How should my light options operate on a '74 240z?

madda

Well-Known Forum User
Hi guys, first of probably many questions I'm sorry.

I picked up my new love affair a few weekends ago and covered 478miles without any unplanned stops, silky smooth running and shockingly good fuel economy :) overall I was super happy.

Anyway, one problem which did become apparent were the headlights....

At the moment, if I turn the control on the left and side from off to side lights to headlights I only get a very dull output. By pushing the button on the end of small stalk on the right hand side I get proper lights, yay, but only when it's held in. Dipped and full beam work ok but only with it held in, so for the night part of my journey, I had to resort to taping it down. With it taped in, I can't turn them off.

I have a friend who is excellent with electrics but would like to know how they should operate before I ask him to address the wiring.

Thank you in advance.
 

Dale

Club Member
I don't know about anyone else, but to be honest that may be normal, although I don't know just how dim yours are.

I would describe my side light to be of a similar brightness to those little tea lights my missus has all over the house, the dipped headlights would be the equivalent of a modern cars side lights and my main beam to that of a modern cars dipped headlights.
 

Ian

Club Member
Only lights on mine which are much use for a driving on a non lit road is full beam, on dip its quite terrifying.

If you pull back on the right stalk, that should turn full beam on until you pull it back again.
 

toopy

Club Member
Its not so much the lights thats the problem but the wiring!

The lights in these cars takes the full voltage through the switch, there are no relays.
The positive feed goes straight to the lights and they are earthed through the switch.

So old wiring, loose connections and dodgy/burnt contacts in the switch, all add up to dim lights
on the majority of cars :unsure:
and if your headlight unit has anything but perfect and shiny reflectors then that can also suck away
a lot of the light output.
They werent great from new, modern light units/reflectors make a big difference to performance.
My modern car uses the same H4 bulbs, but they are atleast twice as bright as the Datsun
because of proper wiring and improved reflector design.

Many people have now rewired the lights to run via relays, taking full voltage to the bulbs
but only a small current through the switch, which means brighter lights and no more burnt contacts
in the switch :thumbs: although they will still never be super bright as you are still limited by
the basic reflector in the back of the light unit.
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Most has been said except that the little button on the end of the right-hand stalk is the headlight flasher - did you know that?

So I'm assuming when you are on dip and hold the flasher in you have both filaments on.
 

Ian

Club Member
I tried to upgrade my wiring to a relay, however this just made my sensitive switch even more sensitive and it would keep going off all the time. Anyone know where I can get a new stich at?
 

madda

Well-Known Forum User
Most has been said except that the little button on the end of the right-hand stalk is the headlight flasher - did you know that?

So I'm assuming when you are on dip and hold the flasher in you have both filaments on.

Yes, I assumed but that's not how it works for me, it's the only way to get any light output!!

Confusing thing is that with the button stuck down, going back and forth with the stalk does switch me between full and dipped beam. We'll do some looking and I'll ask him nicely to add some relays.

Has anyone been good enough to share a schematic of how best to lay it out?
 

MaximG

Well-Known Forum User
To get the head lights to full beam you pull the slender stalk toward you and again to go back to dipped.
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
I've said it before but the electrics and switchgear let these old Datsuns down. Like Italian motorbikes.

I wish I had the guts to invest and produce alternative gear. :eek:
 

toopy

Club Member
Yes, I assumed but that's not how it works for me, it's the only way to get any light output!!

Confusing thing is that with the button stuck down, going back and forth with the stalk does switch me between full and dipped beam. We'll do some looking and I'll ask him nicely to add some relays.

Has anyone been good enough to share a schematic of how best to lay it out?

Looks like your light switch may be faulty, as the flasher obviously works wether lights are on or not,
so the fact you have to hold it down to get any light suggests the light switch is dodgy :(
 

toopy

Club Member
71_Aus_240z_lights.jpg

Obviously wiring colours in the pic dont correspond to whats in the car, its just a visual guide
to changing the wiring layout.

Its how im going to do mine once i get the chance!
 
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