Brake/signal light help!

[70Goon]

Hey all,

I have been searching the forums to see if anyone has posted on this topic with no success.

Forgive me if i didnt look hard enough.

 

I have been trying to go through the electrical systems in my 70 wagon for a few days now and ran into some issues.

With the running lights on, i get power to the headlights/highbeams, rear running lights, and the rear marker lights.

The problem is with the brake lights. I know that the brake light switch is in a normally open state until the brakes are pressed. Is there supposed to be power running to one of the two leads running to this switch or am i missing something?

I have checked to make sure that the lights were still good and they seem ok. I also opened up the white/blk wire that goes to the light and ran a lead to the + on the battery to test it and it works. I dont have a manual which i should get but i think that this light is grounded by the housing and the white/blk wire sends power. When i run power to the light, it lights up but the other running tail lights shut off. Probably a ground issue but not sure.

 

The other issue is the signal lights. High/Low beam switch works great. I took apart my signal switch on the steering column and cleaned it up as best i could but when left or right signals are on, I get nothing. My wiring harness is in pretty decent shape minus the few spots of decay but other wise great. Can someone tell me where the signal light relays are located? Under the dash, in the engine bay and what do they look like?

I swapped my motor out with a carbed KA so I may have left out some of the relays needed for this to function correctly.

 

 

Thanks for looking and for the help.

David

[banzai510(hainz)]

Jeff Hino (Icehouse) on here

said 8/10times that it is corrosion. He said if you move the wire harness by the fuse box it might come on when pushing the brake.

I guess there is a C crimp splice that runs a wire back to the lights.

 

try moving that harness around in that area and see if the brakes lights light up when pushed.Prob need 2 people.

 

 

the turn signal? was this working before?

wagons use a 6 pin turn signal harness

sedans is a 4 pin.

 

shound be 2 metal round type cans under neath the dash brake area. one for the signal and one for the emerg. Maybe swap them. also I think a wire from the turn signal grn wire needs to be hooked up as well but ck Im just going by memory

[SRSANDS]

I didnt really read through this but I had a front signal problem too at first. the problem I had was I had the wires plugged in opposite as the should have been on my front. At fist they were really bright (running lights) and I thought thats cool super bright. But then when I turned the blink blinks on nada up front. I switched the two wires on each front light. It now uses the lower dimmer filament on the front bulb, then when I activate the swtitch for blinker not only does the bright secondary filament kick in but the load activates my flasher more for faster stronger blinks all around.....try monkeying with your options on two wires per light or check your bulb types

[CorAce]

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy230/katsyd1/datsun%20510/SCAN0008.jpg

Not sure if this will work, but this was scanned in on a pretty high res. you should be able to print this out on several sheets of paper to make a poster size diagram. it worked for me, good luck.

[70Goon]

Thanks for all the responses. I havent had time to take look just yet but the signal lights werent working as far as I know. i bought the wagon and immediately started breaking it down.

Once I got her back in running condition I was impressed with the fact that all the other lights worked except for the brakes and turns.

Its been tough getting an extra set of hands to help with the car but with the rain coming this weekend, I'm not sure I will be able to get to it.

I will try out what you guys recommend and let you know how it goes.

 

BTW: Is there an aftermarket or off the shelf parts store that has these flashers?

 

 

 

CorAce,

Thanks for the jpeg. I already sliced it up and made a poster. Hopefully it will work with the goon.

 

:D

[CorAce]

Do the marker lights come on with the headlights and not flash with the signal switch? or do the marker lights not come on at all? If they come on and not flash, check the turn signal can under the drivers side dash. its a silver can about the size of a film canister. it should have two wires going to it. with the ign on and the turn signal lever down you should be getting 12v to one side of the can. let me know.

[70Goon]

I havent really had a chance to look at the can but there is one on the left side which is mounted just above the steering column. It has two leads going to it. The marker lights above the valance and on the fenders (front and rear) do light up but dont flash when the signal switch is activated.

 

The silver can i did find has two green leads going to it and seem to have something to do with my fuel level gauge. I will have to take another look to see if there are other cans under the dash.

[CorAce]

 

 

Thats the one for the blinkers. with the key on you should have 12V on both of those green wires. when you engage the turn signal you are introducing a ground completing the circuit. the can heats up when the circuit is completed and cycles a switch on the inside of that can to make the marker light blink. If you look at the drawing I gave you you can see the "flasher unit" on the right hand side. if you follow the line from one side of the flasher you will eventually end up at the fuse box thats +12V side. if you follow from the other side you will eventually end up at the light end which is the ground. make sure all the junctions between those two spots are good.

[70Goon]

hmm, thats what i thought it could have been as well. When i turn on the ign. i do get power to both sides and my fuel gauge works.

The funny thing is that when i shake the can, it sounds like something is broken just rattling inside. possibly some type of filament or component that broke lose. Is there an off the shelf replacement part i can use for this? maybe from Autozone, Kragens, pepboys?

thanks

 

Also, if all is said and good. When I press the brakes, i should get power to the white/blk wire that runs to the rear tail lights right?

[CorAce]

Ya, you should be able to pick up a generic one no problem, just take yours and match it the best you can. now I haven't worked on a goon before but the drawings are similar. with the key on, you should have 12V on one side of the peddle switch. and when you push in the peddle you should have 12v on both sides. If thats the case than make sure that the ground wire at the tail lights is good.

[70Goon]

hmm oddly enough, i dont get power to either side of the switch so maybe it will be easier to trace back. I do have a good ground to the tail lights. When i tapped into the white/blk and attached it to the + on the battery it works. Would it be possible to run a test wire with direct power to one terminal on the brake light switch to see if the lights turn on?

[CorAce]

on the drawings follow the wire from the "stop lamp" switch back to the fuse box. It looks like it passes through the hazard switch. see if you have power at that junction. and make sure your fuses are all good and passing power. just work you way back until you hit 12V.

I have to go for now

 

 

[datzenmike]

Try moving the hazard switch on/off/on/off to clean the contacts. In the OFF position the brake light switch is connected to the Green/Red wire to a 20 amp fuse at the fuse box that is with power at all times. The 720 hazard switch has a problem with traveling too far when placed in the OFF position and disconnects. The switch has to be moved just slightly toward the ON position to make proper contact. Maybe it this?

[banzai510(hainz)]

does your Horn work? if not replace fuse. My 510 the brake litgh is thru the horn fuse. then you should have 12volt the the switch at the pedal.

 

Blinkers need both Cans and the emuergency swithc installed as it short out cirtain wires. Now if you got the car and stripped this you better find the emerg switch or use soem jumpers.

 

onces that works I told you about the harness the routes the power to the back by the key switch. The C crimp.

[70Goon]

Thanks for all the input.

Here is where I am so far. Checked power to either terminal at the brake light switch and there was no power.

So I ran a 12v line direct to the right terminal and pressed the brakes. Viola!! Brakes working with running lights on and off.

No I need to trace the wires back as corace mentioned to locate where the power gets dropped.

The only problem with the hazzard light switch is that its missing the plunger.

The harness is connected to the switch but without the plunger I cant test it unless i jump the wires.

Hopefully someone will have this switch at the swapmeet in Newark lol. Anyways, once i get enough time to dedicate a full day to the goon, I will figure it all out.

For now, I will run a 12v line from somewhere to the switch so that i can drive it on the street.

 

Thanks again to all of you who helped me figure this out. Just got my Haynes manual for the car to so at least I have more info to read.

[banzai510(hainz)]

did you ck the horn fuse? id there power to the horn fuse? then go inside under neath glove box and find wire there where it splits into a connector.

 

I bet its under the fuse box corroded wire.

 

as for the emerg switch I just borroewd one from another car and plug in to see if it worked. then find out witch wires are shorted in the normal position. then used jumper wires and put the swithc back in car where I got it from.

[CorAce]

nice trouble shooting skills, now you know the break switch is good you probable just have a loose connection some were. under the dash on the pass side is a bunch of plugs were the inside and outside harnesses meat. try unplugging them and putting them back to gether to knock off any corrosion.

[70Goon]

So I am hoping to get some time this weekend to work out my wiring demons and put a new set of shoes on the rear. Had the right rear cylinder blow up on me. I will be referencing all of your comments while troubleshooting these issues. I really appreciate all of your guys' help.Its nice to be able to come here and ask questions and get answers or suggestions to problems.

 

P.S. I know I asked this already but do you guys know if any off the shelf flasher would work for my turns? The stock one is a two terminal so I'm wondering if I just ask my local parts shop for one from any random car? The OEM flashers are unavailable or at least from what I've seen.

Tanks

[banzai510(hainz)]

P.S. I know I asked this already but do you guys know if any off the shelf flasher would work for my turns? The stock one is a two terminal so I'm wondering if I just ask my local parts shop for one from any random car? The OEM flashers are unavailable or at least from what I've seen.

Tanks

 

take old flasher to the parts store.

match it up. they are pretty generic on the early cars foreign or domestic.

[70Goon]

aight cool thanks hainz

[70Goon]

OK sorry i havent gotten back to responding to this but everything is working swimmingly.

I went to the local Kragen Auto Parts/ O'riely or whatever and picked up a new Flasher Relay.

PN# FL32 (Electronic Flasher) just in case someone else has this problem.

Also got my brake lights working as well.

Thanks for all the awesome help!!!

[banzai510(hainz)]

Also got my brake lights working as well.

 

well what was the fix!!!!!!!!!!!!

[70Goon]

Opps my bad! After some troublehsooting, I was able to find a little spot on the Green/Red Stripe wire where some bronzing ate through the wires. The corrosion was in a hard to reach location almost above the heater core so it was a little hard to see. Re-ran a new wire and its working great.