Headlight/alternator wiring

[sleven36]

Ok guys, my wiring issus are pretty much the only thing left keeping me from registering and driving my wagon and im getting really frustrating. I have never been very good at wiring, I can follow a diagram and thats about it.  The car is a 1969 510 wagon with a ka24de.  The only things ive been able to get goin so far is the hazard lights and tail lights.

First off I need help with the headlights. Are these the stock headlights?

passenger side:

 

Drivers side:

Someone said that the high beams are supposed to have 3 prongs, in which case I would have 4 lowbeam lights?

 

I would like to update the headlight wiring using two of the bosh style relays.  Through my searching I have learned that the stock wiring uses ground switching wich causes some issues.  Is there a diagram that I can follow that will show me how to do this, keep in mind the car never had the stock headlight relay so I will have to delete it. 

 

Second issue: I need to resolve is wiring in the ka alternator.  The stock voltage regulator was also cut out when I got the car but I have a diagram and know which wires go where.  What I need to know is which wires are which from the KA alternator.  There are four wires: a black one(obviously the ground), a larger white one(battery terminal?), a smaller white/red one(no idea), and one that comes off the ring terminal that I think was yellow but not sure because the wire broke off( no idea).  Last question about the alternator wiring: can I/should I hook up the stock charge light wire to the KA alternator and if so to which wire do i hook it?

 

Third Issue: I cant get the turn signals to work either, I think this may be due to the turn signal switch.  The stick for the switch broke off and when i shove it in to use the turn signals it turns really hard so I think the switch is bad. 

 

 

Fourth issue: Also cant get the brake lights to go.  I am almost positive I have the right leads going to the brake light switch cause ive gone through the diagram a million times but I could be wrong.  However the harness says that the brake light switch gets a green and yellow wire from the steering collumn switch which It has, and a green and red wire from the hazard flasher switch which I couldnt find. So i went through all the leads from the hazard switch and tracked them all to their right spot and I only had one wire left over and it was a green and yellow one as well so I hooked it to the brake light switch to see what happens and nothing.  It also struck me as odd that the only part of the diagram that has the wrong wire colors has been the hazard flasher switch but its the only thing that is working.  Anyway here is what my brake light switch looks like, does this look right? PS: I know its not the bulbs because they flash with the hazards. 

 

Ok last question.  I went ahead and relocated the battery to the back because the PO cut out the battery tray during the ka swap.  I have a junction box on the firewall where I hooked the starter and fuse box into and plan on hooking the alternator into.  Someone told me that I should put in a circuit breaker for safety so I went and bought one.  Is this the type of circuit breaker I need and do I put it next to the battery in the back or up on the firewall before the junction box or after the junction box?

 

Sorry for the long post, any and all help is greatly appreiciated!

[datzenmike]

The halogen and Sylvania are not stock but are the stock size low beam. Stock are usually Koito maybe Hitachi....

[sleven36]

OK so I need to buy two high beam lights?

[ggzilla]

Original equipment is Koito or Toshiba.

 

Get two low beams. http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1209989,parttype,2796

[MikeRL411]

Original Equipment Toshibas are great!  3 of the 4 headlights in my 1967 RL411 are the original factory installed Toshibas.  The fourth one was cracked in a parking lot screw=up by a "less than competent" driver of another car and unfortunately replaced with a Sylvania unit,  I am on my third Sylvania replacement of that unit!

[KlassicMotion]

Both my outside headlights have 3 prongs.  The two inside lights have 2 prongs.  As stated before, buy 2 low beams (3 prongs).  Both my Dattos are also still running the original Toshiba high beams. 

 

Before you switch to the Bosch relay system, get this one working first.

 

I would buy a Haynes manual for whatever the KA engine is out of, for the wiring diagrams.  This should help with the alternator wiring issues.

 

Your turn signal switch looks pretty dirty.  First start with cleaning all the contacts, including the Phillips head screw in your picture.  Clean the contact surface on the screw and on the column.  Follow the basic steps below:

 

Do you have a multimeter?   Start chasing leads down.  Find out where you have power, and where the flow of power stops.  You can also work your way backwards; for example: like I said earlier on the headlights, test them first.  Hook them directly to a battery with test leads and see if they work.  Then test to see if you have voltage at the headlight relay.  It's always good to clean and check for voltage inside the relay:  http://community.ratsun.net/topic/58498-how-to-repair-your-relays/  

If you have voltage there, and voltage is flowing through the contact points, then you should have headlights, if not, move on.  Check the headlight switch, fuse panel, any connectors, etc. 

 

Brake lights:  I don't remember for sure what, but the brake lights get power from the headlight switch or something (Sorry, I'm not going to look at the diagram right now, I've already wasted 3 hours on here when I should be out in the garage putting my coilover setup on...).  All three issues: headlights, turn signals, brake lights, could be from the same source not getting power.....  That reminds me, another member had similar issues and I helped him track it down to a bad connection at the fuse panel....  But certainly use an multimeter (Best option) or test light to check for voltage before and after a connection.  A multimeter will allow you to check the continuity of a connection to tell you how much resistance (ohms) is in the circuit. Be aware that in-expensive multimeters work fine as a step up from a test light, but I have found most of them to be poorly calibrated. 

[LS_Wagon]

Hi All,

 

Saving this so I can refer back to it later as I am the new owner of this Wagon.

 

See you around,

 

 

Luis.

[LS_Wagon]

Hi All,

 

I was able to get my hands on a replacement turn signal switch and tested continuity from the turn signal positions to the end of the pins. All are good including the high beam position. My question is what does this ground copper clip connect to? Is it supposed to scrape against the back of the steering wheel?

 

 

Thanks!

[thisismatt]

Yes, it's for the horn button.

[thisismatt]

And it's supposed to be a solid nub, not worn down to where it has a hole in it.

[LS_Wagon]

Thanks Matt!

 

 

Luis.

[banzai510(hainz)]

I believe the high bean is a ground also little tab that touches also. It puts a ground on the relay

[LS_Wagon]

5 hours ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

I believe the high bean is a ground also little tab that touches also. It puts a ground on the relay

Thanks for the info. I am new to the Datsun world and am learning a lot as I go. One new thing to me is the lights grounding to the chassis. For example, I had only one parking light up front and was messing around with the light that was off.  I realized it only worked when the metal housing of the turn signal touched the chassis. I tightened it up and it lights up. After tracing wires and comparing with the schematic,I decided to hire a local Datsun mechanic to help me figure out the headlight/blinker/brake light issue as there is something I am missing. I'm hoping he will take a look and notice what is missing or hooked up wrong.

 

Originally he suggested I rewire the entire car for a cost of $1500. I cannot justify that cost when I know most of the wiring is still good as I tested with a multimeter. crossing fingers he points out a rookie mistake and it is not costly.

 

  I'll let you Guys know how this goes next week.

[banzai510(hainz)]

key is what does the wiringlook like. Is it hacked up, If not then its a corrosion issue. somewhere. So no need to rewire. If this Datsun Mechanic knows his Datsuns he will have it memorized what has worked and don't. and should be a ez fix for him.

 

Icehouse real name as Jeff Hino knows his wiring on the wagons.   Ask him if possible

 

take close up on the wire harness to the front lights. The highs will only have or should have 2 wires as that all it needs.

 

You plug the lamps in and what does it do?????

 

hazard switch installed???

Edited October 18, 2019 by banzai510(hainz)

[LS_Wagon]

@Hainz,

 

the headlights are not installed but will get them on this weekend. I had one plugged in (not installed but sitting in engine bay) and it did not turn on. Now I'm thinking it may need to be installed in order for the grounding to complete the circuit. I did also test the headlight connector with a multimeter and did not detect any power.

 

From what I see, whoever did the engine swap spliced the cables coming from the engine bay to the fuse box and to the ignition. The fuse box doe not look like the other glass fuse boxes I see people post for their 510s. I will try to post pics later today.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions and guidance!

[banzai510(hainz)]

put the lamps in first and tell us whats happens just with the plug installed.  then with it touching the lamp case.  I heard of lamp housing needing case ground but then someone did some wiring changes(H4 harness type set up)

 

hard to trouble shoot from my chair but a 510 3 prong light works like this:

all 3 prongs will have 12volts(OFF position) when you put the meter to all of the 3 prongs(plugs)+side meter and the other side of meter to the chassis(ground). IF YES you gott 12volts . let us know  this should be correct.  that means power is going to the lamps via the fuse box/battery.  If not then the system got swapped. somehow.

 

when you pull the switch to ON, one of the 3plugs will go to ground. so youll have now only 2 with 12volts on there.  when it goes to high its the same think but its a different one., the one tab that looses the 12volts is going to ground. so if you move the volt meter probes between them youll see then 12volts like the element in the lamp.

 

HIGHbeam light  will have 12volts both sides then when the switch is pulled back on steering wheel it puts a ground on the relay to switch the relay and then puts a ground on  one side of the highbeam connector. Another way to ck it is on the high beam(only 2 contacks )is put the meter on one side of the plug and other in the other side. you should get NO volt reading. put light switch to on and hit the hi beam switch then you should get 12volts.

 

Maybe there is a Toyota truck lams trouble shooting on youtube that can help explain this.

 

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

be honest take some photos and the relay behind the strut tower buy the fuse box and the fuse box.

 

what I mention above is based on a good relay also otherwise Im doing a lot of guess here.

 

a bad relay contack is all lights come on when the HIGH beam is on. Its usually the relay carboned up 

[LS_Wagon]

OK, here is a pic showing the wiring mess. The underdash harness is not chopped up. 

 

 

I tested the voltage on the headlight pins and do not get any voltage. This made me follow all the cables from the headlights, and turn signals back through the firewall and found that 2 wires ( 1 to each headlight) are cut and not connected.

 

 

The 2 pins shown here with the tester connected go to the disconnected cable.

 

 

The 2 pins on the driver side with the test leads are also going to a disconnected cable.

 

 

Here is the headlight relay and it makes a click sound when I pull the headlight switch to the second position.

 

These relays here seem to be for the turn signals, Horn, and the fuel pump.

 

 

Here is the fuse box front and back.

 

 

 

 

Crossing fingers the Guy coming over Wednesday can figure this out. 

 

Thanks Guys!

 

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

I don’t get why you have the black lead on the outer lamp plug and the other lead on the inner high beam plug measuring voltage?????

 

be honest this is not stock and out of my expertise since it’s a home made wire job.

hopefully you got the car cheap as this is going to take time.this is just the lights who knows what more isn’t right. Cut your losses maybe on this one.this guy is going to spend some time working this to learn what the privious owner did

[LS_Wagon]

I was just showing what pins that run to the cut cable. Crossing fingers this Guy can figure it out or at least point me in the direction.

[LS_Wagon]

So the Mechanic came out and figured the mess out. He took about 30 minutes to figure out what was done by the person who did the motor swap a few owners ago. I had a bad hazard flasher and decided to replace it, and the turn signal flasher while I was at it. He found the wire that was supposed to supply power to the signals and brake lights Green/White I believe, was connected incorrectly near the fuse box. He also found the Blue/White wire was also incorrectly connected down by the fuse box. After he re-routed the cables, replaced the flasher units, I now have working Hazards, Turn Signals, and Brake lights.

 

I asked him about the alternator wiring since the Previous Owner mentioned it above and he pointed out it was not connected. He explained how it needs to be wired so I could do that myself. 

 

Glad these issues are resolved and I can now move onto the next. Thanks to the Guys who commented above with some advice! I will definitely ask for more help here on the boards as I go along with my Wagon.

 

[LS_Wagon]

Wanted to share that I got the Alternator connected and it charges the battery.

 

Here is how I have it connected. 
 

Red/White wire (excite wire) from the alternator harness is hooked up to a toggle switch, that when flipped to on provides a current from the fuse box. This toggle switch is mounted on the dash to the right of the steering column.

 

The red wire from the Alternator harness, is connected to the stud of the Alternator. 
 

The Alternator stud had an 8 gauge wire that connects to a 70 Amp Maxi Fuse, that then connects to the battery. 
 

Now just need to clean up the wires and hide them behind the dash.