I'm new to posting on this forum so I'm hoping I do it right! I'm on my 5th Z car - this time a 1981 NA GL I rescued from a ranch. The car had been sitting for about two years but I've got everything going except for some needed front end work. Just when I thought I was getting close to a daily driver, the dash lights, parking lights and tailights stopped working. The headlights, turn signals and brake lights still work.

When I turn the light switch to the first (parking light) stop, I can hear the lighting relay click, but nothing happens. When I turn it to headlights, they come on but still no other lights. The fuse seems OK, as do the fusible links and the lighting relay.

When this happened, I was out for a drive and I noticed the dash lights "blink", then come back on. After I parked it the garage and turned it off, they never would work again. Has anyone had this happen? How did you fix it?

Thanks in advance. I really enjoy reading the forum, but could'nt find this exact problem!

 

call me crazy, but it sounds like a ground isue for some reason.
Remember when testing for volts, its direct curent. Check the integrity of your lighting wires. do resistance test.

 

Funny man, that is what I was thinking also. But I figured I would wait, and see if someone else had something more useful. Good call man, yeah I think EatmyDust is right, it is probably a bad ground. Or something is bleeding through, taking the juice. Maybe even you have wires crossed somewhere. I spent some time with my Z when I first got him. My wiring was all screwed up, and I had to sit there. And tediously test here and there. Until I found out the problem. Which turned out to be something simple, but took many hours to find.

 

Sorry guys, but it doesn't sound like a ground problem to me. It sounds like a typical multi-function switch malfunction. The steering wheel stalk control is probably going south. You can take it apart and clean it up and look for any obvious issues and see what happens. That would be the first place to start if the fuses are good and the realys and fusible links all check out. Beyond that, I would say "good luck"

Rod.

 

Rod thats right bad grounds, also hints open somewere.

 

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to check all the connections and grounds. Also found a used switch on ebay that may or may not be better than the "used" one in my car! Thanks again.

 

Turned out to be the multifunction switch. Just had to clean the copper contacts -now everything works perfectly. Jeff

 

Glad to hear man, good job. Like I said before, usually it is something simple. Good luck with your Z.

 

What else can I say?

Rod.

 

guh head, rub it in why douncha

 

My car is doing the same thing now! no running lights but the relay clicks. I wonder why that relay clicks if the switch is bad... hmmm... anyway, I hope when I clean the contacts tonight that it'll work. OH, I do have a multi function switch from my turbo parts car. Maybe the turbo switch will be better, faster, stronger?

 

My 15" laptop screen belongs to Rod, now that he's updated his sig...

Can you say "scroll right"??

LOL...J/K Rod. You da man...

 

ya, Rod seriously needs to resize those images...

 

That looks like San Diego.... You take that pic Rod?

 

I've been thinking the same thing for a couple days now but, didn't want to say anything because I wasn't sure of the rules on this forum as far as signature pictures are concerned. I know on a local car forum that I belong to the rules are a lot more strict, at first I thought it was lame but, then I began enjoying the lack of huge sig picture, useless post such as this one, and constant flaming. Probably wouldn't hurt for the rules on Z driver to be enforced a little bit more but, that's just my two cents.

 

Ya don't know Rod too well.... I'm sure he will change them soon.

 

ya, and if Rod gets too annoying I can just change his signature for him.

 

I fixed it
and I learned something new!
ok, I did not even have to remove the headlight switch. Once you take the steering wheel colum cover off, on the back side you can remove part of the switch with just two screws.
There are two arms that both drop when you turn the switch to the parking light. One was still making contact which is what makes the headlight relay click. The other was bent back a little and because it wasn't always making good contact it had arced and was kinda crispy. I cleaned it up and bent it forward slightly.
I also took pics but left them at home.
The power wire for the running lights is all burnt at both connections coming from the column too... not good. I'll try to replace that part soon.

 

You can see the power wire is nice and burnt. That might just be from the years of use or maybe the lights have been flickering and I haven't noticed.

The two contacts on the right both move with the first turn of the light switch to the running light position. One of them may not make good contact and therefore the lights will not come on. You can unscrew the back part of the switch and clean it up and/or bend the tabs slightly to make better contact... slightly!

 

There! How do you like my sig pics now?

Rod.

 

The Cardomain logo really brings out the background colors!