only brake lights went out

[AceOfDiamonds0]

Both tail lights stopped working on my 71 240z. I checked the bulbs and the fuse at the fuse block in the center console and those are ok. The driving lights come on with the headlights so I know those work.

 

I used a test light and pressed the pedal and there's no power to the fuse and no power to the brake light switch.

 

Are there any points before the fuse block that I should check? Maybe a relay? I've tried looking for a bad ground but haven't seen anything out of the norm.

[banzai510(hainz)]

You sure the fuse is eleltrically good

Sometimes they break off at the ends inside. if there is not poer to the switch under the pedal it hss to be towards the fuse box or the connectors via the glove box area.

 

most times its stil the fuse box corossion or bad fuse put another one it.

 

if horn dont workthats another sign of fuse(but thats on 510s dont know if a Z car

[AceOfDiamonds0]

The horn doesn't work either and I replaced the fuses for both.

 

I'll disconnect the fuse box and give it a good look over and clean up any corrosion and go from there.

[AceOfDiamonds0]

Fuse box literally looks almost brand new!

 

I did find the issue though. I got a wiring diagram for the z and found out that the wire that supplies the power to both the horn and the brake lights got unplugged somehow. Probably when I replaced the heater core.

 

Now my horn relay just buzzes when i press the button and then the fuse pops so I'm guessing I've got a grounded wire somewhere.

[banzai510(hainz)]

It got unplugged for a reason.

 

Try unplugging the Horn relay and see if the lights work w/o popping the fuse.

or separate the horn side wiring from the brak light side. then youll know which side is overloading the circut

[AceOfDiamonds0]

The wire that got unplugged goes to both the brake lights and the horn. It splits at the bottom of the fuse box and goes to both fuses.

 

Last night I found the reason the horn relay was buzzing. I had pulled the relay to clean the three contacts and switched the two outside wires so I just swapped those back to where they go and it works just fine now.

 

So both brake lights and horn works now lol.