280z turn signal issue

[Premo34]

Ok guys, I've have issues with my blinkers ever since I got my '78 280z a couple months ago. I've searched and searched on this forum and others. Please nobody reply with "try using the search" because believe me I have... a lot. I know this is a relatively common problem and most threads seem to point toward the hazard switch as being the root problem. At first my hazards worked, but irregularly. Sometimes they came on sometimes not. I took apart the switch and cleaned everything and sanded the contacts. Now hazards work perfectly every time no matter what. Then I took apart the blinker switch and noticed some issues. To be safe I sent it and the combo switch to Dave (@Zs-ondabrain) to rebuild. He did a great job. When I hooked everything back up the turn signals didn't work at first but after tinkering around a little they all of a sudden started working properly. I don't know what I did, but they started working. They worked for a few days of driving, but then all of a sudden stopped working and hasn't worked since. I've replaced the flasher and checked fuses. All good. I used a multimeter to trace the wiring to see if everything had power that should. Ive exhausted all of my know how and I really need help from you guys. 

See pics for reference to the following:

I have power at the connector when the signal lever is in the neutral/off position. When I push the lever up or down I lose power to the green wire. White wires still have no power. When I move the lever up or down that should complete a circuit to one of the white wires beside the green one, right? Instead it is loosing power completely. 

The copper contacts inside the turn signal are making contact when I move the lever so I'm pretty sure that isn't the issue. I'm at a loss at this point. 

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Edited April 27, 2016 by Premo34

[siteunseen]

You may get a reply from Dave by tagging @Zs-ondabrain.

The search on here isn't too good and thats being polite to Mike.

I use google.com and add "classiczcars.com" at the end of my query. Good luck.

[Zed Head]

You mention green but the two outlet wires are Green/Red and Green/Black.  I would go to the FSM before the forums.  Note the flasher.  It works by getting hot from current flow, opening the circuit, then cooling and closing the circuit.  Click, click, click.  Might be a possibility.  Also note that of the 6 only 3 are turn signal.

 

 

 

 

[Zs-ondabrain]

here's my take on it.
You mentioned "Replaced the flasher" but what did you replace it with? I would highly suggest an electronic turn signal flasher (EF32)
it's a 2 pin HD flasher that doesn't require as much amperage to operate and is a more consistent flash from 9 to 15 volts.

Play with the hazard switch. The turn signals go through it (IIRC) and can affect the output of the turn signal switch.

Make sure you have a good strong 12 volts going to the turn signal flasher. Test your turn signals with the car running, even revving the motor over 1000 RPM's will give you a better, more realistic reading.

Your switch is fine and it looks like you're lacking voltage somewhere before the switch or the output is being affected by the hazard. These are my best guesses.

Let us know what you find,
Dave

[Premo34]

thanks for the advice siteunseen...i tagged Dave. 

 

ZedHead, I've studied the wiring diagrams. When I said Green I was referring to the green wire that the positive multimeter prong is touching.

[Premo34]

Dave,

I replaced the flasher with the one you suggested, EF32. I'll mess with the hazard again tonight or tomorrow and report back. I'm not sure what else I can do with it but I'll try to trace my way to the flasher with the volt meter.

Thanks

[Zed Head]

13 minutes ago, Premo34 said:

thanks for the advice siteunseen...i tagged Dave. 

 

ZedHead, I've studied the wiring diagrams. When I said Green I was referring to the green wire that the positive multimeter prong is touching.

That was my point.  There's no green wire involved in the turn signal system, according to the diagram.  Why put your probe on green if it's not involved?

Green-red, green-black, and white are the wires on the harness side.  I don't know what color they are on the signal side.  But for wiring diagram discussions, it would be best to use the colors shown in the diagram.  Without their own 1978 signal nobody knows what green is supposed to do.  I have a 78 signal, but it's in a box in the garage.

[siteunseen]

I'm pulling a little DB Cooper here, sorry, but Zs-ondabrain is about to get a chunk of change from me. 8^).

240 upgrades, all I can afford!

[Premo34]

He does great work for a reasonable price. 

[SteveJ]

As Zed said, use BE-10. You should have 12 VDC to ground at the white wire when the key is on the ON position. Moving the turn signal stalk up or down should not cause the voltage to ground at the white wire to stay at zero. It should cycle, going down to zero and return to 12 (though your meter probably won't react quickly enough to see it go all of the way up to 12) due to the flasher unit. 

Note: Keep the black probe of your meter on the chassis. That is your ground. 

[Zed Head]

Somebody on Hybridz had a turn signal problem and it turned out to be a bad bulb.  I got distracted with the meter readings showing power and no power, but still not clear what's being measured.

There is also one other huge problem.  10.27 volts is a dirt-dead battery.

Edit - I heard the "bloop" while writing and there's SteveJ.  On the 10.27 volts - the flasher needs current.  10.27 might not be enough voltage to drive it.  Could be just a simple battery charge will do.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Zed Head

[Captain Obvious]

The wire colors on the side of the connector you are probing aren't the same as they are on the other side, and it's the OTHER side that are called out on the wiring diagram. In other words, the wire colors change at that connector and the colors on the side you're probing are not what are shown on the diagram. That can be very confusing.

I believe that green wire you are probing is actually white on the other side of the connector, and is the supply side to the turn signals. The two white wires to the right of that green (white/red and white/black) are the two outputs from the turn signal switch. And again... the colors change at the connector to green/red and green/black. Confusing.

So for the first mystery... Yes. That green wire (on that side of that connector) should go hot when the key is in the ON position, and it is supposed to supply power to the turn signals.

For the second mystery... When you turn a signal on, that wire goes to zero. The reason is that green wire is being weakly  pulled up to a little over 10 volts. So weakly in fact, that when you apply the load of a couple very low resistance light bulb filaments, it drags that wire to zero.

That green wire should be getting pulled to a healthy battery voltage, and yours is not. Could be a weak battery, a bad flasher, or a poor connection anywhere between the battery and where you're probing. My money is on a bad connection somewhere or a continued problem with the hazard switch. Knowing nothing else, I would start at the large(ish) connectors that lead to the console and supply power to and from the hazard switch. (Connector C-7)