New to the Z scene
 

Hey everyone, Im Cody, I am new around here, I traded my pulsar that had timing problems, for a mechanically sound 83 2+2. I do know some about Nissan, but this car is different. I do seem to have some issues with this car.
My dash lights don't work
My brakes are weird, they seem to barely work, and when I hit the brake, my headlights come on...quite annoying.
Horn doesn't work.
Tach and speedo don't work-have cables
Heater core needs to be changed-have that
I have checked most of the fuses, kinda ran out of time and daylight, but all seemed good. It seems like someone wired it all weird, as the two taillights are linked together by a looooong red wire that goes all that way up to the headlights..im going to look at a wiring diagram to see whats going on.
also when I hit the check button, there is a Stop, Head and Water diag symbols.

Welcome to ZDriver!

Background on the car? Was it someone's project?

Since nothing works on the dash, it sounds like it's been pulled, and not reconnected. Start with checking all the connections at the passenger kick panel. You'll have to do this to change the heater core anyway.

Also make sure you've downloaded the FSM from XenonS130 - S130 Reference as ALL repair and schematic info is found there. :D

it seems to be a project, as the front half was primer...the guy I traded with only had it since april. lights on fender need to be screwed in, but all it is is the hole...newish carpet although it was just laid in and not attached. all the gauges work except for the tach and speedo. I am doing more research..thinking my running light/dash light issue is a common problem.

ok so I've had time now to do a lil research, and some simple diagnostics...apparently my left blinker socket is corroded, so my front blinker doesn't work. the wire that was connected from taillight harness to headlight was someones ghetto rigging to cause the running lights to be "on" when the headlights are turned on. but then also the headlights would come on when I braked...stupid..now my dash lights, running lights, cruise, and horn don't seem to work. Are all these problems related to the combo switch, and would cleaning it do any good?
Also do the tach and speedo have separate cables, as the guy gave me two cables with the car.

ummmm ok so I take a gray relay out of the box that is front right of the car, and now all of a sudden, my dash, running lights work???? how many relays are supposed to be in that box? I had 5, with the most front right being the one I took out.

Attachment 16243

ok I've been utterly stupid with posting all of this. with trial and error I figured out that by squeezing the big connecter under dash, the dash lights come on..loose connection in plug? anyways got my speedo working, tach still doesn't move, put in corner lights, coming along so far. Seems like the more I look, the more rust I find. I've never owned a rusty car before and don't know if its worth to restore. rearend seems to be caked with something, doesn't seem to even wants to burn out, 2nd gear seems to go quick, shifting into third.