Help! No parking lights

[clutchdust]

Did a search but the only thing I came up with different than what I've done is the rheostat under the dash. How do you remove that thing anyway?

So here's what I have:

Headlights

Brake lights

Flashers

Here's what I don't have:

Parking lights

Turn signals

Dash lights

Here's what I've done:

Pull the column switch apart and clean the contacts.

I jumpered across the switch from the power on my headlight switch and I get everything ***BUT*** there is a pretty fair spark that accompanies that jumper so I think I'm done with that. At least I've confirmed that all the lights are, indeed, good.

I have ohmed out the switch and I get what looks like a short on the blue/green wire when the switch is off and on both when the switch is turned on.

Anybody else already been down this road???

[ModernS30]

Did a search but the only thing I came up with different than what I've done is the rheostat under the dash. How do you remove that thing anyway?

So here's what I have:

Headlights

Brake lights

Flashers

Here's what I don't have:

Parking lights

Turn signals

Dash lights

Here's what I've done:

Pull the column switch apart and clean the contacts.

I jumpered across the switch from the power on my headlight switch and I get everything ***BUT*** there is a pretty fair spark that accompanies that jumper so I think I'm done with that. At least I've confirmed that all the lights are, indeed, good.

I have ohmed out the switch and I get what looks like a short on the blue/green wire when the switch is off and on both when the switch is turned on.

Anybody else already been down this road???

 

Sure have, I wrote a write up to avoid this but it hasn't been posted on the FAQ because either the admins disapproved it (would make me sad I wrote it for this reason) for they haven't gotten to it yet. The blue green one on that little block on top with the 4 wires? Go from the White/RedStripe to the blue green, NOTE! Switch MUST be on and you should get it to work. If not leave the switch on and experiment with the different combo's, should be like 16? Also, to confirm it just being you switch try to just use another switch that is known working. I am pretty certain it is the box. Happened to me, first time I tried it the jumper didn't work, went back when it happened again and messed with it and it started to work again. If you need more help or would Like pictures I will provide, and actually, screw it, I will post the pictures I have. This one should help!

 

[Two80z4me]

heh, let me bring you two up to speed, the White/Red is headlight, solid Red brings power, you close off the green w/white and take the top left and wire it to the White/Red so when you flip the tab and give the white/red power it turns on all your lights as well.

[ModernS30]

heh, let me bring you two up to speed, the White/Red is headlight, solid Red brings power, you close off the green w/white and take the top left and wire it to the White/Red so when you flip the tab and give the white/red power it turns on all your lights as well.

 

Your telling me I should be taking off that green and white wire? I just have a wire soldered between the 2 in the picture and did nothing else. LOL

[Two80z4me]

Your telling me I should be taking off that green and white wire? I just have a wire soldered between the 2 in the picture and did nothing else. LOL

 

lol yeah, you can disconnect the green and white, thats what I did and its worked flawlessly. If my car wasn't getting the header done right now I could take a photo for you.

[ModernS30]

lol yeah, you can disconnect the green and white, thats what I did and its worked flawlessly. If my car wasn't getting the header done right now I could take a photo for you.

 

LOL, well, since its not doing anything bad as of right now I am just going to leave it, I just have a piece of 110 volt ground wire (just great coated on the outside) soldered across the 2 that I point to in the picture. The reason it says headlights with a question is because I remembered touching the red and white one with the red one and the headlights came on so I wasn't sure. Either way, it works right now, I am happy it works. I need a welder now and I am trying to decide if I want to go aluminum dash but then I will need gauges and I don't want to spend a grand on gauges. I would at least need a Speedo, volt, oil psi, water temp, maybe oil temp, and a fuel gauge, although I don't have a fuel guage right now, I am an idiot and I use the idiot light. Because my fuel gauge doesn't work.

[Two80z4me]

don't ruin the only tuely unique thing that Z cars interior have lol

[ModernS30]

don't ruin the only tuely unique thing that Z cars interior have lol

I do like the dash, but Honestly a aluminum sheet dash and just spray it flat black will look cool. Such as the one in that 260z that's got the SR20 on youtube. then just paint it, cause unpainted is to shiny.

[T-Bone028]

Clutchdust, I had the same problem happen earlier this week. If you look at the picture that "NOTSUREWHATTPUT" posted in post #2, the terminal on the top left is the one you need to look at. Make sure that the solder/wire is securely attached. Mine was loose/cracked causing intermittent lighting for the dash and parking lights.

 

What I did: I removed the old soldering material from the wire and terminal. Carefully scraped the wire and the terminal with a razor blade to remove any old soldering material. Tested the connection between the exposed wire and the newly cleaned terminal to make sure it was the cause of my finicky lights. It was. Drank a beer. Re-soldered the wire to the terminal. Problem solved and dash lights and parking lights turn on as they should.

[ModernS30]

Clutchdust, I had the same problem happen earlier this week. If you look at the picture that "NOTSUREWHATTPUT" posted in post #2, the terminal on the top left is the one you need to look at. Make sure that the solder/wire is securely attached. Mine was loose/cracked causing intermittent lighting for the dash and parking lights.

 

What I did: I removed the old soldering material from the wire and terminal. Carefully scraped the wire and the terminal with a razor blade to remove any old soldering material. Tested the connection between the exposed wire and the newly cleaned terminal to make sure it was the cause of my finicky lights. It was. Drank a beer. Re-soldered the wire to the terminal. Problem solved and dash lights and parking lights turn on as they should.

 

I guess I could have done this, My cheep-o soldering iron doesn't get hot enough to melt the old solder very good.

[T-Bone028]

My soldering iron was $6 from Advanced Auto Parts. It was tricky getting in that area, but I was able to get it done. Just kept on melting the old solder, wiping off the tip on a damp paper towel, and doing it again until it was as clean as possible. Then going back in with a razor blade to carefully scrape the terminal clean. I did accidentally snip the old end off the wire, and exposed some fresh copper as a result. Tedious, but I know I wont have to do it again anytime soon.

[ModernS30]

My soldering iron was $6 from Advanced Auto Parts. It was tricky getting in that area, but I was able to get it done. Just kept on melting the old solder, wiping off the tip on a damp paper towel, and doing it again until it was as clean as possible. Then going back in with a razor blade to carefully scrape the terminal clean. I did accidentally snip the old end off the wire, and exposed some fresh copper as a result. Tedious, but I know I wont have to do it again anytime soon.

 

Yea, mine was like 6 bucks from the shack. I'm not the best at soldering but I used to mod and sell xbox controllers. I'm sure you have all encountered my creations on cod4 when the fully automatic g3 or m9 destroyed you. =P yes I am a horrible cheater, state it and get over it...

[clutchdust]

Thanks guys. I'm in the ball park with you. Where I've been testing is that one in the picture on the lower left. If I jumper from the red/white to that one (green/yellow), I get my lights but there's enough of a spark that makes me believe I have some kind of short. Of course, it's almost impossible to trace that wire without pulling the dash apart. And I can't figure out in the cheesy Haynes wiring diagram where it actually terminates inside the car.

I will hit all four terminals with a soldering iron but I currently don't believe any of them are loose.

I will jumper if required but I would prefer to actually fix the problem and have things work as designed.

Oh the joys of working on ~40 year old cars.

[T-Bone028]

I'm with you clutchdust...after "fixing" my parking lights and dashlights this weekend... For some reason, now my headlights, parking lights, and dash lights arent coming on anymore. Doesnt even sound like they are getting power because I dont hear any drop in my loud as hell holley fuel pump. The joys of working on this car is so often met with an intense level of frustration.

[ModernS30]

I'm with you clutchdust...after "fixing" my parking lights and dashlights this weekend... For some reason, now my headlights, parking lights, and dash lights arent coming on anymore. Doesnt even sound like they are getting power because I dont hear any drop in my loud as hell holley fuel pump. The joys of working on this car is so often met with an intense level of frustration.

 

I bet it works with the jumper? haha It sparks alot, because there are electric connection that are janky. If you too the spark plug out of the wire and held it away from the wire still close enough it will spark as well. Yes its a short, thats how its fixed. only other way is to buy a new switch.

[clutchdust]

My spidy senses tell me there's more to what you're thinking. Besides, as I see it, the wire I'm talking about, the one you wired around is the supply voltage for the parking lights. I fear there may be smoke in your future. I get spark, and a sizable one at that, by jumping to that supply wire even when the switch is off. That's a short.

I think my next step to confirm that suspicion will be to simply remove that wire and jumper straight from my headlight supply into that terminal. If I'm right, I should have a normally functioning switch. If I'm wrong, I will report so.

 

[EDIT] As promised, I stand corrected. The blue and green wire is, indeed, the power wire to the parking lights. It appears that somewhere in that harness it simply loses it's 12v. Hopefully, it's not actually shorting out but I would expect blown fuses and smoke. When I traced it out from it's fuseblock source, I get 12v but lose that somewhere between the fuse and the terminal on the switch. I'll just do the jumper until I really feel like pulling the dash apart and finding out.

NOTSURE, you're right.

[clutchdust]

Alright, instead of staring a new thread I figure I'll just give this one a bump.

So I "overhauled" the switch and now the switch works correctly. I also took the time to go through the turn signal switch and do the same, little fine (2000g) sandpaper to the contacts and a little dielectric grease. So the switches are fine, but now, when I turn on my turn signals, something is causing the turn signal bulb and the brake light bulb to flash alternately. I haven't really done any more wiring to this car, especially to the lights, so I don't know what the hell is up now. Anybody have similar experience? And found the problem?

I guess it's time to break out the colored pens and the Haynes schematic again.

[83zed owner]

two80z4me,

 

so your saying to wire the top left one (blue and yellow) to the (white an red)=(headlights)? i tried doing so and still no parking lights, i also tried the (blue and white) to the (white and read), and seemed like a bad idea when joined together lol, but still no parking lights.

 

any other ways to do so?

[ModernS30]

two80z4me,

 

so your saying to wire the top left one (blue and yellow) to the (white an red)=(headlights)? i tried doing so and still no parking lights, i also tried the (blue and white) to the (white and read), and seemed like a bad idea when joined together lol, but still no parking lights.

 

any other ways to do so?

 

This is why I tried to post a DIY that never got posted, I believe the admins decided they didn't like it? Are you sure your switch is in the ON position?

[naviathan]

Not sure if it's related, but when I bought my 77 it had no dash or parking lights. When I started tracing wires I found that the previous owner had used the dash light power for a ground on the radio. When the lights are off it reads as a ground so I see where the mistake was made, however, instead of figuring it out the right way he cut wires and rerouted everything to make it a ground for the radio to keep from blowing the fuse. I had to do some wire repair work, but eventually I got it all figured out and wired in properly. So, moral of the story, make sure the radio is grounded into the dash lighting.