Jump to content

510 Relays and switches


Recommended Posts

I've got a '71 510 sedan automatic.  It's got and L20B with matchbox dizzy, and 280zx 5spd.  I'm trying to figure out what the names are to the relays and switches, and what each one does.  I'd also like to figure out which ones I can ommit from the car.   Any help is appreciated.  I will attach some photos with a brief description of where they are located.  Thanks for the help.

 

So here is the wiring diagram I'm working with.  I marked 1, 2, 3 the relays/switches that appear to be automatic only.  I'm guessing they all have something to do Park/Neutral safety, kick down.  Can anyone explain what it is they do, how they work together?

023-1.jpg

 

Just for reference; Here is what I do know (correct me if I'm wrong): the headlight switch is on the left and horn relay on the right. These are located on the strut tower forward of the fuse block.  Edit:  Yes, the square relay on the left is the "headlight relay", and on the right, is the "horn relay"

006-2.jpg

 

This one is just left of the radiator, above the horn.  I believe this is the relay that ties into the coil circuit and the carburetor switch.  By the way, where is the carburetor switch?  Is it the switch on the carb that shuts off the idle circuit?   Edit: This is the "emissions control relay"

005-2.jpg

 

Obviously this has something to do with the throttle, but what does it do, and what is it called?  Edit: This is the "carb switch" aka "throttle switch"

004-2.jpg

 

This one is inside on the passenger kick panel.  I believe this is the "Move Indicator" for the Automatic transmission (It was on both my automatic cars, but not my manual car). What does it do exactly?  Edit: This is the "move indicator switch" aka "speed switch"

002-2.jpg

 

These two are on the passenger side inner fender forward of the strut tower and voltage regulator.  They are part of the same wiring harness as the voltage regulator.  Again, what are they called and what do they do?  Edit: The forward most switch is the "back-up light relay" aka "reverse lamp relay".  The black plastic relay is the "starter relay"

003-2.jpg

Link to comment
  • Replies 36
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

The indicator relay (number 1) in your drawing is used for the reverse lights... or at least it is on my '69. Mine has eroding and crapped out on me so now my reverse lights are all haywire. Lights should only be on in reverse, but I think I trouble shot them and saw they were on in Park, Drive, and Low. 

Link to comment

So Tristin, do you know where that relay is located on the car?

 

Yeah sorry, its the farthest one forward on the passenger-side fender well. The wiring diagram tries to mimic the location of stuff in real life. I dont know if you can remove it, but I know mine is shot. It opens and closes about 500 times a second and none of my reverse lights work. I have the bulbs unscrewed until I can find a replacement. 

 

If you find out you can unplug it, Id love your old one :)

Link to comment

Sure thing.  I'd like to get some more input first, but then I will send it your way.  Have you tried to open it up and see if you can tell what the issue is?

 

I was also a little confused on that one, because my wires are different colors than the diagram...

Link to comment

Should also slap on a fuel door lol. 

 

 

Theres some wiring shit I need to take care of. All the engine bay wiring is a mess and I need to heat shrink some areas in the dash wiring where the PO cut and tapped a bunch of places. I have a spare dash harness Id like to rebuild, but I cant find a place to buy the right connectors. Id like to get it ready for when I relocate the fuse box into the cabin. 

Link to comment

So you are converting from auto and points to manual and matchbox?

 

Easy, remove all auto stuff. Remove the relays at the front of passenger fender. Remove the relay on the radiator.

 

 

And I hate the Haynes manual for the auto wiring of the cars, it misses stuff.

 

The inhibitor switch is mounted on the auto tranny.

 

here is a better diagram that explains the auto wiring of the relays.

1971-Datsun-510-Sedan-Wiring-Diagram.jpg

 

For Reverse lights, Take the 2 Red/black wires and run them down to the reverse switch on the manual (this requires unraveling the harness), now you dont need the forward relay on the fender. Delete any extra wires.

 

To start you car, open the harness and find the 2 black/yellow wires, one going to the starter solenoid, and the other going into the cabin of the car. Splice them together (this completely bypasses the inhibitor wiring, and the second relay on the fender). Delete any extra wires.

 

For the dizzy, just rip out all the wires from the relay back. You dont need the wires going to the points dizzy either. Just run the new wires for the matchbox to the coil. Also, now you dont need the Black/blue wire at the coil, or the ballast resistor. Dont forget to get a HEI coil (high energy ignition).

 

My car had both those other relay things, kick panel, and throttle linkage ones, disconnected when I got it. I simply left the wiring under the dash to the kick panel one (didnt care to take out the dash wiring), and just ripped the wires out going to the throttle linkage one.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Good info. 

 

I've already done the conversion for the coil and dizzy, but I did not do anything with the inhibitor, and the car starts right up!?

 

Originally I was going to leave the harness alone and leave the relays on the fenders, just in case anyone in the future wanted to put it back original.....  But it would be nice to clean things up....

Link to comment

Hunting down all the parts for a auto swap will dissuade most from doing it.

 

Its odd you were able to start the car without jumping wires....

 

 

I unplugged my engine harness under the dash, and then pulled the whole harness out of the car. Unwrapped it on living room floor, made my deletions, soldered up a few connections, and then wrapped the harness back up with electrical tape. I added my relayed headlight harness, to help hide it (but it was all for not, as I changed my headlight setup once again)

Link to comment

Yeah, now that I think about it here is no reason anyone would really want to go back to the Autobox.  But I guess my main thought was about putting an L16 back in and running points, but that too is probably unlikely.  It was just a nice one owner car when I bought it.  I like keeping what I can original on most of my cars.  But on this one, who wants to look at a bunch of relays on the sheet metal?

 

Tristin, as soon as I get around to pulling things off and re-routing wires, I will hit you up for your address (I'm not sure I still have it), so I can get that relay sent off to you.

Link to comment

 

Got a chance to go through this... this is exactly what I was looking for. Youre a life saver. Now I can rebuild a nice new dash harness.

 

Tristin, as soon as I get around to pulling things off and re-routing wires, I will hit you up for your address (I'm not sure I still have it), so I can get that relay sent off to you.

 

Awesome thank you. Im in no rush, so just shoot me a PM whenever it happens. Thanks again!

Link to comment

So I grabbed my stack of 11 510 manuals off the shelf tonight to go through them.  First up was the Clymer Publications.  Turns out this book is very good with parts break down diagrams.  There are break down pictures of most of the main components; dash, doors, electricals, carb, engine, trans, rearend, body, etc.  Quite a handy book.  I'd recommend picking it up.  It answered a couple of my questions with these two diagrams; here they are, and a picture of the cover for anyone not familiar with the book:

 

006-3.jpg

003-3.jpg

004-3.jpg

Link to comment

So like a Big Boy, I did some of my own grunt work tonight.  And, I solved some of my initial questions:

For one, I found some errors on the Haynes Manual wiring diagram that I was using.  I made those corrections, and labeled the position of the relays I was questioning.  Hopefully this will come in handy for someone else.... I should add again that I'm working on a 1971 Sedan Automatic 510.  It's possible that the wires that I re-marked are different for different years.

 

005-3.jpg

Link to comment

The one thing I haven't figured out yet, is the starter relay/inhibitor switch.  I understand what Laecaon is telling me to do, and obviously his wiring diagram actually shows the relay, versus the Haynes diagram which does not show it at all.  In addition, I did have my wires jumpered at the inhibitor switch connector, and that is how I was able to start the car.  So I played around a little to try to learn a little more about the system.  I un-jumpered the two yellow black wires at the inhibitor connector, and unplugged the starter relay (see pic), I traced down which YB wire goes to the Ign. switch, and which one goes to the starter.  I jumpered those two wires, and omitted the third wire from the system, and the car started right up.... I'm figuring out in my head how this system works as I'm typing this out, so bare with me here....  The starter relay is how the inhibitor switch stops the car from starting.  Get rid of the inhibitor, then there's no need for the starter relay... I got that part now. 

 

Here's another question I'm working on in my head:  The inhibitor has a wire that goes to the reverse lamp relay, so I'm assuming that the inhibitor also acts as the reverse lamp switch at the tranny. 

 

But next question:  Why does the other wire at the inhibitor go to the wiper motor?

 

008-2.jpg

Link to comment

Here's another question I'm working on in my head:  The inhibitor has a wire that goes to the reverse lamp relay, so I'm assuming that the inhibitor also acts as the reverse lamp switch at the tranny. 

 

But next question:  Why does the other wire at the inhibitor go to the wiper motor?

Glad you have been able to work it out!

 

From what I can understand, The wire that goes to the wiper motor is a black wire. When you stare at the wiring diagram long enough, you notice something, the Wiper motor does not have a ground wire. So where does the motor get its ground? Well I assume its through the mounting, through the chassis. So this black wire should be ground. So now we know its a ground wire, and its permanently grounded. So how does the inhibitor switch work? Well it passed the ground signal through it, to the black-red (may not actually be black/red, mine was simply black on both), anyways, it passed the ground signal to the reverse relay when it was in reverse. The Relay has power to it all times while car is running from the alt. So now we need to understand 3 pin relays. On 3 pin relays, the power wire doubles as both the coil power, and the source power. So the relay gets grounded from the inhib switch, the relay has power, the coil energizes, and then it sends the power out the third wire to the reverse lights.

 

Hope this clears it up for you.

Link to comment

Yeah, it's gone off of here now, but I saved it.... I still don't see it connecting the two...  I will take another look.  Not a biggy though, I will do like you said this winter and open up my harness and track everything down and get rid of what I don't need.  I appreciate the help.

Link to comment
  • 11 months later...

Sorry to wake this thread from the dead, but i'm currently going through the same thing...1971 4dr sedan from auto to manual. tranny swap is done and working, but i want to get rid of anything i dont need. i Understand the relay by radiator and the 2 behind the strut tower passenger side. but what about those 2 in front of the strut tower on passneger side? can both of those go?

 

Laecaon can you post that pic that's gone from the first page again?

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.