Rear window defroster wiring

[7tooZ]

Ed i apologize but let try to clarify what I think you are doing: Please let me know where I am wrong.

The wire harness from the defroster glass is fro a 70-71 build date correct?

The dash harness is from a 70-71 build date also correct?

The center console fuse cover  is from a 72 build date car. correct? Does it look like this?

Does the switch look like this

If the above is correct here is the connector to look for

here's where it should be

a wider shot

Or can you send a photo of you forward photos?

72 fuse cover front.html

Edited April 30, 2020 by 7tooZ
deleted dup photo

[Ed Brock]

7tooZ,

Yes to all of your questions. The wiring harness that goes from the passenger side door to the rear of the car inside the body was not removed from the car body when striped to go to the paint shop. The rest of the original harness that came with the car, has been taken apart, checked for flaws and all connectors cleaned. The dash harness is from a new factory dash for a series 1 (NOS dash). The heater motor wiring harness (hope that clarifies the matter) is from an unknown source. I think a series 2 or 3 car. The fuse box covers and switch is exactly what your pictures show. We have remover the choke light and center light.(not in use on this car, plus we needed the room).

The radio antenna and drivers side wiring that runs inside the body to the rear of the car also was not removed when it was striped.

Thanks Ed.

 

 

[Ed Brock]

The center light in the fuse box cover lid I mentioned is the seat belt light. The 3 pin connector from the rear defroster switch (we changed that connector from a male to a female as the original harness had a male connector on it already. The connector changes the green/red wire to a blue/white wire, that wire goes into a 6 pin connector. That 6 pin connector is where the heater motor gets it power from.

Ed

[7tooZ]

I feel your frustration with wiring issue. It has been a while since I have had my Jul 71 dash out, but I believe there were two 3 prong horizontal plugs  in the area of the climate control area of the console. One for the radio and one for the defroster switch. Here is a photo of mine (A male plug) which has a blue (L), RB, & B that connects to the female defroster switch. The other one above it in the photo is a 3 wire plug with only  2 wires that I have marked a connecting to the Automatic trans console. There are others such as the 4 way flasher. 
The other thing that causes confusion is the “Series” Terminology is a loose description and doesn’t alway mean the same thing to everyone plus Nissan introduced changes at different times and factories. There have been many discussions and arguments about what went into different cars at different times.

just trying to help. wish I could be of better assistance.

 

[Ed Brock]

Good Morning, nice to see another early morning raiser.

You are so correct again. There are 2 three Molex connectors by the climate controller. Both do what you say they do. I made sure that the correct 3 pin Molex is connected to the proper item,

Question for you, have you seen in your car or anyone's car a red/black wire joined by the factory to a black wire? This connection is a female spade with the factory clear plastic cover on it. The wire is located by the passenger's kick panel. I believe it is used more of a grounding wire then a power distributing wire. What is the best way to ID these cars? I'm a Chrysler guy at heart, those I know.

Great job getting your camera up inside the dash to get a picture.

Ed

[7tooZ]

The wire question I will have to move my car  to get in that side to look for it.

As far as identifying Zs, I think the build date is the most useful but is still not definitive in all situations. There lots of members here who have a ton of knowledge on the really early cars and the Japanese versions. Keep in mind that changes were introduced at no specific time of manufacture and it seems parts may have been just what happen to be in the parts bin that day. 
if it stops raining I’ll get the Z out and look for it. 

[Terrapin Z]

I looked for the black / red black wire combo, and did not find it in my 6/70.

Usually the flat spade type wire by the passenger kick panel is for the door switch for the dome light. 

It comes out from the hinge bolt cavity. 

Just a possibility....

[7tooZ]

7 hours ago, Ed Brock said:

 

Question for you, have you seen in your car or anyone's car a red/black wire joined by the factory to a black wire? This connection is a female spade with the factory clear plastic cover on it. The wire is located by the passenger's kick pane

Is this what it looks like. If so it connects to the door switch which is a black wire as in @terrapin Z photo. 
some of those door switch’s have three wires. The third one is for a step light that I don’t think is on any US model.

[Ed Brock]

Thank you. Your picture is the same as what I am talking about. I figured it had to be for the step light today. Only thing that made any since.

I found the problem with the rear defroster (finally). The wire has been disconnected from the right side rear loom. In my research I found where that wire has a bullet connection on it as it connects to the rest of the rear loom (thank you spare wiring loom) as it goes through to the inside body panel.  That wire is no-longer connected to any part of the car!  I'm not sure which red/black wire in the loom is the rear defroster wire. If I wanted to undo all of the rear lighting wires I could easily find it. Not worth the time to do that. What we did was fish a new wire through the body and connected it to the rear defroster wire. Naturally we used the correct wire coding. Now the only thing left to is connect the new wire to the 6 pin Molex connector and put the car back together. That issue solved. 

What a pain, that's what we get for not checking the continuity of that one wire. Over all, not bad as that one has been the only bad wriing issue we have had in all of the changes to this car.

One more question, Oh 240 knowledgeable one. Is the rear defroster receiving full 12v's or does it have a inline resister? I have read some do, some don't. Not really clear sort of like the relays to the rear defroster's for these cars.

Thanks again for your time and knowledge.

Ed

[7tooZ]

My defroster wires are hidden in the interior panel. I know it works but would have to remove the panel to get to it. Maybe someone up in the NE where it gets cold could fire up theirs and measure it. I am guessing that it is slightly less than 12v. 

Our local car club is doing a Bday, Graduation, and food bank drive today if I get time I'll drop the panel. Last week we had 100 cars ( not all Zs) participate and maintained the distance as no one gets out of the cars.

You could post up a new question specific to this issue but be sure to note it is an early 240. Some late modeled have relays.

 

[Ed Brock]

Thanks will do. Have fun on your cruse in.

Ed

[Ed Brock]

A big THANK YOU to all how have helped get this issue resolved. What was the problem? Well, we goofed when cleaning the rear quarter panel wiring harness connecters (never removed from the car when it went to the paint shop). We never checked ohms on the defroster wires. Should have. That would have solved the problem. As for the problem, it was a disconnected/broken wire some where inside the quarter panel wiring harness. 

We ran a new wire from the 6 pin Molex connector to the kick panel area, from the firewall up to the rear defroster wire and connected it to the rear window. That SIMPLE job, required removing the passenger kick panel, seat, door sill kick plate and passenger rear quarter panel cover. Then fishing a wire under the carpet and out the hole in the carpet where the wires enter into the rear quarter panel. Then up the quarter panel and out the roof opening. EASY right? NO!!!

The owner did have the car's FSM. He found them and we found some answers to my questions. Combined with information from 7tooZ and 240260280 as well as others, I have all of my questions answered. One of my questions was, does the rear defogger wires get all of the 12volts? The answer on THIS car (a early '71 model without a rear defroster relay) is no. It is reduced down to 6volts. How it is reduced is not mentioned. So, we added a resister (hiding it was easy) that drops the volts down to 6 volts. Plus a lot of testing as things progressed, just to make sure no problems developed in that dam wiring. Now, when you activate the rear defroster switch, you have power to the rear defroster.  Also, if you scroll up to 7tooZ's pictures of the red/black wire combined with a black wire is for the "step light". Hope that helps some of you.

Now, we are just waiting on the jets and the plastic pins that hold the rear quarter panel trim and the overhead light panel trim in place. Then we can finish the car, Hopefully in time, on his B. Day in about 2 weeks.

Thank you again for all of your help.

Ed