Lights on reminder

[TomoHawk]

The car is from the early- to mid-70s and has a buzzer for the key and seat belt warning. Cars didn't start talking until the mid-80s. I still haven't heard one talk myself.

[ezzzzzzz]

Thanks, sblake01. There are many non-period correct Z cars out there. My personal opinion is if the car is truly genuine or concours then leave it as it was intended to be. Otherwise, come into the present. Many have chosen to update their vehicles with performance, safety or visual improvements. Poly didn't exist back then but a lot of people here install it. The list of changes is long. Would you be content to live with that stock radio today? It isn't about throwing stones at each other here (at least, I hope not). I've learned a heck of a lot in these forums. I was merely pointing out a viable means to an end and trying to justify it.

As for my circuit, it really doesn't get much easier than mounting two small relays and running a few wires to readily accessible circuits.

[sblake01]

Well, I was just being kind of 'tongue-in-cheek'. My car is not original either. Nor would I want it to be. It was more a comment on waking up this three year old thread, asking for suggestions, putting down the answers, even though some of them have worked fine for the three years+ that the owners have had them, and then poo poo-ing a suggestion because it's not 'period correct'? In the words of Sherrif Andy Taylor, Tomohawk, "you beat everything, you know that?"

[gundee]

Get a buzzer would only have 2 wires, positive and negative. Run the positive wire of the buzzer to a wire on the headlight switch that has voltage present only with the headlights on and the negative wire of the buzzer to a wire on the ignition switch that is grounded only when the ignition is off. That way, headlights on/ignition on yields no incessant buzzing noise,and lights on/ignition off rewards you with the annoyance you want! .02 worth.

[TomoHawk]

At first I thought you couldn't do that GG, because one side of the headlight headlight switch is always hot. But the same logic means the other side gets +12V when you turn the lights on (IIRC).

[TomoHawk]

I finally got some time to chase down the wiring diagram & wires on this item.

I tested the idea using a simple 12Volt buzzer.

If you take the bottom off the steering column cover, then you'll see a grn-wht wire that feeds all the instrument lamps. This wire has +12V switched power, and you'll need to splice into that wire with a small single-pin connector & short wire, unless you want to jam a small wire into the combination switch connector. The + side of the buzzer of your choice goes to the grn-wht wire. The other wire from the buzzer (- end) goes to one of the door switch connectors (either the blk-red or blk-yel) wire. You may want to take this opportunity to remove & clean the door switch as it switches the ground for the dome lamp, key-in buzzer, and the headlamp buzzer. Maybe even just install a new one.

The other way to connect the buzzer is to solder your short wire & connector to the outside of the female connector on the heavy read wire that goes to the combination switch. This wire is +12V switched for the headlamps (use a test lamp to confirm first). This way will also give you a buzz, but only when you open the door with the headlamps on, and it's posible that you could then leave the car with the running lamps on. The first way is the best way.

thx.

[jlensbo]

I'd like to know if anybody has a good idea or gizmo for letting you know to turn your lights OFF? I don't want to be stuck somewhere with no juice.

Thx.

You could buy an '82 ZX... "Betty" says "Your lights are on" when you turn the ignition off.

[TomoHawk]

You could buy an '82 ZX... "Betty" says "Your lights are on" when you turn the ignition off.

That's a $20,000 cure for a $5 problem. I don't like ZXs either.

[Ken]

Fiber optic lines work very well. The 69 T-Bird had a small panel with colored jewell lenses. A fiber optic line ran to each tail light bulb and would glow when on. When you applied your brakes the jewels increased in brightness letting you know that all your brake lights were working. Anytime a bulb burned out you knew right away and which one it was. Could be set up to transmit headlights the same way. No electrical connections needed.

Ken

[sblake01]

My 810 has a panel on the left side of the dash that shows 'HEAD', 'TAIL', and 'STOP' whenever any of those lights are on. You don't really notice them in the daytime so they're not really much of a reminder except at night.

[TomoHawk]

The reason for an audible reminder is because they are more noticeable during the day or night. Most people don't really look to see if the lights switch is on while getting out so the audible way is better during the day. At night, one usually notices the guage lights are on, and the audible reminder is still a good backup just in case.