Headlights not working!?

[jnec510]

So i have a 69 datsun 510 an i am having some headlight/running light issues. when i pull the headlight switch the driverside headlight turns on but the passengerside headlight comes on and is dim. when i flick thew high beam switch nothing happens. my running lights do not work at all. i am using a headlight relay out of a 72 wagon, could that be part of the problem? I have gone through and sanded down all the grounding points to get a better contact. i have searched for broken wires, and found none. any ideas? this is the last thing holding me from driving her :( if there is someone local, ill shoot ya 10 for gas an a 6 pack of whatever you drink to come take a look. thank you in advance jason

[datsunaholic]

Usually dim light and no high beams on one side is a ground issue, because it tries to ground through the other filament (ends up with ~6v through the filaments). Check the plug for a good source to ground (with all 4 headlights unplugged). I believe the center prong is the ground on the low beams, could be either one on the high beams, so if one is bad it will read as an open with all the lights unplugged.

[banzai510(hainz)]

clean the left and right fuse holders.

 

When you hit the high beam switch on wheel (have soembody do this) CAN YOU HEAR THE RELAY CLICK?

If yes then go to the relay and open it and clean the contacks. Sometimes just pulling the relay and hooking it back up might fix it

 

If no click?

Is there a after market steering wheel with wrong adapter or no adapterthe ground wire wire not hooked up?

[jnec510]

@banzai stock steering wheel, and looks like it hasnt been pulled in a very long time.

 

@datsunaholic, i will go check the headlight ground right now an be back with results.

[jnec510]

@datsunholic i get 11.7 volts to the driverside out of the red/blue wire but 0 volts out of the red wire on the passenger side. am i able to just ground each headlight to see if that helps?

 

 

@banzai no click from relay. opended her up all connecting point look great. no melted soder nothing. where they touch looks clean an not coroded.

[izzo]

Jnec

 

I had these issues with my 71 wagon with the high beam. I tried and tried to figure it out, turns out it was the ground on the passenger side lighting was the issue. The whole time i thought it was something to do with the driver side high beam. Just a thought.. Use a wire and some alligator clips and make another ground. see if that helps it out.

[banzai510(hainz)]

using a test lamp all the light post on back of lamps should light up with the switch to OFF. If yes then its a ground proplem.

 

If no click on relay I would plug it back in w/o the lid and see if you see it move. If not your not getting the relay to move at lest when you hit the highbeam arm.

[jnec510]

I will do first thing tomorrow. Had to ride to work. I will post as I work on her tomorrow. Thank youu guys very much.

[jnec510]

Bad ground. But I think might be a bad relay aswell? No click. But if I push the prongs over the high beam come on

[datzenmike]

First:

 

IF YOUR RUNNING OR MARKER LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING YOU CANNOT SWITCH YOUR HI BEAMS ON. Thats just the way it is. Get the running lights fixed, probably a fuse, and your hi beams will come back. The headlight hi/low relay is powered from the running lights fuse. No running lights... no hi beams.

 

Second

 

If one lamp dim... you have a blown headlight fuse. Change both.

DO NOT TRUST A FUSE BY LOOKING AT IT, CHANGE IT FOR A NEW ONE AND MAKE SURE THE FUSE HOLDING CLIPS ARE CLEAN AND MAKING GOOD CONTACT.

[jnec510]

All fuses good except the common fuse it blows as soon as a fuse touches it. Sanded fuse connections for better contact.

[jnec510]

I'm still rolling with the relay being bad. Anyone have a headlight relay for a 69?

I have redone all the grounds in the car. Sanded the contact surface. Turn signals work but hazards do not. Brake lights work. Just kind of letting you. Guys know what works an what doesnt

[jnec510]

Just got off the phone with baxters an they have a NEW one for 25 gonna pick that up tomorrow after work.

 

 

Does the headlight ground through the relay? Or can I eexternally ground it?

[datzenmike]

So i have a 69 datsun 510 an i am having some headlight/running light issues. when i pull the headlight switch the driverside headlight turns on but the passengerside headlight comes on and is dim. when i flick thew high beam switch nothing happens. my running lights do not work at all. i am using a headlight relay out of a 72 wagon, could that be part of the problem? I have gone through and sanded down all the grounding points to get a better contact. i have searched for broken wires, and found none. any ideas? this is the last thing holding me from driving her :( if there is someone local, ill shoot ya 10 for gas an a 6 pack of whatever you drink to come take a look. thank you in advance jason

 

 

 

All fuses good except the common fuse it blows as soon as a fuse touches it. Sanded fuse connections for better contact.

 

So you are blowing a fuse? Don't you think that this should be fixed before throwing money at a relay? So which fuse is this??? Common fuse? What's that?

 

There are two headlight fuses, both10 amp, one for the lefts and one for the rights. If one blows, the low beam on that side will be dim. As I said you can't trust a fuse by looking at it. How do you know they are good???

 

Without running lights you can only have low beams, hi beams can't work. The relay won't even click.

[banzai510(hainz)]

on 510 fuse box the Common fuse is the cig wire 12volt wire. example the cig lighter wire doorbuzzer Lamp on roof.Hood lamp option also if its there(most likely not)

whatever the cig wire color it will also splice to a blu wht wire I believe under the dash.

 

somebody or you hooked soemthing up to it or a pc of metal is shorting out on ground? screw or wire smashed.

 

I dont know if this is wired to the headlamps but I think NOT.

 

ck the volt reg area the blk wire is grounded?

 

 

ck the lamp plugs. if burnt if will give a high resisitnace thus dimming the power to the lamp

[jnec510]

@ datsunmike

I replaced all fuses then tested them with a volt ohm meter to make sure they had the same on both sides. The second from the top on the right side only has 6 volts.

By common fuse I mean the first 1 on the right side. That connects to lighter door lights ... I found the cig lighter is sliced an grounding. Prob solved there.

 

@banzai

I will do that first thing when I get home. I sanded the paint off the reg an behind it (car is rattle canned an had over spray) I didn't get to test it yet I had to be to work at 4pm an don't get off til tomorrow at 3pm. I will posy tomorrow when I get back at it. Thank you guys again.

[banzai510(hainz)]

just for more info is this a stock headlamps ???? or H4s

If H4s and stock wireing soemthing could be burnt.

If just stock lamps I would ck the connectors and ck back were the crimp is or look at the inside connector ansd see if it looked like its arched.

 

 

On my 521 with H4 harness one side was dim. I notice one connector was burned. I took the lamp out but still connector hooked up If I pushed it in just right the connection got better.

[datzenmike]

Pull the drivers side low beam plug off and check that there is 12 volts on the Red/Blue wire. This confirms the fuse is indeed working and the wire from it is good this far.

 

Pull the passenger side low beam plug off and check that there is 12 volts on the Red wire. This confirms the fuse is indeed working and the wire from it is good this far.

 

I still maintain that there is lack of power to one side. Could be anything from a fuse to a bad connection, maybe even at the headlight plug.

[jnec510]

Ok I tested both driver side an passenger side low beam. I get 11.67 to the red/blue wire on driverside. But I'm not gettin any power to the red wire on the passenger side whil all 4 are unplugged(but while the others remain plugged in it gets power.) So I tested the fuse an found both headlight fuses get 12. So I tested the red wire an red/blue wire and they both have 12 leaving the fuse block so I got a break in route some where and am opening the harness to find it. I will post back with what I find

[jnec510]

Found the bad connection got 12 to both sides now. But when I when I plug them in the passenger side is still dim. So I unlugged the driverside the passenger turns off. And its still dim. Checked the plugs over again. Fuse is still readin 12

[jnec510]

Ok for absolutly no reason I heard a click in the engine bay an boom I got running lights. So I check an I'm getting power to the head light switch. :-) so I turn the car off an back on nothing no click nothing :-( so I think the relay is why I have no running lights. But I have found a few bad connections so I hope I got all of them.

 

 

But I need a headlight relay, anyone have 1?

[banzai510(hainz)]

try reseat connector or clean the contacks in relay if you havent alread

[paulitan]

i have a 73 620. the head light and tail lights work but not at the same time. the pull switch is faulty i assume. one pull i get head lights no dash light light or tail lights or running lights. 3 clicks out i get dash and tail to come on but no head lights. brake lights and reverse light work fine. i bought a universal pull switch but it has 5 wire hookup to screws. the stock is not like that. someone please help. i got a fix it ticket and its bout due. joined this site to hopefully get some help from fellow datsun owners

[Timber]

I have a 72 240Z and had the same problem. Spent two days going through everything. I ended up taking the switch apart and cleanning everything. There was quite abit of dust/shavings over time. Put it all back together and they are as bright as if the the Z was new. Good luck. Hope this helps.

[banzai510(hainz)]

620s are common. find another 620 switch or maybe clean that one or hit it with WD40 and work the switch and soemtimes there is a ground wire by the hood release. ck that also