Got gremlins. Need help from the OGs.

[DRIVEN]

Subject: 1971 B110 (1200) mostly stock.

Yesterday I went out to my car and it wouldn't turn over. Pulled the light switch and the dash, tail and front marker lights came on. No headlights of front side markers. When the switch was pushed in (off) the front side markers glow dim. Got a push start and went on my way. That's when I found that my wipers didn't work either. At the next stop I turned the ignition switch off to find the car still running (not just dieseling). Suspecting a faulty ign. switch I reached behind and pulled the plug. Kept running. Popped the hood and yanked the neg batt cable. Kept running. Pulled coil + wire and it died. Hooked up the batt cable and coil wire and ign. switch and restarted the car. Lights and wipers worked the same as earlier. By this time it was raining and getting dark so I caught a ride home, got the tow dolly and took it home.

This is what I found this morning: Wiper fuse had a loose cap (end) so I replaced it and wipers work now. Found that either disconnecting the battery cable and reconnecting it or simply bumping the starter would get the front side markers to go out. Added supplimental ground to the headlight circuit now they work correctly. Ignition switch worked OK all day.

Am I missing something Here? Seems unlikely that 3 unrelated things would act up at the same time. Any old guys got some input?

Edited March 6, 2009 by DRIVEN

[ggzilla]

Check the ground cable. Original 1200 battery ground cable has thick wire to starter, and thinner wire to engine block. Maybe it is loose, or corroded.

[DRIVEN]

Thanks. My negative cable is attached to the oil pump bolt -- doesn't seem like a great spot but that's where it was when I got the car. That is also the spot that I ran my aux. ground wire. I will add another (heavy gauge) from that point to the starter. Any other thoughts?

[ggzilla]

Is the cable head OK, or is it corroded?

Negative (-, aka earth/ground). Stock cable is BLACK with Yellow stripe. It connects directly to the engine block at the oil pump. The engine end of this cable also has a smaller black wire. This is the main body ground and connects to the body at the Horn bolt

Datsun 1200 Wiring

so check the body ground wire at the horn.

[DRIVEN]

No corrosion anywhere -- not even the shiny black kind that most people miss. Cables are about 2 years old and all mounting surfaces are clean. Today I will be adding the second ground I mentioned before. I'm only paranoid because this is the only time the car has let me down and HAD to get towed home that wasn't due to blatant abuse. Thanks again.

[rufusswan]

.. Popped the hood and yanked the neg batt cable. Kept running. Pulled coil + wire and it died.

 

If the motor was running AND the negative post on the battery was not hooked up you have one or more circuits shorted to ground. One of those circuits is your ignition circuit.

 

I just fixed something similar with my new 210. Ignition wire between key and starter solenoid was shorted to ???? Fuses blew everywhere, carb sensors were nutty. New wire between steering column and starter solenoid, and entire problem gone.

[banzai510(hainz)]

On Datsun 510s if car stays running and has a external volt reg try unpluugeing it and shut car off then if it does then try a new volt reg.

[DRIVEN]

Appreciate it guys. It didn't act up since doing the stuff I mentioned earlier. The lights and wiper problems didn't have me that concerned -- the running with the key out of the ignition did. I HATE intermittent problems. I guess I'll have to wait for it to happen again. Hopefully next time I won't be 20 miles away in the rain/dark with no tools. If I does happen again, I will update.