the tail lights dont. so what the fart??

That's because the Headlights are a completely different circuit than the Taillights.

The parking light circuit includes the Dash lights, side-markers, front markers and taillights. The brake lights are also their own circuit.

If you can flip the switch a few times and they come on, then the switch most likely needs to be rebuilt. The lack of taillights tells me the same thing, the switch needs to be rebuilt..

Rebuilding the switch for the headlights probably needs to be done as the contacts in it are probably bad or something.

Are there any common problems with the tails and side markers not comming on besides the unlikely event that all bulbs burnt out?

Common problems include:

Corrosion in the side markers (I've got the replacements sitting in my garage.)

Fuse box melting down (I've seen this on more than one 240Z)

Connector between the combo switch and dash wiring harness burning up. (That happened on my 260Z. Two weeks ago I met a guy with the same problem. He handed me phillips screwdriver, and I took off the steering wheel cover. The connector was burned at the Green/Yellow wire, just like I told him it would be.)

For your car, you'll find an 8 wire connector for the combo switch below the steering column. If it is damaged from overheating, you can try to re-pin the wires that were damaged. If that doesn't hold, you can get an 8 wire connector from Vintage Connections. It is not an exact replacement, but it's the closest that I've seen. By the way, if you haven't used those types of wire connectors much, spend the money on extra pins/lugs. It's worth it.

To prevent the problem with the fusebox or connector in the future, you can

1. incorporate relays into the circuit to take the load off of that wire

2. replace the incandescent bulbs with relays

3. do 1 & 2.

Number 2 is the easiest. Search on threads started by me, and you'll find the details of what I did on my 260Z.

I dont know anything about relays honestly. I hate electrical work alot.

My fuse box cover has already seen some melting in the top right corner so Im sure something is loose ina connection somewhere.

Today I will be pulling the Headlight switch off to rebuild it thanks to instructions from Mike here on the site.

Also I will be searching for corrosion in some of the ground wires for the sidemarkers and rear lights.

Thanks for all your guys help. Ill see what happens after I get this stuff sorted through.

Dang, I need to preview before I post.

To prevent the problem with the fusebox or connector in the future, you can

1. incorporate relays into the circuit to take the load off of that wire

2. replace the incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs

3. do 1 & 2.

Number 2 is the easiest. Search on threads started by me, and you'll find the details of what I did on my 260Z.

LED bulbs are much easier to deal with than relays. NOW my post makes more sense.

Oh yeah Im with ya.

My AE86 was really easy to get to gauge lights and such. While I was replacing the dash on that car I mades ure to pick up some LEDs to fill the cluster with. It looked great with some orange lights in it.

If I do have to take the dash apart Im going back to get some more LEDs. My 280z dash is plastic, is that how all the dashes are?

ALSO! I did figure the problem with the headlamps and gauges, it was the switch as I thought.

I did the rebuild as stated/posted by Mike. I really recomend it highly. Great write up!

Edited March 6, 201114 yr by tymarbry