1972 Datsun 240z
 

Hi, I am having problems locating the fuses for my lighting (my tail lights, does not turn on when the headlights are on, however they do turn red when i hit the brakes). Is this a common problem with this car? The problem could also be something else. Any help or suggestion would be useful.

Welcome to ZDriver! :006:

Pick up a factory service manual at XenonS30 It's a freebie, along with other docs you see there. The manual is a good start at answering your Qs about your Z - and the guys here refer to it a lot. I would apologize for the English in th manual - but Nissan never knew how popular the Z would become - so they didn't pay a pro translator in '72. :wink:

Remember to post not just your Z year and model but your tranny and body style - if there are variations. You can save yourself the trouble if you sign in, go to User CP menu (upper left), click Edit Signature and add your Z model, year, shifter, turbo or NA, etc. Saves you having to add it to every post. (Guys here go crazy if you don't lock your Q to your specific Z every time you post...They just ignore questions without enough info) Then click Edit Avatar and add a little Z pic under your nick. Cool. You are solid here.

Thanks again and welcome!:icon_super:

The lights in the tail that should turn on with your headlights are on a different circuit than your brake lights. The are however, on the same circuit as your marker lamps (on the sides of the car) as well as the front lamps. If none of those lights are on, it's probably the fuse. Your fuse block is on the right side kick panel and the marker light fuse is a 20A fuse, third from the bottom on the left side of the fuse block.

Let us know what you find.

Is it just the tail lights that don't come on? Do the side markers light up? Do the dash lights come on? How about the front running lights? Have you found any cut wires/splices in the car?

Can you show me a picture of what the kick panel looks like? I don't see anything under the passenger dash, however at the center (behind the radio there is what i believe to be a fusebox.)

The sidemarkers does not light up, however they do blink when i signal left/right. The dash lights does not come on niether. The front running lights only turn on when i crank switch to stage 2 light. On stage 1, nothing comes on.

There is no kick panel for the fusebox in the 72. The fuses in question are under a cover in the center console at the junction with the center stack. The cover looks like the first picture.


The side markers should not be connected to the turn signals. The front running lights should come on in position 1. It sounds like someone f'd with the wiring, probably after the fuse box melted down.

See if your fuse box looks like the damaged one in the picture I attached.

By the way, if you want to see how your turn signals and brake lights are supposed to be connected, here's a write-up I did a while back: Hazard Switch – Brake Light – Turn Signal Circuit Analysis | Fiddling With Z Cars

Nice write-ups, Steve260Z74! They are definitely archive quality! :icon_super:

If I wasn't so tied up with work, there would probably be more like that.

When I changed mine from auto to manual and had the dash out I thought I missed a plug because mine were acting wacky as that thing so after tearing my dash out several times I finally ran into the problem on mine and mind you my car was a rat hotel for 12 years or so and the wiring was chewed in a few places so thinking I must of missed a spot that needed repaired I started checking wiring to no avail ... But due to sheer shit luck I found the problem it was the hazard switch I cleaned it and waalaa back to working like a champ.. I do not know if this will work on your car but it mite be a idea to look at ..

He has some things going on that indicate cross connections, such as the front markers coming on only when the headlights are on and the side markers blinking with the turn signals. Since he does have brake lights and turn signals, the hazard switch is probably not an issue.

Oops. Sorry about the misdirection. I guess my narrowly focused experience with these cars is showing. I learned something today - and now I know why I've seen those tiny fuse blocks for sale - they're for the earlier cars!