johniii

I'm having some bizzare problems. One of the problems started a while ago and I've been ignoring it because it didn't make much sense to me. Last night I was told about the second problem but I didn't see it happen myself. When I got up I was forced to face reality - the car was dead.

Oldest to newest
Symptom 1: When turning on left blinker, right headlight comes on
Symptom 2: Clock and volt meter going dead intermittantly (hitting the glove box turns them back on. I assume a lose wire)
Symptom 3: Headlights coming on intermittantly while car is off
Symptom 4: Healights on consistantly while car charging and after starting
Symptom 4: Radio turning on and off intermittantly

Any thoughts on what might be going on?

Lazlo

My guess is that a previous owner did some shade tree wiring and got things all messed up. Sounds like you may have an issue in the combo switch.

I had a somewhat similar issue when I first bought my 82 but it isn't exactly like what you have going on.

PO had wired a separte circuit in for the headlights. I ripped that out and started looking at the factory wiring. I traced it back to the combo switch. There are copper "fingers" that make different contacts when you turn the switch on the handle. One of the fingers had gotten hot and deformed. I cleaned all of the arcing off with some emory cloth, straightened out the finger, and everything has worked perfectly since.

Get yourself a decent multimeter, the FSM, and prepare to scratch your head a lot. Be patient and you'll figure it out.

zxguy1986

If it was a Z31 you have there, I would say you should start at the light control stick on the steering column. Remove the steering wheel, then the stick, disassemble it, then clean it or replace it. Cleaning instructions have been posted here before and can be located. If you need to replace, look for new OEM or a recycler with one on the shelf. Recyclers tend to save the easy stuff before they crush. They knew you would call one day. car-part.com is one.

Any related codes from your ECU?

Check consistent strong power supply from alt/batt combo. Zs hate flaky power supply. Get battery tested. Battery terminals, ground, cables, all solid and clean, tightly connected, no movement. Alt output at least 13+ volts min (for Z31, anyway). Check your FSM for that. Alts get tired...batteries get old.

Otherwise, I agree with Lazlo. Someone's improvised work on your wiring has screwed up normal function. Include the fuse box in your search for bad/wrong connections. Remove & check every fuse, check the sockets for clean and tight, bend crooked ones straight, remove corrosion, vacuum the whole box deep and then replace every fuse with the one that should be there according to the diagram - and fits solid. Work with the FSM elec diagrams if you can. They can be deciphered without a college degree, trust me. And take your time. Can't let your mess continue.

FricFrac

Check the fuesable links and make sure they are good/clean contacts, etc.

johniii

The problems:
Fuse blown - Replaced
No ground (Stereo issue - no idea why it worked as long as it did)
Contacts on controls stick where real bad. Cleaned them and checked them - When moved it to the left turn signal position contact was being made for the right headlight. After spending 10 minutes playing with it I noticed that the plastic piece that opens the contacts is worn on the outside. I - very gently - warped the metal so it wouldn't make contact unless the headlights were on.

While I was at it I did a whole lot of cleaning, unplugging and plugging stuff back in.

Fixed!
Everything is working like it's supposed to. (Well except the radio. I somehow missed plugging the darn antenna in...) My dash lights are brighter than ever before.

Lazlo

Nice work

FricFrac

Well done