No low-beams or interior lights '78 280z

[Korvus]

So I have two possibly related issues and need help:

When I bought my Z it didn't have low-beams and the hi-beams were rather dim, this was inconvenient, but my brights worked like low-beams and I didn't really need any more than that. It wasn't correct, but wasn't causing problems.

 

But on my way home from work about three/four weeks ago everything electrical went dead inside the car except for the ever glowing "E-Brake" light and the suddenly glaringly bright "charge" light in the voltmeter, which dropped to 0. The windshield wipers, which had chewed through two fuses in the last week (in retrospect hinting something was about to take a dump on me), went as well. Headlights still worked as they always had.

 

I have since had the wipers fixed ("Intermittent Wiper Amplifier") and the voltmeter now shows an appropriate charge, but the radio, dash lights, and ashtray light, still don't work.

The place I'm having look it over suspects the combination switch is to blame for the lights, but that wouldn't affect the radio.

 

(I know I'll be looked down upon for having a shop work on the car instead of doing it myself, but my knowledge is limited and really don't want to "trial and error" my way into a (more) clusterfucked car.)

 

Sorry if I'm not very clear here, I'll try to clarify if you think you can help.

 

Edit: I honestly tried searching for this, so if it turns out there's another topic addressing this I apologize for my shitty Google-Fu skills.

[I'm BLUE]

Check and clean all eletrical grounds ,,, internally ,,, and externally ,,, seperate ones for the headlight harness as well as interior stuff ,,,

 

Check Fuse box ,,,(fuses in them) ,,, clean fuse box contacts if needed ,,, verify connectivity with a voltmeter/test-light ,,, and if they pop ,,, you have a bad eletrical ground/short in that circuit ,,,

 

Zcars a notorius for fuse box problems ,,, fixed mine immediately when I bought my 73 ,,, it failed a few months later driving down the road ,,, (literally fell apart , I had to stich inline fuses in an apartment complext to get home ,,, errrrrr ,,, they worked fine ,,,) <_< ,,, ordered the $160 one I was avoiding to order from MSA at the time because I was being a cheap basturd ! (motorsportauto.com) ,, worked like a champ since ! My z stopped blowing fuses to heater cicuit as well :) , and occasionally the radio circuit ! My wipers were getting slow towards the end of the original fuse box's life as well ,,, :lol:

 

Combination switches indeed go out on these cars as well ,,, BUT ,,, hopefully the place isn't going to just throw parts at it ,,, like the combo switch ,,,

 

Go through and clean interior harness grounds yourself ( grounds just need a clean surface from sandpaper/wirebrush/rubbing alcohol/whatever will get them clean and good contact ) ,,, check the fuses in the fuse box yourself ,,, pics please ,,, then go from there !

:D

 

If Skib is down there by ya in those parts ? ,,, give him a holler if he is ! ,,, he's a z-guy ;)