19 replies to this topic

[Dragonfly]

With your car being a 73' I could be wrong on this but I believe that your car only has "off", "slow" and "fast" for the wipers, as for the wipers not returning to the park position that has to do with your wiper motor not a relay under the dash. Unless you feel like a little torture and getting the oportunity to shed some blood, sweat and tears (as well as curse words) on the car just practice turning off the key when the wipers are where you want them. You can also do a search for using the Honda wiper motor for your Z...

Dragonfly

[Dragonfly]

I will try plugging the wires into the relay one at a time and see what works, but I don't want to kill the relay or motor.

I doubt if you will kill the relay or motor but here is a suggestion for you. Use your multimeter (or borrow one if you don't have one) to check each of the wires. Set the meter to read DC volts then connect the black wire from the multimeter to a good ground, with the key turned to the run position check each wire with your red meter wire, write down what each wire reads. Now turn your windshield wipers to low and check each of the wires again and again write down the readings for each wire, repeat again with the wipers on high and intermitant.

If these wires and that relay are for the wiper motor you will have one wire that had 0 volts with the key on and the wiper switch off and 12 volts (+ or - 2 volts) when the wiper switch is turned on, you should have one that has 12 volts (+ or - 2 volts) all the time, one wire that goes to ground and one wire that seems to do nothing.

If you find the above to be true then the wire that had 0 volts with the key on and the wiper switch off and 12 volts (+ or - 2 volts) when the wiper switch is turned on is your power wire for your relay, the grounded wire is the ground wire for the relay (should be black), the wire that has 12 volts (+ or - 2 volts) all the time will be the power for your wiper motor (at the relay) and the one that seems to do nothing will go to your wiper motor.

Unfortunately from the wire colors you said you have I doubt you will get what you are hoping for. If you can try to get a picture of the relay and the wires and post it up, if I can't tell where the relay is from the picture give a detailed discription of where it is mounted as well.

Dragonfly

[Dragonfly]

I just took a look at some of my wiring diagrams and what I found is that there is a relay but my drawings show it as having a blue wire with a yellow stripe, a blue wire with a red stripe, a yellow wire and a black wire. If you have the ability to open an AutoCAD drawing I will send you the wiring diagram.

The diagram I found it on was for a 74' 260Z, when I looked at my diagram for a 72' 240Z it did not have this relay, I do not have a diagram for a 73' 240Z so I am guessing that you have a late 73' that has many of the 74' goodies in it.

Dragonfly

[Dragonfly]

My diagram shows two connectors to the relay, one connector with three wires (which I see in the first picture) the second connector with four wires. I can see from the pictures that some one in that cars past thought they knew more than the manufacturer and cut off the connector than (probably much later) fastened some replacement wires on it to try to get it working again.

At this point I would recomend that you try to find a 73' thru 76' Z in a wrecking yard that has that relay and the proper factory conectors, buy the relay and the connector you are missing (with about 4" of wire). Then splice the connector back into your wiring harness making sure your wire colors match up, if your old relay is toast from abuse you have a replacement for it in your hand. Oh yeah I almost forgot to say that my diagram showed some blanked off pins on the relay.

Dragonfly

[Dragonfly]

update: I seem to have some connection issues, because while troobleshooting my turn signals not working I now have slow and fast wiper speed, intermittent (it only cycles once though), and the wipers cycle once when turned off and then return home. This is a definite improvement, but I still need to get the intermittent to work correctly.

If you go to a salvage yard like I mentioned in the post above get the entire steering wheel switch assembly while you are there. That assembly consist of the headlight switch, wiper switch and blinker switch on the opposite side. Before you get this replacement pull yours out of your car and look at the connectors on it and make a note of them, take your note with you because not all these switch assemblies have the same connectors and you want to be sure the replacement one you get has the right ones for your car.

Dragonfly

[Dragonfly]

Dragonfly,
Thanks for your help so far!

Does you diagram show which connections on the relay are used? I am going to start calling the J/Ys, but I think it is unlikely that I will find one around here.

Diagramaiticaly it does but I will have to wait untill I get a chance tonight to get a look at it again. I will see if I can tell you which wire goes to which pin in the picture you have.

I have spent countless hours going throught the wiring on the Z cars I have owned so I know the frustration.

Dragonfly

[Dragonfly]

Rather than trying to explain the diagrams I just converted them so I can post them.

This one is from the diagram for the 74'




And this one is the diagram for the 77'

Hope these help.

Dragonfly

[Dragonfly]

I learned a long time ago not to trust my memory to much when it comes to reassembling something that seems obvious, In the future mark everything with as much detail as possible and take digital pictures as you go. I'm not sure how much help I will be able to give you on the radio but I will look at my diagrams after I get home.

The rear defrost on Z cars usualy does not work because the element in the glass has been worn through by age and cleaning and therefore has opens in the circuit (usualy several of them). There are kits you can purchase that allow you to rebuild the "trace" in your window, it might be a good idea for you to research that route.

Dragonfly

[Dragonfly]

Your welcome. Did you get the steering column switch assembly while you were at it? If not it could be a good idea (or at least take a look at it) because the contacts do start to get a little rough after awhile.

Dragonfly

[Juarez88]

im going to bump this thread for a quick question.

would a bad relay cause windshield wipers NOT to turn off? Whenever I turn the windshield wipers on then switch them back to the off position, they won't turn off. I also hear a clicking sound ever 5 or so seconds from the relay.

p.s my car is also a 73' 240z.