ihiryu Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 (edited) 76 280Z Okay so haven't had a problem until late last night. My left turn signal works fine, when I go and hit my right turn signal I can hear the flasher relay buzzing like crazy. I hit the hazards, and the arrows on is bright on the left, but dim on the right. This morning, same thing, so I checked my hazard switch (turned it on) and now the arrows don't come on. Still works when I hit the left turn signal though. All the other lights are working (parking, head, reverse etc), just no right front or rear turn signals. Every time I hit the hazard switch it immediately kills the 10a fuse now. I replaced the flasher with one I found at the autoparts store and some smoking came up from my steering column. So I immediately removed the flasher and put the other one back in. Does anyone have a clue? I figured with the hazard fuse blown the turn signals shouldn't work at all. I stuck my head underneath and the wiring appears to be all stock. Edited September 29, 2012 by ihiryu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris.Is.Awesome Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 You've obviously got yourself a short somewhere. Time to trace the wires to that bulb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Always include make, model and year of car when asking trouble shooting questions. Do a search and download the electrical schematic for your car. There are several pdf schematics available on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihiryu Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Updated with info. I've got the schematics that I got from the FSM. A little hard to understand, but I've already got them and have been looking into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Since you saw smoke near the steering column start by removing the plastic column cover. Study the FSM schematic and start identifying and tracing each wire connected to your T/S switch. Trace the wires out to the turn signals and to the hazard switch. Take voltage readings on the T/S switch where the right side T/S wires connect with the switch set in the right turn mode. You should see 12 volts. I have seen the wires come unsoldered at the T/S switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihiryu Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Actually, I think that's due to the flasher that I hooked up. I took the column apart and couldn't find any burn marks, I didn't see anything, I think that's because when I noticed it, I stopped right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Did the flasher just plug in or did you do some wiring to make it work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihiryu Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 It just plugged in, but that's when the smoke appeared, so I'm pretty sure it's not right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Test the wires that connect to the flasher unit. Check for grounds and voltage. Trace where those wires go and look for damaged or grounded wires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsicard Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 76 280Z Okay so haven't had a problem until late last night. My left turn signal works fine, when I go and hit my right turn signal I can hear the flasher relay buzzing like crazy. I hit the hazards, and the arrows on is bright on the left, but dim on the right. This morning, same thing, so I checked my hazard switch (turned it on) and now the arrows don't come on. Still works when I hit the left turn signal though. All the other lights are working (parking, head, reverse etc), just no right front or rear turn signals. Every time I hit the hazard switch it immediately kills the 10a fuse now. I replaced the flasher with one I found at the autoparts store and some smoking came up from my steering column. So I immediately removed the flasher and put the other one back in. Does anyone have a clue? I figured with the hazard fuse blown the turn signals shouldn't work at all. I stuck my head underneath and the wiring appears to be all stock. The flasher is used for both LH and RH turn signals. If it works for one, then the flasher component is OK. Highly likely that the turn signal switch needs to be repaired or replaced. This is one of the systems that was UNDER DESIGNED. Once proven that the turn signal switch fixes the RH signal light, then it is time to make the system better. When turned on, Headlights draw 10 time the normal running current for a VERY SHORT time at turn on. This is TOO fast for the fuse(s) to react, yet imposes an arcing of the turn signal switch contacts. After many uses of the turn signals, the switch contacts fail from arcing at turn-on. There is a modification to add relays such that the high current goes through the relays versus through the turn signal switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihiryu Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 Yup I ordered the PLH harness, and once my car goes down for the RB20 swap I'll be sending off my switches to get rebuilt. I was just hoping it didn't have to go down that road just yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihiryu Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 Well someone recommended me to take out the hazard switch and cleaned it. I removed it cleaned it up, and nothing. I smelled the hazard switch and it kind of had a burnt smell to it, but nothing on the inside seemed bad. I tested it as described in the FSM (pretty checking continuity) and it passed it. I replaced the fuse, and same thing. I was able to get the hazard to click on, but I wasn't able to inspect it on the outside before the fuse blew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihiryu Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 SOLVED!! Guys I want to thank everyone so much for giving me a hand. Ultimately I found this out via search, but still I was dumbfounded on what to find. Corrosion was actually building up on my front and rear turn signal sockets. I never removed the bulbs (since I've only had the car a few weeks and they were working). Took some electrical cleaner to them, and all is well. Hazard comes on without blowing the bulb. Everything works....too bad I butchered up my turn signal switch (trying to clean it) before I figured it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Welcome to the Datsun Electrical club. You are now an expert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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