Headlight/Electrical advice

[JK510]

Hi Guys,

 

I've recently stripped down the front end of my car to essentially polish up the chrome work and tint a couple of the headlamps. After doing so and putting it back together the lights are puzzling me and just wondered if you could offer some advice.

 

Now I never fully checked them before I started, so there may have been an issue before hand, but the indicator certainly worked correctly and that is very confusing, I'll get to that bit later..!

 

So, when I pull the headlamp switch on I get nothing unless I push the indicator stalk forwards to what I presume is the high beam setting, then I get the lights as the image below...

 

 

Drivers side headlamps : White lens quite dim, Yellow lens nothing.

Passenger side : Yellow lens very dim,  White lens full beam.

 

And the indicator is now flashing in the white parking light lens rather than the orange lens...how did that happen..?

 

Oh, and lastly how do you turn the parking lights off..? The drivers side seems to be on permanantly.

 

You've probably gathered electrics aren't my forte 😄

 

Cheers,

 

JK

 

 

[shaddai]

I'm a 510 noob, but the forward position is the low beams (at least in my car).

[DanielC]

Wacky electrical problems are almost always bad grounds.

 

Datsun 510 cars use a switched ground system.  The headlights are always powered, and to change from high and low beam, a relay switches what side of the headlights are connected to ground, but before the relay can ground the lights, the headlight switch has to be on, and the switch grounds the headlight relay.

I am not sure where the headlight switch ground wire actually grounds to the car.  If it is similar to a 521, there may be a wire that goes back to the engine compartment, and grounds at the voltage regulator.

 

If the intended ground goes away, the headlights try to electrically ground anyway they can, and that causes odd things to come on, or turn on half bright, or who knows what else.

 

It is warm and sunny outside, just before noon, so I can maybe answer some more, this evening.

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

Ground at voltage regulator

i think there was one by the hood latch (bonnet) for English folks 

[BrandonS]

If you have headlights that run a modern bulb check that the previous owner didn’t wire the passenger side backward, ie power to high beam filament instead instead of the low beam filament. 
 

For the parking light, take the plastic lens off with the two screws and then see if it’s corroded one the inside of the housing. The gaskets first the lenses can fail and water will get in and corrode the housing. The parking/running bulbs rely on a tab pushing against the housing for their ground.

Edited April 17, 2020 by BrandonS

[JK510]

17 hours ago, BrandonS said:

 

For the parking light, take the plastic lens off with the two screws and then see if it’s corroded one the inside of the housing. The gaskets first the lenses can fail and water will get in and corrode the housing. The parking/running bulbs rely on a tab pushing against the housing for their ground.

 

Yeah they are quite corroded under the lenses, the gaskets have perished away almost completely. I think they will need to be replaced...

[BrandonS]

4 hours ago, JK510 said:

 

Yeah they are quite corroded under the lenses, the gaskets have perished away almost completely. I think they will need to be replaced...

 

Just use some sand paper to clear off the corrosion for the time being and it should start functioning again.  You can also remove all the rust and then paint them with silver paint and the reflectors will function just fine.  Just make sure to clear a spot for the prong again.

Edited April 18, 2020 by BrandonS