gauges and lights died on the way to work today

[jaltman]

A spot of quick help if I may. On my way to work today the gauges (all of em electrical, incl the tach) my turn signals, the seat belt and choke light all died. I looked in the fuse box and none look to be blown, but I wasn't sure which one is the right one. I swapped a few around and did not resurrect the system. This is a 73 240z. Headlights, parking and side lights are all fine.

I dont have a meter here at work, so I can't check to see that there is actually power at the fuses.

I know that behind the radio there is at least one in-line fuse, but its a lil impratical to check at work.

Which fuse handles those lights? I also noticed what looked like some fresh heat damage on one of the middle on the right. So, for my 73 that ought to be a short pigtail fuse box, right?

Any help such that I might have turn signals on my way home appreciated.

[SteveJ]

Check my links and find a copy of the FSM on XenonS30.

Yes, you have the short pigtail. Fuseboxes can melt without blowing fuses, too.

Where in Atlanta do you work?

[jaltman]

Thanks. I work on Mitchell St., but I spend most of my time at the Fulton County Courthouse and the jail out on Rice St. I spent a wonderful several hours yesterday during the bomb scare! .

Edited November 2, 2010 by jaltman

[SteveJ]

Too bad. That's too far for me. I only have 3 meters at my desk, too.

This won't help you today, but I suggest you buy a cheap meter from Harbor Freight and keep it in your car along with a simple toolkit. However I am on the paranoid side and take tools (and at least a Haynes manual) with me even if I'm only going to Road Atlanta (about 25 miles from my house). It has minimized problems for me over the years.

[jaltman]

Yeah, I used to have a cheap old Radio Shack meter I carried in one of the Triumphs, but it perished and I only have my good Fluke now. I got home and pulled out the meter and found a good looking fuse that was, in fact, bad. It was the center left, label "flasher" which I took to mean Hazard rather than turn signals.

All is well now, except for the melted spot on the center right hand fuse. Guess I will start foraging for a new fuse box.

Thanks for the help today, Steve, I appreciate it. If you have an occasion to foray into downtown, let me know. Lets have lunch.

[SteveJ]

You can try Zbarn for a fusebox. Roger will pick out great parts, and his prices are reasonable. Also, since he's in East Tennessee, the parts usually get to Georgia pretty fast.

[jaltman]

Thanks for alerting me to him. A bit far to run to for a part, but sounds like a fun outing to go and look around his yard. (Sure, I know I can call, but just looking around sounds like fun.)

BTW, just a footnote to my electrical problem today, interestingly, the fuse didn't blow electrically. It failed mechanically. What I realized is that it failed on a street leading away from my voting place which has been the beneficiary of some of the massive sewer work taking place intown. Lots of streets in the neighborhood are in varying states of destruction. The fuse link was broken loose from the end cap and not melted.

[Jetaway]

BTW, just a footnote to my electrical problem today, interestingly, the fuse didn't blow electrically. It failed mechanically. What I realized is that it failed on a street leading away from my voting place which has been the beneficiary of some of the massive sewer work taking place intown. Lots of streets in the neighborhood are in varying states of destruction. The fuse link was broken loose from the end cap and not melted.

I'm just going to add this might be more common than many people suspect. I was lucky (haha!) enough to be pulled over by the local gendarmes for no taillights. "Really, just a fuse," I assured them. Pulled the console panel off to expose the fusebox and confidently searched -- to no avail -- for the blown fuse. Ended up having to put it in a parking lot a little over a mile from home and hoofing it home to cap off a 16-hour workday. Fetched the car in the morning, looked again for a blown fuse in daylight, again to no effect. Brought out the multimeter and sure enough, there was a no-short fuse, which I replaced and that fixed the taillights. I looked at the booger with a jeweler's loupe and sure enough, the wire had physically broken away from the end cap. Between this experience and the aging of my eyeballs, I don't even bother visually checking for blown fuses anymore, its faster just to check them for shorts.

Chris

[jaydatsun240z]

i have the same problem now and then. take the steering colum cover off and look on top of the turn signal combo switch. should be a green wire that came off due to the heat build up. the solder usually melts away on mine due to heat. i have to solder mine every now and then

[SteveJ]

i have the same problem now and then. take the steering colum cover off and look on top of the turn signal combo switch. should be a green wire that came off due to the heat build up. the solder usually melts away on mine due to heat. i have to solder mine every now and then

That is why many of us have switched over to using relays for the headlights. The majority of the current for the headlights will go through the relays and not through the switches.

[EScanlon]

Turn Signals don't receive their power from the same circuit as Headlights and Parking lamps.

I'd be more worried about that continual melting solder. THAT indicates a major resistance someplace that must be addressed.

And that "green wire" needs further explanation, there are 4 wires going to the T/S half of the switch alone (2 more in the Headlight side). He's probably referring to the G/L wire which is the main power feed to the T/S circuit.

FWIW

E

[KAL7467]

I had the same exact fault last week and instead of a fuse it was actually a connection off the pigtail that was coming loose...cleaned it up a little but IMO all those 40 year old connectors are junk and I am going to do a big refresh soon...I am in acworth by the way this problem must be a atlanta thing