Another Electrical Question - Headlights

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CloudForestCruise

CloudForestCruise

Joined
Dec 28, 2025
Threads
7
Messages
42
Location
Ecuador
I just purchased my FJ a few weeks ago. It looks and runs great. I live in Ecuador, and mine is a South American vehicle of Japanese origin. I'll have a reliable driver once I get my wiring sorted out. For a 50 years old vehicle, the loom is in pretty good shape, except for where things have been hacked in or removed. So, I have a few questions.

1. I've attached a photo of my fuse panel. Is this factory, or has someone replaced it?
2. When I bought the vehicle, the headlights worked. Now they don't. I tested all of the wires on the headlight switch and there is no 12V+. Tomorrow I plan to trace the wires back to the Amp Meter to see where I've lost connection. If anyone knows, does it go to the fuse panel, or directly to the gauge cluster?
3. I have a related problem with the brake lights, running lights, and emergency flashers (turn signals work properly).
A. I feel that the brake light outage will be fixed when I sort out the headlights.
B. I'm not sure where to look for the running lights.
C. Since the turn signals work, but the emergency flashers do not, I think the problem is the flasher switch. I plan to rebuild the switch and feel this should fix the hazard light circuit.
4. Where is the fusible link and what does it look like?

I've not been able to get the registration for the vehicle in my name because the vehicle won't pass inspection without working lights.

Fuse Box.webp


Headlight Switch.webp
 
One more thing I forgot to mention. I tested the fuse panel. The first, fourth, and fifth are 12V+. The second and third are Accessory. The sixth to eights are Ignition. All voltages pass through as expected.
 
Doesn't look OEM fuse unit to me. You have corrosion on the terminals - both the spring clips and the screw ones. You need to clean that off and put some silicone dielectric grease to help prevent the corrosion. Go to all the plugs, clean both side, inspect the crimp terminals in the plug - corrosion can crawl under the insulation making bad connections. If you are careful you can rebuild switch. or you can try turning the hazard switch on/off like 50 times.

Voltage doesn't do work, amperage does - corrosion is resistance.
 
Looks pretty stock. Do you know for sure which one is for the headlights?

Every one of your contact points could do with a clean up…in particular the 1st on the LEFT. And did you do a continuity test on each fuse?
 
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John McVicker said:
Looks pretty stock. Do you know for sure which one is for the headlights?

Every one of your contact points could do with a clean up…in particular the 1st on the LEFT. And did you do an continuity Etsy on each fuse?
Click to expand...
Didn't continuity test them, but did test for voltage on the Philips screws on top and bottom. The left most fuse disintegrated when I removed it and was already replaced.
 
charliemeyer007 said:
Doesn't look OEM fuse unit to me. You have corrosion on the terminals - both the spring clips and the screw ones. You need to clean that off and put some silicone dielectric grease to help prevent the corrosion. Go to all the plugs, clean both side, inspect the crimp terminals in the plug - corrosion can crawl under the insulation making bad connections. If you are careful you can rebuild switch. or you can try turning the hazard switch on/off like 50 times.

Voltage doesn't do work, amperage does - corrosion is resistance.
Click to expand...
I removed the fuse panel last week and the right most lower terminal fell off, so I had to rebuild that terminal. I'm afraid that if I start cleaning the other terminals, the thing will fall apart. So, I've been looking for a replacement fuse panel. The problem is that I can't find one with 3 inputs for 12V+, Accessory, and Ignition. So I'm looking for options.

I'd also like to find a panel with the turn signal and hazard flashers integrated.
 
Well if its just going to fall off by cleaning - it needs replaced anyway.

Do you have any way to get this
painlessperformance.com

Universal Style Pre-Wired 14 Circuit Fuse Block Part No 30001

You can use this 14 Circuit OEM Universal-style pre-wired fuse block as a starting point for custom wiring. All you have to do is terminate each circuit wire and attach it to the fuse block. Pre-wired and labeled for the following circuits: Starting, Air conditioning/heat, gauges/dash...
painlessperformance.com painlessperformance.com

What about wrecking yards, can you harvest something from there?
 
You might do well to download a schematic for your year from the @Coolerman site. I used that schematic extensively to get my 79 back to what it should be after years of cobbling.

Not sure how close your 76 is to my 79, but I found that the turn signal and the emergency flasher circuits overlap, but are not exactly the same, in that the two circiuts use the same flasher unit, but the two curcuits have different 12v sources.

The emergency flasher circuit is powered all the time, whereas the turn signals are powered by the ignition on circuit. That took a bit to figure out, then I wired in a new fuse block to match the schematic.

You can find new, aftermarket fuse blocks in lots of places, including City Racer. If you run out of independent outputs on the new fuse block to match your schematic, you can always double-up on an output terminal or splice in taps, as long as your circuit and wiring gauge can handle the load. I stuck to the schematic in those respects and it worked out.

And FYI, the labeling of the aftermarket fuse blocks may not match your schematic. I had to re-label accordingly.

Screenshot_20240216_190137.webp


20240217_143815.webp


20240217_143849.webp
 
Nice job @CruiserInProgress
 
That fuse block looks like a late 60s one, not a 76. Could this truck have an early loom in it? Is the low beam switch on the floor or combined with the turn lever? Fusible link is a short bit of white wire coming off the battery positive then continues on to ammeter, but early looms miss this out and take current from the starter motor terminal
 
@CloudForestCruise

I also have a South American 40 Series of Japanese origin.

To answer your #4 question, there was not a fusable link on my vehicle when it was imported. I can’t verify that it ever had one and that could be the case with you also?

In the photos you can see where I added a 14G link. These premade link are available at some auto parts stores and on Amazon.

Not the prettiest photos!

IMG_5065.webp
IMG_5064.webp
 
anothernz45 said:
That fuse block looks like a late 60s one, not a 76. Could this truck have an early loom in it? Is the low beam switch on the floor or combined with the turn lever? Fusible link is a short bit of white wire coming off the battery positive then continues on to ammeter, but early looms miss this out and take current from the starter motor terminal
Click to expand...
This is a South American model made in Japan. It could be that they used the earlier wire loom. The fusible link is not at the battery, so it must be attached to the starter solenoid, if it still has it.
 
charliemeyer007 said:
Doesn't look OEM fuse unit to me. You have corrosion on the terminals - both the spring clips and the screw ones. You need to clean that off and put some silicone dielectric grease to help prevent the corrosion. Go to all the plugs, clean both side, inspect the crimp terminals in the plug - corrosion can crawl under the insulation making bad connections. If you are careful you can rebuild switch. or you can try turning the hazard switch on/off like 50 times.

Voltage doesn't do work, amperage does - corrosion is resistance.
Click to expand...
@charliemeyer007 you were spot on. My fuses are unlabeled, which makes it hard. The #1 fuse (left side) is the headlight fuse and even though I replaced the bad fuse, the new one was not making good connection. When I removed it and tightened the spring clips, the headlight switch received power and worked. Time to replace the fuse panel.

devo said:
I also have a South American 40 Series of Japanese origin.

To answer your #4 question, there was not a fusable link on my vehicle when it was imported. I can’t verify that it ever had one and that could be the case with you also?

In the photos you can see where I added a 14G link. These premade link are available at some auto parts stores and on Amazon.
Click to expand...
@devo, I just checked and I have no fusible link. I will try to get one today.

charliemeyer007 said:
Well if its just going to fall off by cleaning - it needs replaced anyway.
Click to expand...
@charliemeyer007, It is easiest for me to buy from Amazon. I'm trying to weigh my options. My current fuse panel has 3 circuits - 12V+, Accessory, and Ignition. I can find panels with two circuits for 12V+ and Ignition, but not one with the Accessory circuit. I think replacing the fuse panel may fix the remainder of the intermittent wiring issues that I have.
 
CloudForestCruise said:
This is a South American model made in Japan. It could be that they used the earlier wire loom. The fusible link is not at the battery, so it must be attached to the starter solenoid, if it still has it.
Click to expand...
Early ones omitted the fusible link, tho I've since added one. Early fuse blocks were screwed to footwell, later ones mounted by door
 
[/QUOTE]It is easiest for me to buy from Amazon. I'm trying to weigh my options. My current fuse panel has 3 circuits - 12V+, Accessory, and Ignition. I can find panels with two circuits for 12V+ and Ignition, but not one with the Accessory circuit. I think replacing the fuse panel may fix the remainder of the intermittent wiring issues that I have.
[/QUOTE]

FYI, If you're having trouble finding a replacement FJ40 fuse block on Amazon, there are lots of options available on eBay, including sources outside the US. I saw types like mine (later FJ40) and even types like your current one (early FJ40?). Good luck.
 
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Everything is fixed except for the brake lights. The Headlights and Running Lights were due to the #1 fuse clip being corroded, bent, and (probably due to it being repaired with solder) loss of spring tension. I've ordered a new fuse box which will be the ultimate fix. The Emergency Flasher is also repaired. A PO replaced the original emergency flasher and did the wire wrap/tape fix...which was making intermittent contact. The connections are now soldered correctly.

My next job will be to identify the 8 circuits of my existing fuse panel. The right most is the headlight circuit. If anyone else has a similar fuse panel like mine with labels, please let me know. This would be a big help when I get started.

I've not yet repaired the brake lights. This is because I cannot contort to see and access the brake switch. My rig goes to the mechanic next week to have a new brake booster installed, so I think I'll let them sort this out for me.

Thanks for all your help and advice.
 
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