tommy260z Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 Howdy, I've got a 71 260z that I'm chasing down some electrical gremlins in. For starters, the turn signals don't work. They do run when the hazard switch is engaged but I took the signal switch out of the steering column and it is getting no power. I cleaned the contacts on the switch just to be safe. There is power on both sides of the fuse on the panel. So that leads me to believe the problem is a ground. Does anyone know where the ground runs from the switch to ?? I have a wiring diagram from the appropriate Haynes manual but it is so tiny I can't read it. As a side note, since I took the harness on the steering column apart, the headlights stopped working. This again makes me think it's a common ground problem. But I hate electrical work as I'm generally pretty useless at it so any help here would be great. These problems are the last mechanical ones for the car as the body and motor are done and tip top. Just the interior to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy260z Posted November 16, 2008 Author Share Posted November 16, 2008 This is the car. It's the only pic I got before the snow started flying and she's not much for a winter driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at-jefft Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 the turn signals don't work. They do run when the hazard switch is engaged I have the same problem, keep us posted with the fix if you find it. PS. why do you call it a 71 260z? you must know that 260z's were only made in 74? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 Look at http://www.atlanticz.ca And then go to tech tips and the to the electrical section. there should be a large wiring diagram for the 260z. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballin280z Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 i had the same problem with my 280 when i got her a new battery, i dont know how long yours has been sitting but here's what i did to fix mine. 1. pull all your glass fuses and clean the contacts extremely well and double check you dont have any that are toast. and check to make sure all your fusible links on the pass wheel well have all good contact as well...that solved my headlights, 2. my turn signals were because of a burnt out bulb...one shot bulb wipes the whole blinker system and you get nothin....try that, just a suggestion from someone who had a very similar problem recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at-jefft Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 i had the same problem with my 280 when i got her a new battery, i dont know how long yours has been sitting but here's what i did to fix mine. 1. pull all your glass fuses and clean the contacts extremely well and double check you dont have any that are toast. and check to make sure all your fusible links on the pass wheel well have all good contact as well...that solved my headlights, 2. my turn signals were because of a burnt out bulb...one shot bulb wipes the whole blinker system and you get nothin....try that, just a suggestion from someone who had a very similar problem recently. Did you blinkers work with the hazard switch engaged? or not at all. It sounds like the hazards don't work and the blinkers only work with the hazard switch engaged.(that is at least my problem,which sounds the same) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy260z Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 Did you blinkers work with the hazard switch engaged? or not at all. It sounds like the hazards don't work and the blinkers only work with the hazard switch engaged.(that is at least my problem,which sounds the same) Yes, the hazards work. That's the frustrating part, the bulbs are all good and the signals work, just not when I engage them with the turn signal lever. But I pulled a wiring diagram off the atlanticz site and now I just pray the wire colors will match! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy260z Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 I have the same problem, keep us posted with the fix if you find it. PS. why do you call it a 71 260z? you must know that 260z's were only made in 74? Right I knew that, must have been backwards in my head at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deja Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 I don't know about the 260Z but the 280Z has 2 blinkers under the dash. One is for the hazards and one for the turn signals. The voltage to run the turn signals or hazards goes through these before it gets to the switch. You should be able to swap those and see if it fixes your problem. You can get a new one at any auto parts store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rigez Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Don't forget to check the bulbs and/or connections to your marker/parking lights. I had one with a rusty connection that was causing a short and issues with the turn signals and brake lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Hawk Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Don't forget to check the bulbs and/or connections to your marker/parking lights. I had one with a rusty connection that was causing a short and issues with the turn signals and brake lights. Why do 3 people come in and say "check your bulbs" or some other drivel about one or more lights being out when the OP clearly stated that the signal lights work with the hazard switch? Come on people. If you're going to try and help, at least take the time to read the original post. Yeesh. You say that you cleaned the contacts on the switch. Do you mean that you actually disassembled the contact box at the base of the turn signal stalk, or that you cleaned the contacts on the connector? You have to bend back tabs to get into the box, and there are very tiny fiddly bits in there that are a bear to get back in the box. However, breaking it open and getting the contacts clean is a must, as corrosion here is one of the top two causes of no blinkie. The other top cause of turn signal malfunction is the hazard light switch. It puts power through the light circuit both in the ON position and OFF as well, so that the turn signals can route through the switch. The contacts on the off side corrode. You have to pull the hazard switch out of the dash and check the contacts within the housing. For your new headlight problem, see if anything happens when you click your brights on/off with the turn signal selector. Sounds like you've botched a wire or harness on the reassembly. I have my own turn signal thread going right now, and I have the exact same problem as you. My hazards work, and my signals do not. At first my hazards didn't work either (just solid, unblinking lights when the switch was on), but a new flasher relay in the passenger footwell fixed that. Now my hazards work but my turn signals still don't. I have rebuilt the hazard and the turn switches and still have no go. Anyone? BTW, are you talking about a 71 240Z or a 74 260Z? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zedman240 Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Most of the time when I've had a flasher issue its always been the fault of the flasher unit. Sometimes a quick "tap" with a screwdriver seems to bring it back to life temporarily or just replace the thing. There is a seperate one for hazards and indicators; also check for power at the X terminal when the ignition and indicators are on.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy260z Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 I disassembled the turn signal box (bending back the tabs and being careful not to drop that tiny ball bearing!) and cleaned the contacts inside. I took pictures as I went along and re-assembled the switch the way it was before. From there, I'm stumped. I'm confident the switch is back together properly and all the connections are good. On to the hazard switch I guess. And I meant a 74 260z, the 71 got in my head from a 240 I looked at at the same time. It sounds like we have identical turn signal problems. I'm going to spend the weekend with the wiring diagram and the car and see if I can't figure out what's going on. As for the headlights, I might have pooched the ground upon reconnecting. Got to look at that too. You say that you cleaned the contacts on the switch. Do you mean that you actually disassembled the contact box at the base of the turn signal stalk, or that you cleaned the contacts on the connector? You have to bend back tabs to get into the box, and there are very tiny fiddly bits in there that are a bear to get back in the box. However, breaking it open and getting the contacts clean is a must, as corrosion here is one of the top two causes of no blinkie. BTW, are you talking about a 71 240Z or a 74 260Z? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Hawk Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 Check my "Hazards and Turn Signals" thread - I solved my problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blown77Z Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 My problems and solution are in Doc's thread as well. The turn signals get IGN power from the hazard switch when it's in the OFF position. Double check the 2 wires that run your turn signals. 1 wire will get IGN power and feeds that thru the hazard switch to the other wire and out to your turn flasher, then to your turn signal switch on the column. GL ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy260z Posted November 29, 2008 Author Share Posted November 29, 2008 (Some) Success! I have a right hand turn signal. At your suggestion I took apart, cleaned and reassembled the hazard switch - it was looking pretty haggard - and when I did my right hand turn signal started to work. The left I get nothing. Unless I put the test light on the contact - then the left works too! I'm pretty electrically dis-inclined so that really confuses me. Anybody have any idea what's happening there? Doc, I also tried wiggling the hell out of the turn signal switch to no avail. So I have a working right signal and a dead left. Unless there's a test light on it. This makes me think the switch is drawing power from the test light and working which means the left side isn't getting power. Tell me if this is wrong. Even if that's correct I'm not sure where to go from there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy260z Posted November 30, 2008 Author Share Posted November 30, 2008 Hold the phone! I have two turn signals. I figured if I had a right I should have a left and if the test light was setting the left off all it was doing was completing the circuit. So I pulled the switch out again and had a look. When the lever was in the down (left) position it wasn't coming far enough to push that little arm to complete the circuit. So I filed the beacket holding the arm in place down a touch on the left side and presto! The circuit is complete; two working signals. Man, what a pain in the ass! Now I move on to the headlight problem and mechanically and electrically I'll be done. Time to start a new thread... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Hawk Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Nicely done! Grounds are your likely problem for the headlights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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