Electrical Problem: Lights

bandwagonpilot

Garden Variety Nomad
Apr 5, 2005
6
0
0
38
VA
I could really use some help. I just acquired an 88 Turbo, and the major prevention for getting her on the road is that the lights do not work. These include the dash illumination, headlights, headlight retraction, and possibly the rear lights (primary brake lights do not work [third brake light works] and the park lights do not work, but might be bulbs), however the turning signals and hazard lights do work.

Okay, here are a few special conditions:
The kid who owned the car before the person I got it from decided he wanted to redo the interior, which included adding a switch to hotwire the foglights, which I’m sure was not done correctly.

The steering wheel/turn signal switch turning thing are plugged in, but the cover is not on, which might be why the high-beams don’t work.

I took the cover off of the headlight relay in the fuse box next to the battery, and if I manually connect the relay (hold the magnetic lip part to complete the connection), the headlights turn on. Also, hot wired, if I connect the negative fog light wire to the negative battery terminal, the fog lights will work. I figure the kid just didn't bother to finish the fog light wiring. I'm not really worried about the fog lights as much as I am the head lights.

I asked the previous owner, and he assured me that the headlight retraction motors do work. He told me that before, when he twisted the light signal switch to turn the lights on, that every once in a while all of the lights would turn on like normal, but would only last for like 30 seconds.

The headlight retraction relay is supposedly under the dash, above the steering column, but I didn’t see it. It would help if the damn book gave me a picture, but it doesn’t. The previous owner told me that he believes the problem to be some sort of main light relay. But I don’t see anything like that in the book, and have no idea where it would be either.

I was wanting to know if anybody here has had similiar problems, or know what might be wrong. Or atleast have any suggestions so that I can figure out the problem and fix it.

I really love my supra, and it is not fair to have her yard bound just because of some light problem. I really need the advice and expertise of the board members, and greatly appreciate any help. Thanks.

Small side note: the title says that the car is an 88, and on the drivers door, the sticker says: December, 1987. Also, the VIN number is: JT2MA71J0J0087925, and I’m under the impression that it might be an 87 instead of an 88, which might add to the complications as well. Please help me, I just want to drive my favorite car. It’s hell having what I always wanted, and not being able to use it >_<.
 

Oper8or

New Member
Apr 21, 2005
80
0
0
51
Greenback, TN.
That my friend sounds like a bad ground to me. Make sure and check ALL of the relays and trace the wires if possible. I'm taking it that the car does start. So, grounding is the first place I would start. Then checking for bad switches and badly jerry rigged wires. One of the group might be able to point you to the exact location of the ground wires. Other than that you'd have to look at the TSRM.

I know exactly how you feel. This is the type of things I went through when I bought my Sup. I went nuts tracing and rewiring back to normal. Then there was the "wtf? he used a drywall screw in place of the 100amp in the main panel?" thing I went through. But luckily one of the guys here had one to completely replace it. :biggrinbo
 

bandwagonpilot

Garden Variety Nomad
Apr 5, 2005
6
0
0
38
VA
Yes, the car does work. I personally have not seen the lights turn on via the switch, so there is the possibility that he was lying about the lights working. I'm trying to follow the TSRM, but the stupid Haynes book virtually just skips over the 88 model, and it's hard to find out which wires are applicable to the light circuit. If possible, does anybody know a list of relays that would pertain to the lights, to help narrow it down? I'm going to search the wires for bad grounding first, thanks for the advice.

Also, a direct connection to the positive terminal was cut, it's a thick red wire that passes through a little small box type thing thats black I belive, and says "TRC". What is that?