No brake lights, no rear turn signals, no hazards...

[Onion]

I'll start off by saying that all this stuff used to work perfectly. I have checked it multiple times. 

 

I started having issues with my combo switch, which melted the 9 pin connector. I bought the parts I needed and rebuilt the connector. After a couple tries, I got it working good as new. My taillights were working again, the brake lights were great, and the turn signals had no issue at all.

 

Then, a couple weeks later, my throttle cable exploded. I had the car towed to the shop as I was going out of town later that day. The guy is really good, especially with classics, and owns a classic Mustang GT350. He's worked on my family's cars before, and is meticulous about his work. When I get back from vacation, two weeks later (note, my dad has been driving the Z a couple times while I was gone), I notice the brake lights aren't working, but the rear parking lights are. The hazards are completely gone, and only the front turn signals work. 

 

Today (about a month later), I got my new combo switch in the mail, fixed up some wiring going to that 9 pin connector again, tried it out, and my headlights are working again (other combo switch went bad). Still no rear turn signals, no hazards at all, and no brake lights. Parking lights are still working in the rear.

 

I've checked the bulbs to make sure they're not just blown (which would be odd since both sides aren't working) and they're brand new. All the fuses are also brand new and look great. I looked at the wiring on the hazard switch, and there's no corrosion. I also checked all the wiring in the steering column when I put in the new combo switch today, and it all looked great as well. I'm really lost and don't know where to look, I'm absolutely terrible with electrical work. Thanks in advance to anyone that saves me from this mess. 

[Miles]

year?  240Z or 280Z?

 

Most likely the it is the TS switch since it controls the lights that are not working. On a 240Z the brake light circuit is cut in and out by the TS switch in turn mode. There is also a common power wire.

 

Take the TS switch apart and examine the copper contacts as for:

 

• Carbon build up.  Clean with fine file.
• Bent or slightly out of alignment contacts. Especially the copper rocker which has four contacts.
• Broken or unsoldered wires

There are several "how to" threads here, ClassicZcars.com and on the web for repairing the TS switch.

 

Note there are small parts and  a very small ball bearing that can go bouncing out of the switch when you open it.

 

Do a search.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Miles

[Onion]

year?  240Z or 280Z?

 

Most likely the it is the TS switch since it controls the lights that are not working. On a 240Z the brake light circuit is cut in and out by the TS switch in turn mode. There is also a common power wire.

 

Take the TS switch apart and examine the copper contacts as for:

 

• Carbon build up.  Clean with fine file.
• Bent or slightly out of alignment contacts. Especially the copper rocker which has four contacts.
• Broken or unsoldered wires

There are several "how to" threads here, ClassicZcars.com and on the web for repairing the TS switch.

 

Note there are small parts and  a very small ball bearing that can go bouncing out of the switch when you open.

 

Do a search.

 

Sorry, I always forget to mention year and model. Its a 1973 240Z. 

 

I have a spare turn signal switch from a 240Z, I'm gonna wire that up and see how it goes, it should help me figure out if its the switch or something else. 

 

Thanks for the info, Miles, I'll give it a try tomorrow. I found plenty of info from searching, and gave a couple of the solutions a shot (like checking the hazard switch since I read that it also controls those lights), but nothing worked, unfortunately. The turn signal switch being bad makes a lot of sense because it has a lot of play in it, and its nearly as degraded as my combo switch was. 

[Miles]

Add your car info to your signature line so it is always available.  See mine above.

 

I keep several repaired TS and head light combo switches on hand for trouble shooting and quick repairs.

[Onion]

I made some progress this morning. I was going to just plug in the new switch I got, but it turns out some of the connectors are different. My switch has a 6 pin connector (of which only 5 pins are present on both sides), a big three pin one, and a small ground bullet connector that plugs into the combo switch. It also has a mysterious one that plugs directly into some other one (which I suspect is the reason why the 6 pin connector only has 5 pins, the previous owner probably wasn't able to wire it up properly). The new switch I have has the big three pin, the ground wire, and only a three pin instead of the five pin plug. 

 

So, what I did was dismantle both, swap all the parts that were attached to the wiring from the old switch onto the new switch, and fired it up. I tried the brakes, which didn't work, but I also tried the left turn signal, which worked. I was about to try the right turn signal when I noticed a small amount of smoke coming from the turn signal switch. I quickly cancelled the turn signal and cut off the engine. I then disconnected the battery and took the part out to examine it, except I can't see anything out of the ordinary. Also, before hooking everything up, I sprayed some DeoxIt D100 on all the connectors, switches, terminals, etc, to get them nice and clean. Where should I start with this smoke issue?

 

Update: I wired up the turn signal switch again and started the car. Tried the left signal, it worked. Tried the right, nothing happens. Tried the hazards, nothing happens. Tried the left again, and now nothing happens. I tried turning the wheel etc to see if it had anything to do with that and it still doesn't work for any of them. Could it be the actual parts of the switch that are damaged? Should I modify the wiring to the new switch so that I can try out those components? 

Edited August 13, 2013 by Onion

[Miles]

Stop.

 

Don't modify anything.

 

Get a schematic and study the wiring and internal connections of the switch until you understand how it is supposed to work.

 

Then use a volt meter to figure out what is happening.

 

Only then will you solve the problem.

 

If the PO screwed up the wiring - fix it.

 

Look at your fuse box for signs of burning/melting.  There may be a clue there.

[Onion]

Stop.

 

Don't modify anything.

 

Get a schematic and study the wiring and internal connections of the switch until you understand how it is supposed to work.

 

Then use a volt meter to figure out what is happening.

 

Only then will you solve the problem.

 

If the PO screwed up the wiring - fix it.

 

Look at your fuse box for signs of burning/melting.  There may be a clue there.

 

I took it all apart again, and this time opened the actual switches. I made sure everything was activating, cleaned the contacts and sanded them a bit, put it all back together, and tested it out. It feels much nicer and firmer. I stuck it all back into the car, and nothing. 

 

I took a look at the fuse box, it still looks good as new. I'll look for a schematic and see what's going on. 

[Miles]

Look at the connections under the fuse box.

[z240]

Take the hazard switch out and clean its internal contacts. The TS power goes thrue this switch and its a common failure point that causes your symptoms.

 

Another clue about flasher units is that they tend to work well when the car is running, but may not work well or at all if the car is not running (low voltage). Also with dirty contacts, the higher voltage get a bit more current through and make them work when running. A system with all clean connections will work well car running or not.

[Onion]

Looks good as new under the fusebox. 

 

 

I tried testing the center right fuse (parking and tail lights) with the voltmeter and I hardly got a reading. What would that indicate? I then tried it with the ohm function (read it on other Z websites from people with the same issue) and it fluctuated a lot. 

 

Also, about the hazard switch, I took it out as well as I could through the back of the dash without having to remove it, and it seems pretty good. I'll try to see if it disconnects somehow so I can check the connections and all. 

Edited August 15, 2013 by Onion

[Onion]

I'm so lost here. Can anyone chime in? I don't even have front blinkers anymore, which is increasingly weird.