Couple of problems for a 77 280z

[rayma]

Ok first problem....

I have a wire that is heating up when I use my running lights. I am pretty sure that it is a short but I would think that a short would burn the fuse.. does anybody know of common places that shorts happen in this car.

Second problem is an intemitant one...

For some weird reson some times when I put the car in reverse the engine dies. It is almost as if a switch is hit and kills the car. I think that when ever this happens the tacometer doesn not work.

when the tac does work it will go in reverse. I dont know if this in coincidence or related....

Any help would be greatly apriciated.

[77 Z]

between the two as both are apparently electrical in nature. I have never had either problem

Im like you I would think it would blow the fuse or something.

Do you know anyone that is good with electrical problems that you might run it by?

Beats me..but let us know what happens

77Z

[rayma]

well I got everything to work... The running light wire is still getting hot.. I have been told that it is probably a bad ground because I short will usualy blow the fuse.

now the task is just to find the problem..

[LanceM]

Aren't electral proplems great Give me a mechanical any time !!

For the running lites I'd say you have a high resistance short, in other words it's not quite shorted to ground so the fuse isn't blowing. Say it's a 10 amp fuse, with the lites on they draw 5 amps, the wire is cool, add a high resistance short and it draws another 4 amps, 9 amps total, the wire gets hot but the fuse doesn't blow. Remember the fuse is to protect the wire, which can handle 10 amps but not 15-20.

Get an volt ohm meter, they are cheap, with the lights off measure from the hot lead to ground on ohms, it should read infinte if you get a reading you have a short. Finding it is the hard part, probably the best way is to turn on the lights and feel the wire every where it goes, warm the short is in front of you, cool the short is behind you.

For the reverse problem, next time it happens leave the shifter in reverse, key on, and get out and see if the back up lites are on. If they are you can sort of eleminate them from the problem, if they are off??? try disconnecting the reverse light switch and see if the problem goes away... That's the only thing I can think of that is different from going forward.

Good luck!