Brake lights not working, and assorted other shakedown questions

[XXL]

Truck just arrived (see my intro thread here-- http://community.ratsun.net/topic/51431-new-520-owner/).

 

I did a quick check of things and there a few issues I am going to have to deal with before I drive it.  The biggest one is that the brake lights don't work.  I did a quick debug under the hood and saw that there are no wires attached to the brake switch (see pic below).  Well, at least I know one reason why the brake lights don't work (not sure WHY they aren't connected, however).  My question is, what wires in the harness SHOULD be connected there?  Also (possibly related, possibly not), there are 4 wires running across the firewall to the driver's side that just dead-end.  a pair of greens and a green/black pair.  One set has male bullets on it, the other has females (as though they should be connected to one another).  Somebody slapped a couple of blue bullet crimp caps over the males, presumably so there wouldn't be bare metal.  However... it seems odd that Nissan would have run wires from passenger to driver side just to connect them to one another.  Methinks something is missing.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

And then... one terminal on the fuse box is bare.  Any idea what should have been there???

 

 

[ggzilla]

What year 521 is it?

 

The two Green/Yellow stripe wires should connect to the brake switch. They aren't connected because the previous owner disconnected them.

[datzenmike]

Both wires to the brake switch are Green/Yellow stripe. 

[XXL]

What year 521 is it?

 

The two Green/Yellow stripe wires should connect to the brake switch. They aren't connected because the previous owner disconnected them.

It's a 520... 1968 model.

 

As for why they are disconnected, thanks, Captain Obvious  :sick:

 

I made a large format print of the 520 wiring diagram I found here and have run through the wires.  What I found was odd.  In addition to the brake light PRESSURE switch under the hood, there is a mechanical pedal switch (and it looks very factory-ish).  The green/yellow wires, which are in the harness just above the pressure switch (where I would expect them) have been doubled back into the cab through the hood release grommet, and then tie into the pedal switch.  Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether a pressure switch or pedal switch is used... but the lights still weren't working.  So, I buzzed all the bulbs, and they were good.  I then took a pencil and used the eraser to clean the contacts down in the bulb sockets.  Viola.  That was the problem.  So... I'm guessing the PO couldn't figure out the problem, and added the mechanical switch (which didn't solve the problem).  In any case, I routed the wires back to the pressure switch and yanked out the excess wire that was running into the cab, and all is well with that.  Now... on to the next electrical mystery... the green wires pictured in my OP.  Any ideas on those?  I'm still studying the wiring diagram, but it hasn't jumped out at me yet.

 

Here's a pic of the pedal switch.

 

[ggzilla]

I'm sure you'll figure it out. I would probably only point out the obvious.

[XXL]

I'm sure you'll figure it out. I would probably only point out the obvious.

 

Oh, this is going to be one of those boards.  *sigh*

[ggzilla]

It's up to you my friend.

[XXL]

It's up to you my friend.

 

You have a big part here too.  The fact that you're an "old guard" doesn't make you immune from being a little inviting.  I posted SEVERAL questions in my OP.  Your response that the wires were off because the PO removed them was a completely ball-busting response with no substance.  I'm OK with that, but if you want to get pissy because I call you out on it... that's chickenshit.  If you want to be internet tough guy, great.  I know where I stand.  But don't kid yourself into thinking "it's up to me" ... you have to behave too.  

[wayno]

It looks like someone made a mechanical brake light switch, if you have the wires back on the pressure switch and the brake lights work, then this is likely a redundant switch now, as you said, it was the bulb connections that were the issue.

I know a lot of guys that have disconnected the pressure switch and put in a pedal switch as they can adjust it so the light comes on even though the brakes are not yet, unlike the pressure switch which you have to have pedal pressure to make it work.

 

I am not sure about the other green wires you are talking about, I have a blue/red and green/black that go to my electric window washer bag, but mine is not a 520 either.

[XXL]

It looks like someone made a mechanical brake light switch, if you have the wires back on the pressure switch and the brake lights work, then this is likely a redundant switch now, as you said, it was the bulb connections that were the issue.

I know a lot of guys that have disconnected the pressure switch and put in a pedal switch as they can adjust it so the light comes on even though the brakes are not yet, unlike the pressure switch which you have to have pedal pressure to make it work.

 

I am not sure about the other green wires you are talking about, I have a blue/red and green/black that go to my electric window washer bag, but mine is not a 520 either.

 

Thanks.  As best I can tell the washer is pure "squirt gun" action... no electrics.  I'll do some more wire tracing and get back to this post with what I find out.  I am going to yank out the redundant switch as the pressure switch appears to be working fine.

 

Now... to find some new taillight lenses that aren't all clouded up so you can actually see the now-functioning brake lights.  Is my only real option for lenses the Thailand sellers on ebay?

[ggzilla]

520s used a pump mounted on the firewall separate from the bag. 521s used a motor in the bag.

[wayno]

This is the only version I have seen for the 520/521, but I have not been looking, my 520 is a 66 and does not have a backup light in the lens, I bought these just in case I wanted something else, and they were cheap, they are from overseas.

Unless you get lucky and find someone parting out a 68 520 with good lenses, you are likely going to have to look overseas, as the guy in the bay area making lenses, isn't doing quality work.

I cannot really help you with 520 wiring, my 520 wiring was so wasted, that when I did my conversion, I used a 1980 720 harness and all the electrical hardware that came with that wiring harness, so everything that the 720 came with, I have, well almost everything.

[wayno]

520s used an electric washer motor, mounted on the firewall separate from the bag. 521s used a motor in the bag.

I have a plunger setup I got with a 520 dash I bought, you pushed on the plunger, and it squirted fluid from the kangaroo bag that did not have any motor, it looked as old as the truck looked also, but still worked.

Maybe someone put it in the truck, but it worked the same way the one was supposed to work in my 67 roadster, by pushing a plunger.

[ggzilla]

yes, sorry, it was not electric, it was a rubber bulb type. I updated the post.

[MikeRL411]

Why do wire sets run from one side to the other and back?  Simple!  This was a Japanese [right hand drive] design] modified for export to right hand drive countries [AKA most of the rest of the world except ex British colonies and Japan] and the low cost option was to use the domestic wiring loom and add extensions where necessary to accomodate the components that had to be relocated to the "other" side.

[XXL]

This is the only version I have seen for the 520/521, but I have not been looking, my 520 is a 66 and does not have a backup light in the lens, I bought these just in case I wanted something else, and they were cheap, they are from overseas.

 

What's the quality feel/appearance like on those offshore pieces?  Mine won't be rolling the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but I do want the parts to fit and look decent.  If the parts are decent, I figure I can take the lazy route and just swap lenses and then pair up my old crazed and cracked lenses with the new buckets and peddle them on ebay to recoup a few bucks (or maybe not).

[XXL]

Why do wire sets run from one side to the other and back?  Simple!  This was a Japanese [right hand drive] design] modified for export to right hand drive countries [AKA most of the rest of the world except ex British colonies and Japan] and the low cost option was to use the domestic wiring loom and add extensions where necessary to accomodate the components that had to be relocated to the "other" side.

 

That makes sense.  But the firewall doesn't look particularly universal.  Is there a patch on the right side I didn't see where the RHD goodies would have been mounted (master, clutch, column)?

[ggzilla]

Only some of the wires make a long run. The wiring harness and firewall are unique to LHD version.

 

A lot of the Thai sellers have genuine New Old Stock. As do some Malaysian sellers. The aftermarket ones look good except for the chrome trim which is often poor and looks rusty after two years.

 

If you want the great stuff, order NOS parts out of Japan, from a site such as http://www.rinkya.com/

[XXL]

If all else fails, read the manual.   :blush:  I opened the glove box and found the original owner's manual.  It includes a wiring schematic which shows the correct 6 positions on the fuse box (unlike the PDF schematic I linked above, which only has a 4-position fuse box).  I'm scanning it now so I can blow it up to readable size, and will continue tracing wires from there.  I have a feeling this is going to tell me what the mystery wires are.  We'll see.

[banzai510(hainz)]

I seen those switches on a 520 I was working on.

I would hit the brake and see if it shorts out with a multimeter.

Or take the 2 wires and put a wire inbetween them to represent a short and see if the brakes lights light up if no then its a power proplem. ck fuse box then work your way back,

 

ps I was too lazy to read all the posts

[onunez65falcon]

Hello there, do you have a wiring schematic of a 65 520 truck, my truck have the brake switch on the clutch pedal and all my wiring still original,

[wayno]

Hello there, do you have a wiring schematic of a 65 520 truck, my truck have the brake switch on the clutch pedal and all my wiring still original,

 

Switch on clutch or brake pedals is not original as far as I know.

65 single headlight 520, that would be a very early truck, or is it a 320?

Have any photos of it?

[XXL]

Here's a better shot of the bracket on the brake pedal that had the mechanical brake switch in it.  The bracket looks VERY stock... perhaps they were switching mid-model from mechanical to pressure switch (or vice versa)???  and so they left both in place on this one?  You can see that I have already removed the switch and obviously non-stock blue wires (see pics in my OP), but the bracket also serves double duty as the bump stop for the brake pedal arm.

 

[Cahoon520]

It looks like this truck has had a 521 wire harness swapped into it at one time the 520 didnt have a clutch switch or hazard lights or a 6 fuse fuse box.

[XXL]

It looks like this truck has had a 521 wire harness swapped into it at one time the 520 didnt have a clutch switch or hazard lights or a 6 fuse fuse box.

 

The truck came with the original _520_ owner's manual, and on page 17, it has a wiring schematic which shows a 6-fuse block on it.  Diagram is titled "L520-TU".  Page 16 shows a 4-fuse version of the schematic (with a few other small differences), and calls it a "(L)520-(U)(T)".  Bolded titles are verbatum, including all the mismatched parentheses.