SteveJ

As long as you're answering questions... Why is the sky blue? Did Ted Turner really invent color? Why are hotdogs sold in packs of 10, yet hotdog buns are sold in packs of 8?

Be sure to search on this site. There are plenty of posts on headlights. Dave Irwin & I have described the circuit ad nauseum.

Did you look at the FSM on the page I referenced? Did you not notice the connector that the gauge was plugged into? Did you not have to unplug the gauge to be able to test it with a 9 volt battery? Either you are asking for a lot of spoonfeeding, or you are leaving out a lot of details.

You should have 12VDC to ground at one of the pins in that connector if you do the test as I described above. It is a 4 pin connector. One pin goes to the oil pressure sensor. One pin goes to the temperature sensor. One pin is the ground for the light bulb. The fourth pin is your 12VDC source for the gauges. I cannot tell you which pin it should be since the colors denoted on BE-3 (not BE-2 as I stated earlier) do not match the wiring diagram on BE-5. Have the ammeter/fuel gauge installed when you test for voltage.

And did you use a voltmeter to check the connector in the wiring harness?

What about the Temp gauge? Did it work with the 9V battery? Finish the diagnostics I listed before to confirm the diagnosis. You could have two separate problems and not realize it.

Plasti-dip or Plasti-dip spray?

Where in the dash harness did you find the wires? What other connectors are nearby? Location can help narrow down function. Edit: By the way, a quick look at the 71 wiring diagram tells me that instrument lighting is the purpose.

At one time I posted what wires need to be jumpered on the seatbelt interlock to defeat it. Search through the archives to find it.

Not too surprising for a northern car. There was a guy who posted at Zcar.com that went by Matteo. He bought a Z from Chicago, and it had plenty of tin worm and fiberglass. He restored the metal on his. Search for his posts over there.

Glenn, Thanks for elaborating. It helps a lot. The tach and gauges are on completely separate circuits. As Leon suggested, there could be issues with connectors, quite possibly the dash connectors. If the car is running fine otherwise, it reduces (but doesn't eliminate) the chances of a failing fusible link. The FSM does break out the circuits in the BE section to make it a little easier than just following the wiring diagram, but you will still need to look at the wiring diagram from time to time. Of course, the troubleshooting section of the FSM does suggest something interesting. A bad voltage regulator could affect your gauges. The EE section tells you how to test the voltage regulator. The FSM is your friend and can give you better advice on fixing your problems than many of us.

It could also be the seatbelt interlock relay. As Leon suggested, the information is available. You'll just have to do some sifting to find it.

Glass fuse going bad, corrosion in connectors, hacked wiring, fusible link, full moon...You don't give us much to go on. When exactly are they going out? Your description is a little confusing, too. Are the gauges malfunctioning, or is it the lights for those gauges? Have you had other electrical issues? Have you checked the voltage of your battery with the car running to see if the alternator & regulator are working properly? Overvoltage conditions can cause issues, too.

You're now officially Ron. We'll also periodically change your name to keep you confused. No one that I know of is manufacturing reproduction harnesses. You could try to adapt a Painless kit or get a used harness from Z Car Soure, Zbarn or Z Specialties. Don't expect used wiring harnesses to be perfect or cheap. You can get many different types of replacement connectors from Vintage Connection. When getting a used wiring harness, try to get one from a car with a similar build date to yours. If the wiring harness has a part number, contact Mike to buy a CD of the parts manual to find the part number appropriate for your car. If I was given a choice between 3 Z cars, one with a bad body, one with a bad motor, and the third with bad wiring, I'd probably take the one with the bad motor. I'm not even that good with engines, either.

It's difficult to say. What is your goal? One of the best ways not to waste your money is to know what you're trying to achieve and why you're trying to achieve it. However, we're moving away from the purpose of this thread. I suggest you start a new thread in the appropriate section to ask suspension questions.

Okay, so you're near Attalla.

He's probably not near a Harbor Freight unless he's near Huntsville or Chattanooga...

For whatever reason, the driver's side door panel for a 74-76 is a very rare item indeed. Roger may not be back in the swing of things after the loss of his wife. Meanwhile, keep searching eBay. They do show up from time to time.

280Z springs aren't a good choice for the 240Z.

They will fit provided the 280Z wasn't a 2+2 or wasn't actually a 280ZX. I've heard a couple of stories about guys getting burned each of those ways.

Not too long ago, I checked my plugs and found they were fouled. Following my own advice, I read through the FSM and came across the diagram Phil posted. I was in a hurry and just did minor adjustments, using my ears as a crude tuning tool. I leaned out the carburetors a little and bumped up the fast idle to keep the engine at a nice idle speed. The end result was that the car behaved better, and the plugs didn't foul. To me, it was just as easy as working with the SUs. I didn't think Tony was yanking our collective chains when he said there was something to the flat tops. I just hope I can open my mind up enough to understand.

Phil, I don't have a pair to spare, but I do have a single flattop sitting on my garage floor, ready to give its life in the name of learning. If you want it, send me a PM.

Okay, I can see the pictures now. Of course, I need to get a lot smarter about carburetors to really understand the post.

Unfortunately, at the time I am viewing this, there are no pictures.

Well, the name of the file is jet. Would you be so obvious?