Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

This thread is relevant to me as well. Experiencing the same problem. mine is a 68' 1600.

The issue started one night, i was making a trip and shut the car off then turning off the lights. when i went to start it again, the lights wouldnt come back on! After some fiddling, they worked, but that was the last time. since then, i have not been able to get them back on.

So far, I have removed and rebuilt the switch (cleaned it out, visual inspection, and made sure all contacts were being made), replaced the relay (using the tech wiki) with a bosch unit, and checked all obvious fuses but looking at the wiring diagram, it seems the headlights dont route through the fuse box.

The Brake and turn signals work just fine, front and back. just the headlight/running lights/dash lights are not coming on. Highbeam does not work either. My next step will be tracing the wires under the dash in case a fuse was put in at some point in the past.

I have not yet invested in a multimeter but if my search does not turn anything up, i think that will be next. (a$$ backwards, i know but not an electrician).

Aiden,

Did you ever get this figured out? What was the issue?

It happened to me on the way work on Tuesday this week. The 30A headlight fuse looked fine visually, but there was no continuity with a multimeter when I checked it. The end of the fuse actually disconnected from the center conductor, but since it was near the end cap, you couldn't see it.

I'll be replacing my fuse holder this weekend for one that holds standard automotive "blade" style fuses.

Mainer311 wrote:The end of the fuse actually disconnected from the center conductor, but since it was near the end cap, you couldn't see it.

Exact same thing was causing my problem. I just put a new fuse in which fixed everything except the dash illuminator (probably just need to jiggle something;) The fuse gets pretty hot with the lights on but doesn't blow.

AidanDawn2000 wrote:

Mainer311 wrote:The end of the fuse actually disconnected from the center conductor, but since it was near the end cap, you couldn't see it.

Exact same thing was causing my problem. I just put a new fuse in which fixed everything except the dash illuminator (probably just need to jiggle something;) The fuse gets pretty hot with the lights on but doesn't blow.

If it gets really hot it may burn a hole in the fuse box cover or in the box itself around the fuse holder. In my case it was the parking lights fuse.
The main headlights are split over two fuses over the parking lights, at least in the 1970 fuse box they are.
It did it to one of mine a while back and looking through my spare parts boxes I found 5 other boxes of which 3 or 4 had similar issues.

Some times the parking lights get hot from poor connections or poor grounds or using the wrong watt bulbs. I went through all that and they still get warm. Mine were in the 120-150 range if left on long enough. I do not know at what point they start to melt things.

Make sure your fuse holder connections are clean and that they are not loose where the bottom of the connector is riveted under it. Any of those things can cause issues.

Here is my thread I had: http://www.311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.ph ... it=parking
Park Tail fuse melting box?

Stacey,
The '70 fuse box is a different layout but I will dig around for a bad connection or a short to try to cool things down.

So, I traced my issue back to a loose rivet on the fuse box. I couldnt re-use that circuit since It got so hot, the wire fused to the fuse box! So i put a 20A in line fuse bypassing the fuse box for now.

I still only have High beams and just today, I went to shut off the car after a drive and it just kept running! I assume there is another short somewhere in the system causing my problems but havent tracked it down yet.

Good luck man....I hate electrical stuff...but good luck!