Oddmanout84
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Posts posted by Oddmanout84
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Because of my love of troubleshooting (ha, yeah right) I have ordered a multitude of components to help narrow down my search for the elusive gremlin. Another expense, yes, I'm not too happy about it. But I am sick and tired of searching around and chasing ghosts. New dust boots for the steering endlinks and steering rack were ordered as needed, but in the process I grabbed a few other things "while I was at it". Among these were several new relays, for the fuel pump and efi system. Other items include a new distributor and a "working" EFI computer from ebay ($25, couldn't pass it up). Lets hope these lead me to my problem. If not, I'll have spares.
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Iv'e got a frustration tip for you. If you need a break from thinking about why it won't fun for more than 2 seconds, just start thinking about what color you want to paint your car, if you haven't done so already. This thought has zoned me out of life for the past couple days:ugg:.
Oh believe me... I zone out thinking of its orange and black brilliance every day at some point. Orange may not be my favorite color, but in my opinion it is the best color for an S30.
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Don't forget the episode where they became chicks with full blown stubble.
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threads like these give me hope that I'm getting close to my problem's solution
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Twice pipes ARE amazing! The fit on 280's sucks however =/
I'll try and get you a picture of what mine look like. The guy at the shop I took it to had to make his own pipes for the back half....it fits great now and is pretty far off the ground. It looks like crap though since I didn't have the foresight to coat them haha.
Well, I haven't had a TERRIBLE time fitting them. I definately think they should have provided a hanger or two, but so far I've been able monkey them into place without scratching the paint too much, heh. Take your pipes off, scotch brite or wire brush all that rust off and use some of the VHT ceramic paint on them. You should be able to do it within a day, quick quick like a bunny. The VHT flat black dries fast, but I'd give it a few hours. From there the curing process actually involves you driving the car to heat it up so it fully cures!
But yes, if you could send pictures of your setup I'd be most appreciated. It will help me decide where I should put the straps, cause right now the system goes directly under the diff for the best fit.
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Coming into this thread late but here's a suggestion on the "no run" issue. 240Zs and many other cars - don't know exactly about the 280Zs - have a separate pathway for 12V to the coil for "Start" and "Run" position on the ignition switch. You said it fires instantly then dies. Does it die when the key returns to the "Run" position? Could be the ignition switch or the separate wiring pathway. The 240Zs do this to protect the points, and I know that the 280s don't have points, but there may be a similar circuit scheme going on.
Just a thought.
Yes, a bad ign switch is something that's crossed my mind several times. However my z will die after its 2 seconds of fuel is used up regardless of key position. Not ruling it out as a possibility, but so far my methods for troubleshooting generally have me checking from the end back to the beginning (i.e. starting from spark plugs back to the transistor ign box). I'm still a little way's from the key-hole
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Oh! And I almost forgot... Now that the twice pipes are hooked up, I got to hear a few notes out of them while my engine attempted to start. It was no symphony, but I can tell that it will be some sweet music!
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Nope, its not the AFM. Just made a temp fix to my ign relay. Strangely, it didn't seem to work at first. Then when I took a test light to the relay, all of the sudden my warning buzzer and other electronics started to function. Even stranger, the effect lasted even after the test light was removed! Weird...
So I tried starting, same effect, only runs for a second then shuts off. Unplugged AFM, attempted start, same effect. Plugged in L28ET BAMF AFM, same effect. So interestingly enough, its not likely the air flow meter due to my testing results. Good news because I'm narrowing it down, bad news of course is that I haven't located the problem. I think I have a bad ground somewhere, or possibly another relay is toast. I'll be ordering a few replacement relays soon if I can't get positive results out of what I have. Its looking more and more like I have a bad ground. The fun is locating it.
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If you want my opinion on what your problem is, listen up. Your Z has what is called an "angel switch" this switch cuts fuel in the event that a accident occurs, after all you don't what to covered in fuel do you? You can test this "angel switch" by turning your ignition to the on position and cracking open the afm flap, you should hear the fuel pump turn on. Anyway here is the best way to fix this problem, open up your afm (remove black side cover) and bend back that spring back/metal strip just a bit so that it makes contact correctly. Over time that strip gets “adjusted†just bend the metal back a bit and you should be golden.
Interesting. I cracked open the side cover and the inside looks immaculate, but I'm assuming that that metal strip you speak of is the small "arm" that contacts the points on that small circuit board. It looks like its touching but I will try bending it (hopefully without breaking!).
I was hoping to test the Z with AFM unplugged, but I still have yet to fix the ign relay. Your mention of this "angel switch" is interesting. A couple times while trying to start the car I could actually hear the fuel pump running after the key returned to the "on" position, even with the engine stopped. This effect was intermittent and would only happen once in a while. The flap doesn't stick anymore, so I know that's not it. I'll try to keep troubleshooting inbetween my other work, but I really need to finish this suspension work so I can get her off of these jacks.
Once again, thanks for the input.
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Now here's an interesting question...
Today at the shop I work at we recieved a ford crown vic (taxi cab, '00 model) that had the same starting issue that my Z has. It has spark, it will start, but only runs for a second. After several people scratched their heads for a while, one of us suggested unplugging the MAF plug. Guess what, it ran. Obviously we had to order a new MAF sensor to fix it, but it made me think. With our EFI Z's is it possible to unplug the AFM to bypass the signal in order to troubleshoot? I can't test it at the moment because my ign relay is still messed up and I need to make it a new ground. If anyone has any useful information it would be helpful.
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Boy - did that ever answer his question. Good one there. Maybe he can run a ground strap to his beefed up rear springs!
The Z (earlier S30's) are known for crappy wiring and poor grounding. So much so, that even Courtesy Nissan sells an upgraded wiring kit to solve a lot of the grounding problems on the Z. I am in the exact same boat, however, my car has been hand wired by the PO, (who over-engineered the car anyways) using 14ga. and better wiring throughout the car. My battery is in the trunk, and grounded to the chassis back there. I also have a ground from the starter bolt to the battery tray (chassis) I'm going to run it for a little this way and see if I encounter problems. For safety sake though, I am probably going to get a long cable and ground just as you recommended. It won't take long until an "informed" member on this forum can put us straight on this subject - I would think.
Motorsport (thezstore.com) also sells an engine grounding kit which they claim takes a lot of noise out of the electrical system. I've been thinking about it myself...
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So minty my mouth tingles..
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The sad thing is at the moment this thing will beat my car in the 1/4 mile, by a 1/4 mile...
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But I really can't worry about it too much now, because my main concern at the moment lies in fixing up the areas not noticed as much (like the suspension, interior, rust killing). Its like eating an apple backwards, only it makes sense.
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at first i was concerned about the scoops then decided it would look different and i really liked it
I was toying with the idea of painting just the inside of the scoop black, then installing the clear headlight covers. It would give a similar effect to installing smoked covers, maybe. My decision still isn't final though.
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Since it'll be a while before I attempt to start the Z again, it seems like my time will be better spent finishing the bottom work that I started. Good news; I found that there are a few online suppliers of various parts for the Z, ones that MSA and Black Dragon didn't offer! Woooo! They even supply distributors, new, but OEM, and they're in stock. I figured previously that mainstream support for these car parts was dead, but am pleasently proven wrong. The bad news; The one relay of mine that's known to be compromised (ign relay) is not in stock ANYWHERE. I'll either have to fix mine or find a Datsun mechanic with a 280 shell I can... erm.. rape parts off of. Maybe I'll get lucky and the local Nissan dealership can aquire one.
Check out this ign relay. I'm pretty certain that its not functioning due to the broken ground, which is next to my thumb. It still clicks, but power is not transmitted.
I'd much rather source a new one than fix this, it just mitigates the risk of it failing later on.
As you can see, the rear suspension of the car is nearly complete. All I have to do is hook up the brakes and insert the pads, as well as install the sway bar which will be later tonight. My wheels barely clear the calipers, its scary. I may even have to remove some of the balance weights on one of them. But that's ok, its only a short drive to the shop I'm working at, and we have a balancer where I can fix it.
Twice pipes are also being installed today. Nothing is final, but I do need to do some wiggle work to get them to sit right. Yes, I have a screwdriver holding up the tips from the rear mount! Getting them straight so far wasn't too hard, but I don't like how low they're hanging below the diff. I need to find some way to support them in the middle. So far though, it wasn't as much of a hooker as everyone said they were to install. But I could be wrong later when I do the final fit. Coating is flat black VHT ceramic spraypaint.
My other baby is in hibernation for the winter... Makes me sad...
Meow
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Ehhh... I still don't buy it. The hood doesn't have louvers either. Either the owner went through some trouble to make a silly conversion, or that's a 240. It doesn't have the ridiculous embellishments on the side skirts, the rubber strips are missing from the sides, it only has one mirror, and my stock bumpers were WAAAAAY bigger than that. It could easily be a modded 280, but something tells me that its more likely a 240-260 due to all the trouble they would've went through to convert the car, while still leaving the paint job a shiny poo-brown.
I just hope that spilling coolant was added for theatrical effect, or that increasingly rare L engine is done.
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THAT'S a great color scheme! Very similar to what I'll be doing, only my scoops won't be black and there's won't be an RB under the hood... yet...
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Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads...
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Yes, the thought has definately come to my mind several times. The biggest obstical for me is the price of a good carb setup, followed by my limited knowlage with them. I could slap on a set of carbs, from a new kit or an ebay purchase, but where would I go from there? Wouldn't I have to replace my fuel pump for something lower volume, as well as a ton of other components to get the carbs to operate? Then there's the whole thing about carburators being less fuel efficient...
Though I could learn to tune them from my uncle, it seems that at this stage its just another way to mess with the formula of the car, ultimately making it harder for me to get it on the road.
Someday though...
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Isn't that a 280Z front lip? I also like how the car was able to produce both V8 and I6 noises.
No, its either a 240 or 260. 280's have the turn signals in the grill. I can't wait to hear the motor playing two different melodies, must have been one quick engine swap.
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Looks like the ignition relay is toast. If it wasn't broke before, its sure d*cked now. A small ground the stupidly installed attached to the casing was broken on disassembly. The lack of my seatbelt warning buzzer and fuel quantity confirms it. So... unless I can somehow repair it, the damage is done and I have to source a new one. Fixed the fusable link (HA!). For some reason the Z doesn't like the solder at all, and it never sticks to components, even with flux. The link should have enough contact now though.
The engine will not fire anymore.
One step forward, two steps back...
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Have you been running your component checks at the ECU pinout? I am asking because a "bad computer" diagnosis and a "bad wiring" diagnosis are VERY easy to get switched around. Testing the component, AT the component, tests the component.. testing it thru the wire harness tests the harness as well.
Also, don't LIMIT yourself to the flowchart necessarily.. it IS a tool, and sometimes those older FSMs need to be used with imagination. Checking a FSM for your model year *might* prove to be worthwhile...
Yup yup... Not to sound like "I already knew that" or anything, but yes, that's been how I've been going about things. As always, I appreciate thoughtful input. I've checked just about everything I test at the 35 pin connector at the component itself as well, and they've checked good for the most part. I also can think of a much better design for the flowchart as well, or at least something to suppliment it. Something like a chart that says "If x component does not work, then y componant or system will not fuction." The chart would of course end up being much bigger...
Interesting discoveries tonight though. A while ago while playing with the combination switches (trying to get the dash lights and running lights to operate), I must have crossed a wire because when I touched it there was a sharp POP from somewhere and the dash lights stopped working. Fuses were good, fusable links were good. The lights were still inop, and looking through the body electrical manual stated that it could be a bad ign relay. Tonight I popped that open, but nothing seems to be amiss. No scorch marks, nothing. And the little magnets are doing their job as I felt them clicking last night.
However what I did discover, as I was working on that relay by the passenger fender, was that one of my fusable links had become frayed at the connector, most likely due to me working around the engine while messing with the manifolds and such. Its hanging by two strands of wire. Care to guess? Yes, it was the EFI/Ignition link. Dur. I think I'll try repairing that before I crack open any more relays, or maybe just temporarily connect the two contacts with a paper clip or maxi fuse (better option). That may or may not be the problem, but it still brings to mind the question of where that popping sound came from that other night.
Once I get this bucket running, I'm immedietly going to replace those stupid things with the two 2 slot maxi fuse blocks that have been sitting on my shefl for the past month. I'm tired of dealing with them, as this will be at least the 5th time I've repaired them. It seems that NAPA auto and Autozone sell their fusable links by gauge size, not the amperage they're rated to take, which makes it even more bothersome trying to find the right wire.
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I'd have to agree, that's the funniest ebay ad I've ever seen. If I was still in California, I would be busting @ss to get over there. And by that I don't mean defecating myself.
*New* Z project!
in S30 Series - 240z, 260z, 280z
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Installation is final. I'll have to wait and see if there's anymore tweaking to do. They fought against installation a little bit, but in the end I won. No modifications other than paint were needed.
Looks like they went in straight, but I have yet to take a level to the tips to see if its exact. Only thing I don't like is that they go almost directly under th diff and once I remove that bumper they're not going to be flush anymore. I mean, they're going to stick waaaaay out!