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Unusual Short/bug in lights : 620 pickup


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Turning on the lights will cause the speaker to buzz, and the lights will not turn on. This does not occur all the time, only in specific positions on the light knob. Anybody know of any similar situation or possible reason as to this? 

 

P.S. This is on a datsun 620 long bed pickup, original motor and wiring. 

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OK

 

You're saying that sometimes when pulling the light switch knob out, the radio makes a buzzing sound and the lights don't come on. There are only three positions Off,  Parking lights,  Parking lights and head lights. So first position (parking lights) or second position (parking lights and head lights) ?

 

Can I assume that at other times the parking lights and head lights come on normally?

 

 

 

If there was a serious problem, such as a short, the 10 amp fuse would blow (top right?)

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My guess is common electrical interference and a filter would help, it's fairly ordinary in old radios like yours. My stepmother had a 70s Aspen that had similar issues, all of a sudden you could hear a buzz that followed engine rpm, and another that went with the turn signals. It was intermittent as well.

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Sure it's not the relay buzzing, vs the speakers?  The headlight relay is under the glovebox.  If it's not getting enough amperage it can get intermittent and buzz, which could be the headlight switch contacts are getting worn out.  The headlight switch in my '76 gave up the ghost around 375,000 miles.

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Yes is might buzz on low beams but not on Hi beams. This is because the 'at rest' position is Hi beams when the lights are turned off. When the lights are turned on, if the dimmer switch is already on Low beams the relay energizes and switches the relay to Low and holds it there.

 

Next time it buzzes switch your lever to Hi beams. If it buzz stops it's the relay.

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Parking lights (second position) works fine. Goes on and off perfectly fine, but switching from 2nd to 3rd position (headlights and parking lights) sometimes the headlights will not turn on and you will hear a buzz come from the speaker. And I am sure the sound is coming from the far kick panel on the passenger side. Also known as where the speaker is. 

 

My 10 amp fuse does not blow, I have checked it after a couple of buzzes. 

 

This problem does not occur 100% of the time, but can occur when the switch is pulled from 2nd to 3rd position, the switch is sticky (possibly needs to be greased near the contacts in the switch) and cause the headlights to turn off, and buzz. 

 

This is not a big problem, but I just wanted to see if someone has had something similar occur. 

 

Next time if it buzzes, I will try to switch to hi beam, but that is also another issue I am in the middle of dealing with.

 

 

My hi beam and low beam is switched on my steering column. Pulling the lever back for hi beam leads to low beams turning on, and vice versa. Pushing forward will cause the hi beams to go on, and cause the hi beam dash warning to light up. Up front, I have the original headlights from 40 years ago, and yes all lights work, low and high. Another slight issue occurs when I turn on the hi beams, one low beam will turn off. 

 

One high beam wire seems to be ghetto-fixed, and could be causing a problem, I just have not got around to fixing it or taking a look. 

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From your description everything seems fine and explained by just poor contact in the lamp switch. I've had one apart before. There are tabs that can be bent back to get at the contacts inside. You can bend them once (maybe twice, but iffy) and still bend them back together. Inside are sliding contacts and springs... mine was all green from corrosion. I think there is a lubricant in there too like lithium grease? if there is a such a thing as electrical contact grease then that's what it was.

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I've taken apart the 73' 510 switches before, and they are the same exact design, sliders on contacts inside the switch. Simple design, but I noticed that they were pretty gummed up from crap + electrical grease. Ill just clean up my switches when I have the time to do so. 

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My hi beam and low beam is switched on my steering column. Pulling the lever back for hi beam leads to low beams turning on, and vice versa. Pushing forward will cause the hi beams to go on, and cause the hi beam dash warning to light up. Up front, I have the original headlights from 40 years ago, and yes all lights work, low and high. Another slight issue occurs when I turn on the hi beams, one low beam will turn off. 

 

 

 

That's normal.  On 620s pushing the lever forward (towards the dash) is high beam.  Back towards the steering column is low beam.  Every 620 I've owned is like that, and only ones built in 78+ have a flash to pass setting.  Heck, I think every Datsun I've owned is like that.  Now, my old Ford, that was different- pull to turn the high beams on, pull to turn them off (click on. click off).

 

Having one headlight torn off when on high beam is usually either a burned-out filament in the low beam (they have 2 filaments) or a missing ground wire- which would also show up as one bulb being unusually dim. 

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That's normal.  On 620s pushing the lever forward (towards the dash) is high beam.  Back towards the steering column is low beam.  Every 620 I've owned is like that, and only ones built in 78+ have a flash to pass setting.  Heck, I think every Datsun I've owned is like that.  Now, my old Ford, that was different- pull to turn the high beams on, pull to turn them off (click on. click off).

 

Having one headlight torn off when on high beam is usually either a burned-out filament in the low beam (they have 2 filaments) or a missing ground wire- which would also show up as one bulb being unusually dim. 

Are you serious? That's not a very great design. If I remember correctly (I don't have a very good memory) The 510 has a pull to hi-beam, push to low beam. It makes it kind of hard to not hit the beam lever when turning, and I'll accidentally hit the hi beams on... But then again I am running the usdm 240z steering wheel. 

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