Steering column connections and lighting: FIXED

[BoldUlysses]

Happy 4th!  Another update:

• Wasn't able to find anything damaged behind the dash, although I did note that several of the speedo and tach wingnuts were missing, so I replaced those.
• I also opened and cleaned the hazard switch.
• Reinstalled dash, absolutely no change.
• Opened turn signal switch again, cleaned again, resoldered all 6 pins.

No change.

Status:

• I have the right brake light.  The left one works when I jump the WR, WB and GY pins on the back of the turn signal switch.
• No turn signals whatsoever.  Hazards work just fine.

At this point, I've decided to just give up on my turn signal switch altogether and go Euro/JDM with this setup:

https://forums.hybridz.org/topic/125801-repair-solution-for-bad-turn-signal-switch/

However, before I do that, I wanted to make absolutely sure that it's my TS switch that's faulty, and nothing else.  So I disconnected the 5-pin connector and jumped pins to try to create these configurations:

^Neutral configuration.

Result:

The neutral configuration works fine, both brake lights operational. 

However, neither the L or the R configs operate the turn signals.  They're totally dead.  I can't proceed with the mod until I get them working. 

So discouraging.  I've spent so many hours on this, and they worked just fine before the restoration.  Onward...

[SteveJ]

If you want to, you can send me the turn signal switch to evaluate and advise.

[BoldUlysses]

OK, in between grilling out for the 4th, I think I may have a solid lead on the issue.

I jumped the 2 green wires going to the 6-pin hazard switch connector, and voilà, turn signals operational.

The brake lights only work if I jump the GY and WR/WB wires at the turn signal switch.

So.

Flaky hazard switch connections + flaky turn signal switch connections.  Just gotta clean & test, clean & test, etc.

[emccallum]

When you say flaky, do you mean bad connections or did you have something swapped? So glad to hear that you are getting it sorted. 

PM me if you need any extra switches to test things. I should have some stuff laying around that may still work 🙂

 

 

[BoldUlysses]

I don't have anything swapped.  I have a parking light relay harness ready to go in:

https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic10d15/12-4652

but I want to get everything functioning "normally" before I complicate things by installing that.

 

So by "flaky" I meant either bad connections inside the switches themselves OR bad connections at the connectors.  Digging more into it tonight.  Thanks for the offer of switches!  I may hit you up.

[BoldUlysses]

FIXED! 

Finally.  After several months and many hours, everything works.  Headlights, parking lights, hazards, brake lights and turn signals.

The last two to be resolved were the brake lights and turn signals.  To diagnose, I took the switch completely apart (for about the 10th time), but this time, I plugged the raw switch elements into the harness, like this:

(that poor circuit board)

With the rocker absent, the brake lights came on perfectly.

I played around with the angle of the rocker tabs and moved it back and forth with my thumb until everything worked.

Conclusion:  The rocker tabs were FAR too "flat."  They need to be bent upward at a fairly decent angle, like so:

Reassembled everything, and it all works.  Thanks to all for your help and good advice.  Special shout out to Steve for his wiring diagram and input.

* * * * * *

To summarize, here were my issues and here how they were resolved:

• Uncertain about steering column wire connections:  Referenced pics on the internet and consulted wiring diagrams.
• No parking lights, and 20A fuse was popping every time I tried to turn them on:  Front left parking light wired backward.
• No brake lights or turn signals:  A combination of cleaning out the TS and hazard switch contacts, re-soldering loose wires and bending the rocker tabs at the correct angles.

Thanks again.  On to the next issue, lol.

 

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by BoldUlysses

[emccallum]

alright!!! Way to stick with it.

[SteveJ]

3 hours ago, BoldUlysses said:

FIXED! 

Finally.  After several months and many hours, everything works.  Headlights, parking lights, hazards, brake lights and turn signals.

The last two to be resolved were the brake lights and turn signals.  To diagnose, I took the switch completely apart (for about the 10th time), but this time, I plugged the raw switch elements into the harness, like this:

(that poor circuit board)

With the rocker absent, the brake lights came on perfectly.

I played around with the angle of the rocker tabs and moved it back and forth with my thumb until everything worked.

Conclusion:  The rocker tabs were FAR too "flat."  They need to be bent upward at a fairly decent angle, like so:

Reassembled everything, and it all works.  Thanks to all for your help and good advice.  Special shout out to Steve for his wiring diagram and input.

* * * * * *

To summarize, here were my issues and here how they were resolved:

• Uncertain about steering column wire connections:  Referenced pics on the internet and consulted wiring diagrams.
• No parking lights, and 20A fuse was popping every time I tried to turn them on:  Front left parking light wired backward.
• No brake lights or turn signals:  A combination of cleaning out the TS and hazard switch contacts, re-soldering loose wires and bending the rocker tabs at the correct angles.

Thanks again.  On to the next issue, lol.

 

 

Not surprised about the rocker. I even mentioned having to bend it in my description of tearing down and reassembling the switch: https://fiddlingwithzcars.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/turn-signal-repair/. It's toward the end of the post.

Now you have a great understanding of how the switch works. Wait until you need to dig into the headlight switch. 🙂 

[BoldUlysses]

16 minutes ago, SteveJ said:

Not surprised about the rocker. I even mentioned having to bend it in my description of tearing down and reassembling the switch: https://fiddlingwithzcars.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/turn-signal-repair/. It's toward the end of the post.

Now you have a great understanding of how the switch works. Wait until you need to dig into the headlight switch. 🙂 

 

I read that part of your writeup, but you mentioned have to "bend down" the arms on the rocker, which I interpreted as having to flatten it out (i.e. bend them down toward the contacts).  Regardless, there really was no way for me to figure out exactly where their sweet spot was without plugging in the "bare" circuit board and experimenting, as above.

Re:the headlight switch, already have done!  It's near the beginning of this thread. 🙂

Thanks again!