Soooo...i now have a running FB!!!! Now the next hurdle is the headlights. I have all other lights workin great. But my headlights have only worked once, randomly, as I was attempting to diagnose the the problem. So as I was going over everything, I found my brights will flash but they wont stay on, brights or regular headlights. I will start tracking the problem tomorrow morning when this minnesota cold isnt so bad.

Anyone else ever have a similar problem? Any common problems with switches or what not? Good places to start? Thanks!

Oh, to clarify, I have a 1981 FB with the rats nest still nesting and a couble perfomance mods but nothing electrical.

If it makes a difference, my stinkin fuel pump had no power untill a wizard enchanted it when i wasnt looking and macically i had power. Go figure.

 

How do they flash? Is it like just a quick flash on then they go off till you hit the switch again, or is it more of like a blinker? One at a time or both? Details on the flash would be a good start, or perhaps a detailed video.

 

When i pull the lever toward me, the brights will come on, but only as long as i hold the lever. They will not come on when i push the lever away from me.

 

I'd start by checking all the grounds and making sure they are good. Theres one
on the front strut tower, one up under the dash behind the console and one in the
rear that attaches to the exhaust. I would also change over your old fusable links
to modern replacement fusible links like this just to be sure.



Next I would pull the cover off the steering column and try spraying some electrical
cleaning fluid into the light switch that the stalk comes out of. This has been known
to cure things like this.

Now if you really want your lights to be bright, do a relay mod to make the get
power directly from the battery. BD sells a nice prewired kit for this that I used in
this thread https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/lighting-how-heavy-duty-headlight-harness-installation-695121/

 

Usually issues like this stem from carbon build up on the combination switch contacts. You can try spraying contact cleaner into the switch from the stalk and see if that helps. If not, you will have to take the switch off and spray the actual contacts. If the spray does not work, fine emery cloth on the copper contacts is your last resort.

I personally have had issues where turning the lights on doesn't work, but pulling back for high beams does. I got away with just spraying one car while it was still installed, but on another car I had to take it apart. Best of luck.

 

I had problems with my headlights when I first got my car. The car had sat for years. The problem with my car was exactly what Sgt Fox said, carbon buildup on the combination switch.

 

A red rubber pencil eraser works as well as or better than fine emory cloth for cleaning electrical contacts, and does not abrade away plating anywhere nearly as aggressively.

Been used for cleaning relay contacts & edge connectors for decades.

 

If you find that you need to disassemble the combination switch There are pictures here.

http://intertron.com/ron/combo.html

 

Thanks for the help! In the twilight of a Minnezota frost, the wizard made himself known again. Apparently magic is a strong substitute! In other words, the lights worked fine today.

However, (grumble), the whole column is in need of attention. My ignition switch is going bad. Gotta jiggle the key after start up to keep power in the on position. Gonna be looking for a replacement soon or possibly attempting to open her up, if its even possible.

Its an uphill battle. Poor gal is stuck being my DD for part of this winter.

 

When it gets cold up there in Minnesota, the air thins out because the oxygen molecules crystallize, creating insulation zones around your electrical contacts that wreck havoc with the switches.

I think you are on the right track trying to get in there and clean out the carbon according to the excellent suggestions and tutorial provided above. And trust in the FB, if any car can make it through a winter up there it's a 1st gen RX-7.

 

Every time I had mysterious light issues it turned out to be the fusible links, much easier to check than cleaning the contacts, next time it happans wiggle the links and see what happens.

 

Link to writeup on contact cleaning (no disassembly required. Read full article): https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...dlight+cleaner




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