74Adam Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Why am I stumped? Because I have now replaced the turn signal switch, the flasher relay and the hazard switch with brand new parts. Yes, the flasher relay is OEM, not some autozone crap. I have replaced the bulbs as well. Is there anything else obvious to look at or is it down to checking wires? thanks, oh, this is a 78. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunan Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Does your other blinker work? Do all lights flash when you put the hazards on? If so than the problem is in the switch on the column. Everything starts at the switch on the column and then goes through the flasher, so if the flashers work than the problem is not in the wirring from the front to back, it must be in the switch or the wirring between it and the flasher. If your flashers don't work than it could be anywhere in the circuit. Unless you got a new turn switch I would be it is the problem. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mario_82_ZXT Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Try this, put the lever like if the right turn signals are on, and then push on the back side of the switch. If its like mine, the right turn signal should turn on. I've tried quite a bit to fix this, including complete dissassembly and cleaning/adjusting of the mechanism, but the only thing that seems like it will work is to build a backing plate that will put pressure on the center contact of the switch. Mario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterZ Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Anyone have a test light??? The circuit is pretty easy to figure out and trace problems with a decent light. Look for power in and follow everything down to the bulb connections to ground. Then I recommend you put the rear bulbs on relays and use the front lights (through the flasher) to trigger the relays for the rear. The rear bulbs carry enough current to mess up the TS switch contacts. Did you lose both ends of the right side or something like just the right rear bulbs? Mario-I too had to take my switch apart. I used dielectric grease, cleaned and aligned the center contact and then bent the mount tabs tight. No problems after the relay install, been two years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74Adam Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 thanks guys. Datsunan- Sorry, I should have mentioned that. The left blinkers do work as well as the hazards. All exterior lights work in these modes. the turn signal switch on the column is NEW, I mean out of the OEM box new. I suppose it is possible that there could be a defect, but it seems unlikely. Mario- that sounds like a good test, I'll try it when I get home and report back later. Good grief, I'll feel like an idiot if I spent this money on new parts only because of a contact (or lack of one)...lol. Crap, something just occured to me that I should have mentioned. When I flip the switch for the right signal, the light actually comes on, it just isn't blinking. That seems really odd. It obviously is getting a signal of some kind. Now remember, I replaced the flasher relay with a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Loose_Screws Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Crap, something just occured to me that I should have mentioned. When I flip the switch for the right signal, the light actually comes on, it just isn't blinking. That seems really odd. It obviously is getting a signal of some kind. Now remember, I replaced the flasher relay with a new one. Sounds like either the front or rear right turn bulb is blown/discounted/loose wire. For the flasher to function, it requires enough current to flow through it to switch on and off. One bulb does not draw enough current for this to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74Adam Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 "Sounds like either the front or rear right turn bulb is blown/discounted/loose wire. For the flasher to function, it requires enough current to flow through it to switch on and off. One bulb does not draw enough current for this to happen." But the bulbs do come on, they just aren't blinking. I'll check again, but I'm pretty sure all the bubls, front and rear, work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Loose_Screws Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 But the bulbs do come on, they just aren't blinking. I'll check again, but I'm pretty sure all the bubls, front and rear, work. Are they bright when they come on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74Adam Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 Are they bright when they come on? It seems like they are from what I remember, but I will check when I get home. Hell, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace all the bulbs and clean the connections anyway. Let me ask, was this done by design to act as some kind of "warning system"? On my Frontier, for example, when a signal bulb goes out the dash display blinks twice as fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Usually when a blinker stays on it either means you have a burnt out bulb or the flasher is bad. I would try new bulbs on the right side and see what happens since you've already replaced the flasher. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74Adam Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 Guy, I think I will do that (might as well). So, are you guys saying that there can be ENOUGH power to turn the light on but NOT enough to trigger the flasher unit? Man, my mind just doesn't work very well when it invloves electricity....lol. I know this is really basic stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 So, are you guys saying that there can be ENOUGH power to turn the light on but NOT enough to trigger the flasher unit? Man, my mind just doesn't work very well when it invloves electricity....lol. I know this is really basic stuff. Yup thats what were saying. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunan Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 What happens in the flasher, you have a peace of bi-metal in the flasher that heats up when the blinker is turned on. If you only have one or two bulbs drawing power threw the flasher the bi-metal does not get hot enough to open, once open it cools very quickly and closes, gets hot and opens, and so on. The more the amp draw the faster it heats up, thus as stated above you have a bulb out or a bad ground that is not allowing your bulbs to burn bright and pull the amps needed for the flasher. Keep working on it your getting warmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Loose_Screws Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Good explanation on the flasher! Of course, you can do what I did when the left blinker didn't blink, but just came on. I would manually turn the left signal off and on! LOL! Worked well once because there was a cop behind me and my Z didn't exactly look roadworthy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterZ Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 You can use a "heavy duty" flasher unit and it works even if only one bulb is in the system. The problem is that it doesn't let you know if there's a bulb out, the police do that for you. Once again, you can put the rears on relays and trigger them using the front bulbs and heavy duty flasher units. I haven't had a problem with the signals since the change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 305240 Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 I had the same problem with mine. I traced the problem down to a bad pigtail in one of the bulb sockets.. It looked good, but the end od the pigtail was actually concaved and didn't let the nub on the bottom of the bulb make contact. It took me awhile to figure it out as it really did look good and checked good with a test light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nick_25 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 ok, i have the same problem, the left side blinkers did not work at all, but the hazards did, so i changed all the bulbs, messed with the wiring and got a heavy duty flasher unit, the left works, but sparaticly, somestimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, when i turn the headlights on, the left side does not work at all, plus the green left arrow is on, so that tells me something is worng in one of the bulds. well, i think i have traced it down to the front left turn signal, it is getting a weak signal, comes on but right side is a lot brighter, so i was reading about what you all said about the flasher deal and not getting enough voltage threw there and was wondering how the hell do i fix it from there? as far as the front left turn signal goes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nick_25 Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 ok, don't even worry about answering that, last night, i gave up trying to get the Z legal till i tear it down, the wiring is way to waky to try to fix, the damn brakes lights quit working last night with a good brake light switch, the left front blinker started working, and then no rear blinker....so i am done till it is rebuilt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterZ Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Sounds like fun. Don't forget to check your chassis ground all the way back to the battery. I think one fuse powers the marker lights so if one bulb is dim the power loss is after the fuse (since the power branches off to each light). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nick_25 Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 no, whats going to be fun is ripping every last morsel out of the car and rewiring it all...that way i know how every last piece works and is run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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