Head light problems

[boxboy]

The 520 I just bought has no high beam. I mean, I flip the column switch and nothing happens. Tested the actual light and they work. I know zero about "wires and such." Can anyone help me get started? Fuses have all been replaced. I sight checked the column switch and it appears there is contact being made and released. Is there a relay i need to check contacts on? Where would I find it? PO said they didn't work when he bought the truck, but just like the leaking master cylinder, it didn't bother him enough to look at fixing it. Why doesn't everyone just do their maintenance?!

[izzo]

could be the switch, could be the wiring, its over 40 years old after all. Get a test light out and start tracking it down, take your fuse box out and soak it in white vinager for 10 minutes, then wash off, dry well. Try again. Test light is your friend!

 

i have a 520 wiring diagram in pdf, if you need. PM me an email and ill send it.

[boxboy]

I have the diagram. I just don't see that the headlight wires even go through the fuse block. Just from the switches to a relay and then to the lights. What am I missing?

[inline4]

if there's a separate switch for low beams and high beams, you could probably rewire it the same way as the 510 rewire. there's a schematic posted in h2theizzos thread about his wiring problem.

[boxboy]

K so I explored a few minutes last night, and found that there is no longer a relay in my headlight system! Someone bridged the connections for the low beams and just left the high beams hanging. Will Beebani's two relay system work for me? I am assuming Datsun's screwed up wiring was not new technology, and that they used the same system in '68 as the early 70's. If so I guess I just need to make sure the color codes are the same and it should be a piece of cake.

[boxboy]

Woops! Now I can't find the thread I was looking at that mapped out the 2 relay modification. Can someone point me the way, or has someone actually done this on a 520 that can tell me the correct color codes and procedure. Like I said, I know zero about wires. I learned all I know from reading threads on this site!

[inline4]

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/22013-510-driver-headlight-issues/

 

that has a link to a diagram that replaces the 510 headlight relay. if your system is similar, look through a wiring diagram to locate your wires for the headlight relay and the process will be similar.

[inline4]

K so I explored a few minutes last night, and found that there is no longer a relay in my headlight system! Someone bridged the connections for the low beams and just left the high beams hanging. Will Beebani's two relay system work for me? I am assuming Datsun's screwed up wiring was not new technology, and that they used the same system in '68 as the early 70's. If so I guess I just need to make sure the color codes are the same and it should be a piece of cake.

the 510 one I posted probably wont work.

 

here's a 520 diagram though

 

http://www.olddatsuns.com/data/dat-520.pdf

 

edit: it looks like gb (green with blue) is the parking lamp. I'm assuming the black with red wire @ the headlight relay wiring should trigger the high beams. I'm not quite sure how your single light system is wired up, but the diagram that is posted for the 510 I think might work, as it its just switching on and off for the high beams

[mklotz70]

there's a couple of 620's in the Foster Upullit yard that will probably still have the relays. The 520 schematic is on olddatsuns.com on the tech page.

[boxboy]

That site has two different diagrams. One with a relay with 7 connections, which is the diagram I had from the FSM and another with a 4 connection relay. Which one is right? The way I read it, I have four wires that I am dealing with. RY that is the low beam from the switch, with RB that goes to the lights. Then either a BR or a GY that goes from the high beam switch to the RW wire to the high beam lights. Am I close?

[boxboy]

Checked it out on my lunch break. I have the RY from the switch, the RB to the low beam lights, a smaller BR from the column dimmer and a RW to the high beams. My question is, can I buy two relays, get power from in-line 20a fuses to the 30 on each, put the RY to the 86 on one, with the RB to the 87, put the BR to the 86 on the other and the RW to the 87 on the other and have a better system than original. This is what I remember from the thread I read last night, but that I can't find now. I believe it was a Beebani post. Anyway, will it work? What relays do I get? I need specifics on the relays, because NAPA has a billion of them. I think I need two 30a relays with 4 posts and a mounting tab.

[mklotz70]

dang, it's been a long time since I've messed with this! I used to know it like the back of my hand :)

 

You're pretty close and there's definitely something missing from the schemat with the 4 wire relay. It might be easier to look at the 521 diagram.

 

BR= trigger from blinker stalk switch HI/LO

RW= High beams

RB= Low beams

RY= power from light sw

 

Basically, all of the juice for the lights goes through the headlight sw in the cab. From there it goes to the relay on the RY wire. At the relay, it either passes straight through to the RB wire and onto the low beams...OR...if the BR wire provides a ground which energizes the relay, it goes out the RW wire to the high beams.

 

If I remember right, when it's set up correctly, it seems like the blinker arm is in the wrong position. You don't want the relay constantly energized while the low beams are on. I know I did a post on all this several years ago...may have been on NWDE.

 

The point of the two relay mod is to use one relay to use the light sw as a trigger and take the main juice off the sw in the cab. The second relay switches hi/low. I only use one relay to provide juice from the batter to the headlight relay so that I won't over heat the light switch. I still use the stock headlight relay to switch from hi/low.

 

Since you don't have a stock relay, you might as well buy two bosche relays from the parts store and wire up both at the same time.

[mklotz70]

Checked it out on my lunch break. I have the RY from the switch, the RB to the low beam lights, a smaller BR from the column dimmer and a RW to the high beams. My question is, can I buy two relays, get power from in-line 20a fuses to the 30 on each, put the RY to the 86 on one, with the RB to the 87, put the BR to the 86 on the other and the RW to the 87 on the other and have a better system than original. This is what I remember from the thread I read last night, but that I can't find now. I believe it was a Beebani post. Anyway, will it work? What relays do I get? I need specifics on the relays, because NAPA has a billion of them. I think I need two 30a relays with 4 posts and a mounting tab.

 

Without seeing the pinout on the relay....I can't say for sure, but that sounds about right. You only need the NC contacts on one of the relays. The first relay takes pwr from the batt, through the 20a fuse and turns it on when it gets the trigger from the headlight sw RY wire.

 

...okay...just pulled up the pinout for the relay...

 

First relay...

86 will be the RY from the light sw. This wire is already fused at the fuse box before the light sw. It won't pull enough to matter.

85 grounded to body

30 12v from batt through the 20a fuse(only one needed)

87 will be short wire feeding pin 30 on second relay

87a not used on first relay

 

Second relay

85 will be BR wire from blinker

86 can be from any 12v source. It won't need much power so I'd just feed both relays from the same RY wire(splice a second short wire in when you crimp the connector for the first relay....so that it daisy chains to the second. Or get one of those terminal adapters that allow you to to hook up two connectors to the one terminal.

30 will be jumpered from 87 on the first relay. No fuse needed since it's fused prior to the first relay.

87 will be the RW wire for the high beams.

87a will be the RB wire for the low beams.

 

 

In this config, your marker lights will all still go through the light sw, but the headlights will go through the relays. You will most likely notice a difference in brightness!

[boxboy]

Wow, I don't think I was close at all. Thanks for spelling it out for me. Like I said, I don't know squat about wires. So, I can get the generic 5 pin relays off the shelf at NAPA. I have about 2-1/2 inches of free wire on the existing wiring free. Will I need to cut and add length and new connectors? What gage of wire? 12?

 

I don't get how it all works, but I will take your word for it. I will try to pick up the parts I need in the next day or two.

 

I am blowing fuses with my heater fan also. So I took off my fuse block and soaked it in lemon juice for about 15 minutes. Would I be better off getting a new fuse block as well? Is there a way to clean the old connectors, or do I need to cut the old ones off and put on new?

 

I really appreciate the advice.

[mklotz70]

12 ga wire would work just fine. I think I might have used a 10ga feed, but even 14 should work. I think the factory wires are less than 14ga.

 

The first relay simply switches the main power instead of the light sw. The light sw becomes the trigger control. the second relay simply changes which filament...hi/lo...that power goes to and it's triggered by the blinker sw.

 

You can put new connectors on...I don't think it's really necessary and usually, when you strip back the old insulation, the wire is corroded back about an inch or more. You have to cut that off too or clean it all. Easier to clean the original connector.

[boxboy]

What's the best way to get in there and clean them? or is cleaning the fuse block enough?

[mklotz70]

You can use a brass or stainless wire brush...the small ones you can get from HF. Most parts stores sell an Electric Contact cleaner(near the engine degreaser normally) but it may melt the plastic.

 

My solution would be to glass bead it, but I'm guessing you don't have that option :)

 

If you have a Dremel, you can use the little SS wire wheel to clean up the contact surfaces.

[boxboy]

Okay, so for some reason NAPA didn't have everything I needed in 12 gauge wire. So I got 14 with a 20a agc fuse lead for the battery, 2 accessory relays, (they say 40a). When I get a chance I'll wire it all up. May be a couple of days now. Thanks Mklotz70. I appreciate the tutoring.

[mklotz70]

You bet :)

[boxboy]

Okay, I got her all rigged up. The good news is that when I turn on the dash switch all four lights come on. Yeah! The bad news is that when I push the column switch back (towards the dash) everything goes off. Forward (toward the wheel) they are all on, and away they are all off. What did I hook up wrong? Seems strange to me that the RY from the dash switch is on 86 on both relays. But what do I know. Got any ideas?

[inline4]

Okay, I got her all rigged up. The good news is that when I turn on the dash switch all four lights come on. Yeah! The bad news is that when I push the column switch back (towards the dash) everything goes off. Forward (toward the wheel) they are all on, and away they are all off. What did I hook up wrong? Seems strange to me that the RY from the dash switch is on 86 on both relays. But what do I know. Got any ideas?

pics of the diagram you used? try hooking up one of the 86's to the lead on the parking light. (the orange turn signal one)

[boxboy]

I tried pulling off of the fuse box where I had an empty spot from the lighting fuse. That switched the relay #2 on and then all was dead. What kind of power am I looking for there? Could my problem be that relay #1 is just not grounded correctly? I grounded to the fender.

 

As for the diagram I followed, it is in this thread in an Mklotz post. Followed it to the letter.

[mklotz70]

Off the top of my head, it sounds like the wire from the blinker is going to relay one and should go to relay two. Having the headlight sw feed both relays simply means that the second relay can not turn on without the headlight sw being on.

[mklotz70]

I'm not sure what you mean that you pulled it off the fuse block. You should have run a new wire to feed the se one relay. The fuse in the block has a tendency to melt fuses if it carries all the juice.

[mklotz70]

Pin 30 on relay Two should be fed by a new wire through a 20amp fuse straight from the battery. Pin 30 on relay one does not require much power. It can be fed by another jumper from pin86 or from pin 30 on relay two. I know that's slightly different from the first way I posted it and either way will work fine. The second way eliminates the main juice from having to go through relay one first.

Pin 86 on both relays is fed by the headlight sw which needs the headlight fuse installed or it won't have any power. The first relay is grounded (pin 85) to the fender. You can check that ground by putting pwr to pin 86 and see if it clicks.

Pin85 on the second relay is connected to the wire from the blinker sw which provides a switched ground to change the relay from low to high.

Another reason the low beams don't com on is the wire isn't hooked up. Or it is possible that both lights have burned out low filaments. Touch your new wire with the 20amp fuse to it and see if the low beams come on.