Ok this is what I checked. I pulled the relay out and used a multimeter to check for voltage.

Key Off

I I

I I both bottom and top right pin carry 12V

Key On

I I

I I Both bottom share 12v with top left pin along with top right

The relay itself is an open to all pins. Dose this look right seems odd the me 3 pins carry ing voltage

Also put relay in Jump start car battery is fine ran for 15min died started agianran 15 min car died. Restart just hear relay click and EGI relay humming removedand it was carrying 7v. What could be causing the voltage drop?

Thank You Sam

Sorry to bring up an old post but i too been having the same problem.

This is what i did to fix it.

I first notice that when i removed the eng cont fuse from the fuse box near the battery it fixed the problem. I then traced the wire to the bulb check relay(this the little blue relay behind the white connector above the interior fuse box). The Brown wire from the relay goes to the instrument cluster for the lights that are all on.Remove the batttery bulb from the cluster. Now the lights should all turn off when you turn the key off.

Hope this helps.

I'm still trying to trace the white wire from cluster to the alternator to figure out why this problem occurs. hope this gives people an idea where to start for the problem.

thankslee

Has anyone found a sure fire fix for this?

I am having the EGI relay buzzing, and the idiot lights staying on.

My headlights also pop up, and turn on as soon as I connect the power/ground to the battery.

I need to get this fixed soon, I need my car working right.

well its a main power wire grounding out somewhere. it happened to a ca swap of ours too. turned out a body harness wire had been grounded. start looking at the 12v wires of the car.

OK so I am having this issue! The EGI relay clicks like crazy! Also I have removed the bulb check relay and the problem still persists! I can pull the key out of the ignition and the car will continue to run. I can also unplug the ignition switch and the car will continue to run. I am wondering about this ground behind the alt? I have checked all of the ones that I can find in the Manual that I have downloaded for my 1989. There are some that it lists that I cannot find. Either they do not exist or they have hidden them quite well. I used to have this problem only when it rained. So I thought that pulling the Bulb check relay out would fix the problem but it only really made it worse. Atleast before the car would turn off with the key! I will have to wait for the weekend before I can digging into it again. But it all seemed to work pretty good for a little while there after pulling the bulb check relay. if anyone could maybe post or send me a pic of this ground on the alt would be great. I would LOVE to get this fixed so I could possiably sell this car. Also maybe a little more info on this red wire for the ECU backup voltage? Any help would be great right now! Thanks guys!!!

you have a wire thats grounding somewhere. its completing a circuit that should be but off by the switch. check near your fuse box under the hood. and your starter and alt wiring. those are the usual culprits.

does anyone a part number for the small blue relay thats mounted behind the junction connector?

all i found was a 073N but that doesnt cross reference to any relay part numbers
Modified by Beercandrifter at 11:41 AM 3/21/2010

i am having this exact same problem its bugging me, it drained my battery last night thanks to that i missed school what relay do i need to replace? thanks.

I have no lights of any kind (no instrument cluster, guages - nothing) on my race car 1989 240sx SOHC. Do I understand correctly, that I need the bulb check relay or a resistor that drops voltage to under 6 volts connecting the white wire and the white red wire coming from the plug on the alternator? This, then, would then signal the alternator that it needs to charge the battery?

I am finnishing up a VQ swap in a previously automatic 240sx and I am having the same problem... anyone?

I fought this fight the past couple of days. I would be able to the key to the on then off and have the idiot lights would stay on. If I would start the engine then turned on then off the lights would turn off. I was trying to solve this problem cause my seat belt problem.

I had to change the brown relay on the back of the S.M.J. I also had to replace the other brown relay on the back of the fuse block as well. I had a no power on the gauge cluster. Now every thing is all set.
When I tested the relay on the battery it barely made a contact noise. Worked for me hope it will help someone else out.