# headlight problems



## Brother_Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

My headlights are acting funny in my '85 300zx NA 2+2. The reagular beams don't work. The high beams do, but the other beams don't. This has been a problem for a while now. It started when I was jumping the thing off every 5 minutes. They both stoped working at the same time. I haven't replacet replaced the lights themselves because, like I said, they both went at the same time. I have, however, replaced the headlight relay, but it didn't help. Any ideas?????


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

headlight switch. there is no relay that applies here.


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## Brother_Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

please forgive my ignorance, but are you talking about the cluster of levers that go around the steering colum?


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

yes. that's the headlight switch.


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## Brother_Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

thank you! thank you! thank you!

question:
I know that I really should get this
AutoZone.com | Shopping | Parts | Product Detail - Headlight Switch
but as it's $102 I wonder if this
AutoZone.com | Shopping | Accessories | Product Detail - Painless Performance Headlight Switch With Aluminum Knob
would work (providing I could find a place to put it)


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

Try finding a used correct one. Any year Z31 should fit. Your idea might work, but I'd hate to have to figure out the wiring.........


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## Brother_Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

good point. thanks. I'll call junkyards


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

IIRC, you'll need to remove the steering wheel to replace the switch. There's threads in here about how to accomplish that, both with and without the correct tools.


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## thezman (Nov 3, 2007)

are any of your gauges or turnsignals any of that not working correctly? I had a similar problem on my 86 300zx, which was accompanied by a rapid clicking from the passenger under dash area, and all my idiot lights coming on (dimly) when i turned on a/c or just heat fan, and turn signals alone. or a dozen or so combinations of interior accesories. after weeks of checking and parts replacement i rechecked my fuses (in driver kick panel again) with a test light instead of visually when i got to the turn signal fuse my light just blinked the fuse popped i replaced it and everything started working normally. It was the damnedest thing i've ever seen.

I replaced the turn signal assembly $175 where i'm at the silly thing is all the steering column controls turn, headlights, windshield wiper, cruise, everything in one unit. every relay i could find that could be related, you name it before i found it by accident.


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## Brother_Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

allright!!! I found my old thread, and I can revive it! Sorry that I need to.

I've checked all the fuses, fusable link, replaced the switch (with a brand new one), and headlight relay.....still the low beams don't work, but the high beams do. What am I missing??????


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## Brother_Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

here's an oddity: I was going over my fuses for the 1000th time and noticed somethimg. In the fuse box, the top two slots on the left side are for headlamp rh and headlight lh. However, even when I take out BOTH of the fuses, the brights still work....is my wiring messed up????


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## machine23 (Oct 3, 2007)

that is a weird one, your wiring may be a bit messed up. and i have no idea what else to tell ya hehe


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## Brother_Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

I must admit idiocy(hell,I can't even spell it). Never did I think that it could be the lights themselves, as they went out at the same time. well, guess what....that's exactly what happened, I blew them while trying to jump the thing off with a bad battery and altenator....I changed everything under the sun, and battled this thing for 10 months...and fixed it in 4.3 minutes once I figured out what it was

thanks for everyone's help


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## mwolvin (May 21, 2004)

Don't feel stupid-- even the best of us miss the simple problems thinking that it's something more (occasionally.) Must be something to do with murphy's laws, or the macho-ness of being able to say something like "yeah-- I had to replace the inner gigamigwad inside the foosmeiser" instead of saying "my lightbulb was bad"

Then again, maybe it's just me. . . .


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## reddzx (Jun 22, 2006)

Try this site

XenonZ31 Headlamp Problems


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## mwolvin (May 21, 2004)

Do you have a site for a dome light (and footwell) that works fine in "on" and only works on "door" intermittently after the door is closed? The door lights work correctly .. .


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