SteveJ

Possibly... When you were measuring voltage at the brake light switch, were you measuring from one pin to ground, or were you measuring across the switch? If you were measuring from one pin on the switch to ground & voltage goes to zero when you depress the brake pedal, it could mean a short. Of course, you would expect to blow the fuse in that case. If you had the voltmeter probes on each pin of the switch, voltage would go to zero when you depress the brake pedal because there is no difference in voltage at the pins. When you weren't touching the pedal, you have a difference in potential and could see a voltage, though I would guess it was less than 12 volts. Here is what you should have seen, measuring voltage to ground... Brake pedal up: Fuse box - 12VDC on both sides of the fuse Brake light switch - 12VDC on one pin, zero on the other side Back connectors - zero Brake pedal depressed: Fuse box - 12VDC on both sides of the fuse Brake light switch - 12VDC on both pins Back connectors - 12VDC

As a matter of fact, I suggested that to Jamie when we were at the club meeting tonight. So, Jamie, did you remember to ask Eddie?

What? Don't you like internal combustion?

First, find an empty metal garbage can. Place it outside and put in about a quarter inch of gasoline. Light it on fire and toss in the Chiltons manual. The Chiltons manual it HIGHLY generalized. There were a lot of variations in wiring for instance from year to year, especially going from the 240Z to the 260Z and from the 260Z to the 280Z. You can download a copy of the factory service manual from the link in my signature. That will be much more accurate for what you're working on. If you prefer using a hard copy, send me a PM with your email address, and we can discuss a deal for an extra copy of the 260Z FSM that I have. Anyway, the BE section of the FSM for the 260Z breaks out the different circuits in separate pages to make following the circuit a little easier. The top of the fuse cover points toward the front of the car. There are no wires for the brake lights in the engine bay. There is, however, a sensor that will illuminate the brake warning light on the dash. It is wired in parallel to the switch for the parking brake. What you saw coming out of your brake switch was correct. There should be two B/Y wires. One of those comes off of the fuse box to supply 12VDC+. The other wire off of the switch travels back to the brake lights. NOTE: The wire going to the brake lights passes through 3 connectors on the way. The ground wire coming off the brake lights passes through 2 connectors. My recommendation to find the problem is this: Go from one end of the circuit to the other. Start with the fuse box and see if you have voltage on the B/Y wire. You can do that with a noid light or voltmeter. I prefer a voltmeter because you can also look for drops in voltage. If you have voltage at the fuse, check at the brake switch. If you don't have voltage on either pin, check the wiring harness connector. (See the FSM.) If you have voltage on one pin of the switch, press the brake pedal and look for voltage on the other pin. If the switch is good, then trace the voltage by checking at the connectors going back. Finally, for posting pictures, make sure you use the Go Advanced button or Quote button to get the advanced features. To attach a picture, click on the paperclip located on the top row of icons. That will open the popup for attaching pictures. There are size limits, so keep the pictures a reasonable size (under 1 MB).

Jamie, There is a WTB section in the classifieds. However, I think you may compromise fresh air flow through your car if you do changes hatch styles. I hope others can confirm.

If you replaced all of the exterior lights for your turn signals with LEDs, your lights will STOP blinking with the old thermal flasher units. This is because the current flow through the unit drops to a point that the resistive element will not heat up enough to break the circuit. I replaced BOTH the turn signal and hazard flashers with Bussmann 232 electronic flasher units. I found them on eBay. I cannot say for sure that electronic flasher units would speed up the blink rate for incandescent bulbs, but I would expect that they would.

Yes, that is the fuse cover for the glass tube fuses. The fuse box is in the passenger side footwell. Good. I wanted to make sure I wasn't giving you bad information. Wire colors and location mean everything. Now we can get somewhere. G/W is 12VDC+ for the running lights. B is the ground wire. G/Y is not in the wiring diagram. Are you sure it's not B/Y? B/Y is the 12VDC+ for the brake lights. The wiring harness from a 240Z isn't a drop-in replacement for the 260Z unfortunately, but hold that thought. As for the bulbs, take one of the brake lights bulbs out of the socket. (It's the top outboard bulb in the taillamp assembly.) Look at the bottom of the bulb. A dual filament bulb will have two bumps on the bottom. You can look here for an example of the difference between a single filament bulb and a dual filament bulb. Now if I was to hazard a guess about what happened, I would think that a previous owner had a problem with the taillights or the running light circuit overall. The running light circuit is one of the biggest strains on the electrical system in that there is a weak link in connector for the wiring on the combo switch. In the 240Z it is usually manifested by the fusebox melting down for that circuit. In my 260Z, the connector melted down. As a short-term fix, I replaced the connector. For the long-term, I replaced the exterior bulbs with LED bulbs. Look for the Sold on LEDs thread for more information. As for what you should do, can you post pictures of the wiring? That could give us an idea of what to suggest for repairs. By the way, where in GA are you? If you're close enough to me, I could help with repairs.

Robin, How old is the fuel filter? Could it be clogged? How old is the gasoline? Could you have rust in the tank? How about the fuel pump? If the fuel pressure drops under load, the response will be sluggish. Also, check the fuel tank to see if there is an electric fuel pump on it. There could be a clogged filter there. Pertronix does not list a 260Z compatible product in its catalog (http://www.pertronix.com). If you REALLY want to change the ignition system, you could swap to a 1979-1981 ZX distributor. Look at my link for Blue's collection of tech tips to find how to do the swap. Note: it requires a 280ZX distributor mounting block to complete.

If they sell parts outside the US, it's correct.

Attached is a picture of the 260Z fuse block cover. That will lead you to the stock position of the fuse. On the other hand, your only other post mentioned having a 240Z. Is this a different car? Re-wiring a car is usually a warning to stay away from a car. However, now that you're in, let's see what trouble you have. Where did you see the cut wires? Are they hanging loose, or are they covered with tape? What are the colors of the wires & stripes that have been cut? You could try contacting Zbarn or Zcar Source for wiring harnesses. I'm sure others could provide names for companies that sell used Z parts, as well. Also, check to see if the right bulbs are installed. They should be dual filament, typically type 1157 bulbs. Single filament bulbs WILL cause issues. Look at my links for downloading a copy of the FSM.

I haven't ordered from them. Here is their feedback on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/feedback.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&isCBA=&asin=&marketplaceSeller=&seller=A23IRBBBTW5KGU, but they don't have an active store on Amazon anymore.

I've tried using it. I don't think I did a good job of applying it. I have a circuitwriter pen. I'm going to try that on my 260Z where the grid was pulled off in removing the tint.

I agree with Andrew. Look for the cables. Sometimes they will come off the clips. If you need new ones, try Zcar Source. They aren't cheap, but I've been happy with the quality of used parts I've received. They also are prompt on shipping.

In post #3... I think that will put you in the ball park.

Have you tried the parts catalog?

According to the parts catalog, the sending unit changed around Sept 74.

Go to XenonS130 and download the FSM. The wiring diagram will have your answer.

Typically the fuel pump has two voltage sources. When you put the key in start, it kicks in a relay that closes the contact for the fuel pump to have voltage. When the key is in run, there is a relay uses an oil pressure switch to signal that the engine is running. I can't recall where the 280Z gets its signal from during the run. If you search on this site, I think you'll find a color wiring diagram that you can use to determine the proper way for the fuel pump to get powered. By the way, where in Georgia are you?

Here are the valve cover hex heads in chrome: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-240Z-280Z-510-L16-L28-Chrome-Valve-Cover-Bolts-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem255fea4f04QQitemZ160522981124QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Please be aware that there are two flashers in your car. One is for the hazard lights, and the other is for the turn signals. I purchased the Bussmann 232 flashers for my cars.

Hey, I'm patient. Merry Christmas.

For the heavier items like transmissions, you might be able to ship via Greyhound. I've read many posts over at Zcar.com suggesting that.

I knew Dave was addressing it to Jerry, but I also know in my head that it was the missing link, considering I had replaced my own switch a few months ago. I studied that connector some since it looked unique to me, but it didn't come to mind when Jerry originally posted his problem.

I'm sure it was. I didn't even think of it the first time because I just connected it when I changed out my switch. I didn't even think twice about it. I believe Del at Vintage Connections even sells replacements for them.

Are you SURE you didn't install the distributor 180 degrees out?