Uh-oh, no dash lights or tail lights

[Guest zthang43]

I was driving home last night and stopped to do a burnout, as I often do, and as I was accelerating my dash lights got real dim, then went out. Headlights still work fine. Brake lights work, but none of the parking lights work (side markers or tail lights). I found a blown fuse, and replaced that, but still no lights. I'm guessing something shorted out, maybe the headlight switch. Anyone have any ideas, or previous experience with this?

[nullbound]

i had this happen twice in my '76 280, both for different reasons. the first time for me it was the switch for the headlights. the first click on your switch controls the dashlights and running lights. the second click is your headlights. i removed the plastic steering housing the first time to find that somehow the solder broke, leaving the green wire with the white stripe hanging in limbo. i resoldered the wires and everything worked fine.

 

the second time for me, i had replaced a nonworking gauge in my dash. upon reassembly, somehow i pinched and grounded a wire in the dash. it blew the fuse that night when i flipped on the headlights. i got pulled over on the way home for not having running lights, so be careful. no ticket, but still...

 

if youve done any spelunking in your dash, recheck your connections. next, check the connections on your headlight switch under the plastic housing. beyond that, something must have shorted. dont worry, it's pretty common on these cars for the wiring to do funny things. i had a '72 that lost it's running and dash lights, too. i ended up rewiring those lights, still controlling it with the same switch. sort of a PITA, though.

 

good luck!

[Guest zthang43]

Update: I pulled the steering column apart, checked the headlight switch, it was ok. I traced the problem all the way back to the fuse box. Turns out for some reason when I put the new fuse in it didn't make a connection. I don't know if the connectors were riding up on the glass of the fuse or what, but I moved the fuse around a little and wala! it all works fine again. Go figure.

[Kevin Shasteen]

I always replace my fuses first-they're so cheap & can fool you in more ways than one. As you now know-they look good but can be bad; then you (I/me/we) go off half cocked looking for electrical gremlins elsewhere when the whole time the problem was a fuse.

 

Glad you solved the problem. I HATE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS

 

Kevin,

(Yea,Still an Inliner)

[Kimi]

I have to rise this topic.

I have a similar problem with my 240Z: no parking lights, no rear lights or dash lights. Where is the fuse for these lights? Haven't had this problem earlier, and the lights worked fine last time I was driving my Z a week ago. And the car has been in my garage. The break lights and headlights work fine. What should I check?

[Kimi]

I have to rise this topic.

I have a similar problem with my 240Z: no parking lights' date=' no rear lights or dash lights. Where is the fuse for these lights? Haven't had this problem earlier, and the lights worked fine last time I was driving my Z a week ago. And the car has been in my garage. The break lights and headlights work fine. What should I check?[/quote']

Hehe, found the problem. The fuse looked alright, but when I tested it it didn't work. So I just put a new fuse and everything works But even when I looked at the old fuse closer you could not see anything that could cause the problem!? So, I've learned my lesson: check the fuse always twice.