Occasional Headlight Problem

[dridge11]

I read through most of the already posted headlight problems and got some ideas of things to check, but didn't see my exact problem listed so figured I'd check for other sources.

1971 240z - a while back, my lights wouldn't come on, high or low beam. Figured out it was the arm that was broken. Got a new one, worked fine, no problems. Now, every once in a while, they just stop working. Yesterday I got in the car, turned them on to make sure they worked, and they did. Turned them off and then back on, and nothing happened. Screwed around with it a while, got them to come on again, off, back on, and nothing again.

Could be another bad arm/switch, going to check the fuses to see if I have one that's about to go. Sounds like some sort of white wire I need to chase down and look for corrosion and clean up. Any other thoughts?

Parking lights work, when the low beams DO work, the high beams do too. When the lows don't work, the highs don't work either.

Thanks!

[5thhorsemann]

I had a similar problem, turned out that the spring cover that is inside actuator/rocker part of the switch itself was toast. made a new one and solved the problem.

[dridge11]

That sounds like the problem I had with my last arm/switch, but when that happened, it stopped making the little click/tick noise when it rotated from off to parking lights to head lights. A few weeks back at dusk, I turned the lights on, nothing happened, then after 10-15 seconds, they cut on and worked fine the whole way home.

[5thhorsemann]

For a car with so little wiring, these things sure do have alot of electrical problems. I mean what would drive an engineere to seperate the headlights in the fuse panel?

I have heard good things about the zonthebrain headlight harness upgrade, makes em bright and dependable. I was thinking of going that way myself once I get the more pressing projects off my plate.