68 2000 light problem

[DougStern682000]

Hello group. Been a watcher for sometime now. Love the tech section. I have a problem sometimes when I have my head lights on. My head lights all of a sudden go out. Pretty scary on the thruway at night. Fuse seems okay. If I bang on top of the dash they pop back on. Anyone have this problem or something like it?

Doug

[SLOroadster]

Well, I have the issue where if I romp on it with the lights on, they dim till they go out, or until I let off the throttle. I've been chasing this one for years. I've rebuilt the headlight relay 3 times now and it still does it.

It sounds to me like you might have a loose connection under the dash someplace. I'd start near the fuse block, but behind the glovebox. I've had a weird issue with that connection in the past.

Will

[nats226ny]

I had a similiar problem on my 68 2000, I never tried banging on the dash but the problem was with the fuse box.

Gary

[DougStern682000]

I checked the terminals this morning and they are very corroded. Do you know where I can buy a new one?

Doug

[nats226ny]

If your talking about the fuse box being corroded, I think I picked one up from Dean a few years ago............I still haven't put it in my car yet (waiting for it to be delivered I rewired and did some work to the old fuse box) I leave it in the trunk just in case. Not a good feeling driving along when the lights go out.

Gary

[spriso]

I checked the terminals this morning and they are very corroded. Do you know where I can buy a new one?

Doug,

Before replacing the fuse box, try giving it a vinegar bath to remove the corrosion!

Since your fuse box is a 1968 version, the fuse holders are probably in good condition (nice and tight in the housing-- this is a problem on later fuse boxes).

Mark the wire locations and unscrew them from the fuse box. Place the fuse box in a bowl of white vinegar overnight. Clean the terminals with a brass or stainless brush and when you are done, they should look like new again. Do NOT use sandpaper!

Re-install the fuse box and check your grounds. This should solve most of your problems....

Michael
spriso motorsports

[fj20spl311]

Is this not a known relay vibration problem? "Lights going "out" at about 4-5K rpm on a 2000."
I remember changing to a BOSCH relay to cure that problem.

[DougStern682000]

Thank you all for the suggestions and comments. This weekend I am going to dig in and fix the gremlin box.

Doug

[datsunmotorsports]

In my car if the head lights go out I bang the bottom of my dash and fidget with the switch. I guess my old switch is worn and the contacts dont always meet. Esp if you pull the switch all the way out it goes just a bit to far and the lights wont turn on unless you push it in a mm or so. My other lights stay on so it took me a while to figure out the switch.

good luck

[DaRoaster]

I once had a sudden problem with my lights. After one long drive, they just wouldn't turn on with the switch out, but if I would pull on the switch a little, they would turn on. I got the car home that way, with my hand on the switch. Later, I took the switch apart and sprayed it with DeOxit, cleaned it up and put it back. Now my lights work fine.

[robr18]

I have the same problem on my 69. Have even got used to the exact push back point to get them working. I'm re-doing a lot of the car now and was just about to buy a new switch. Now I'll try the cleaning method first and maybe save $100, thanks Ray!
Robert

[dbrick]

This stuff is GREAT, http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2103700
cleans and leaves a light oil film to prevent corrosion. Saved many parts I would have otherwise replaced.

[sleepyzzz]

after being down for awhile, i log on to see this and had to chime in. last time i drove my 69 2000 roadster, i had the headlights acting up also. when i pushed the turn signal switch forward for bright lights, nothing happened. and later, turning the lights off, a slight pressure forward with the headlight switch on the dash, made the brights work.

but that sweet spot, was hard to hit, and it either brought on the bright headlights, or turned everything off. not safe for night time driving.

i also had the lights go completely off, running low beams, and pulling back on the headlight switch, brought them back on. so along with turn signals not working now, which i never got a reply on with the stupid question thread, i have this to deal with also, incase you didn't see the original question posed last week sometime.

[itsa68]

Long ago, I had traced a 68 intermitten lights out problem to the fuse box.
The copper/brass rivets holding the fuse clips were not exactly driven properly.
They looked good visually, but on closer inspection, tiny carbon arc marks could be seen just under the bucked rivet heads.
Worst condition found on the rivets of the fuse holders for the head lights.
I had to remove the fuse box to check out the backside, and found additional arcing marks on the fused clip rivets/washers.
After cleaning off the carbon arc surfaces with contact cleaner, the rivets were lightly re-bucked to hold the fuse clips tightly in place.
Never had a problem thereafter.

Hope that does the trick for your lighting problems.

Ray B.

[Linda]

Just so you know it is doable, I have taken out and cleaned the headlight switch, it is pretty easy. There was some sort of grease in there, I just cleaned it all out and used some dielectric grease.
Also the fuse box, as mentioned, can benefit from cleaning the underside. Lastly, the terminals on the various wires are often corroded, so contact cleaner, or taking them apart (have spares handy first!) can help alot.

Linda