Turbo72-240 Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 So i just changed my guages out for 77 280z guages and all went well until i started the car.it started up perfectly normal,i turned the car to the off position and my Z turned off as it should.but then i went to take my key out of the ignition and when i turned the key to "lock" to remove my key,my car started back up...so as of right now i cant remove my key from the ignition without starting the car(i can take my key out after i turn it to lock,but the z keeps running)...i dont want to be stuck leaving my key in the ignition all of the time,so please help me out guys.also,if it means anything,when i put the volt/fuel meter guage in my car i connected the 2 thick white/white red wires together like i had read about.but i havent been able to find on my current issue.thanks guys.any suggestion helps alot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Even after reading your post a couple of times, I'm not sure if I entirely understand your situation; but the attached schematic should help you troubleshoot your problem...pull your ignition switch and check if it's wired correctly. Good luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m1noel Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 On my 280, it is possible to plug the ignition connector in upside down, which does cause similar issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo72-240 Posted May 9, 2013 Author Share Posted May 9, 2013 to dig a little deeper into the issue, i will try to explain a little more thoroughly. i didnt mess with my ignition switch at all, nothing got plugged or unplugged on my steering column at all...so im not sure if it would still have anything to do with the switch itself(unless it conviently went bad at the time i was doing the swap.haha)...but i putin the 77 280z guage in place of my 72 guage because i upgraded my alternator to a zx alt, and i prefer the volt guage over the amps(and my original fuel guage was a bit off, and the 280 guages is much more accurate)...but my situation is: on my old guage there is 2 thick white wires connected to the old guage(white and white/red)...which is the battery and ignition wires.those are the 2 wires that powered the "amp" meter.i actually thought it was a positive and negative wire because on the back of the guage where the wires go it it has a "+" on the white wire and a "-" on the white/red wire.so the first time i wired in the new guage i put the white wire on the positive wire from the guage, and the white/red wire on the ground wire...i tried turning on the z, and it did nothing whatsoever.so i did some more research and from what i found, i am supposed to splice the white and white/red wires together to form a complete connection.that is how it is currently, the car starts and i drive it to work and back with no problems...except if i take my key out of the ignition, the car will start.so i have to leave my key in the ignition on the "off" position.but the interesting part is that when i tried hooking the old guage back up to see if i still had the same problem, the ignition worked normally, i could take out the key without the car trying to start.so what i figured from there is that the "amp" meter had a coil in it that completes the circuit through the white and white/red wires...you would think if you just connect the wires straight together that it would do the exact same thing...just complete the circuit.but no, it isnt that easy at all.haha.i cant take my key out without it engaging my starter and starting my car.so i am completely stumped...like i said, unless my ignition just went at the wrong time...but the biggest part that i didnt understand is why the ignition still works correctly with the old "amp" guage in. let me know if there is anymore confusion, i tried to go as detailed as i could off hand.im a little tired too as well, so dont mind the bit of rambling every once in a while..like now.lmfao. thanks for the help guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santanawhite Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Did u resolve the issue, I'm having the same problem on my 240z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z240 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 There are a pair of loose (red? red-black?) wires that hang off the side of the ignition switch that are part of the interlock. ie when you turn to the lock position these wires either get connected or disconnected. Makes the seat belt buzzer go off or something. If you have mistakening used these wires in another way, then this might be why turning your key to lock has an electrical result you aren't expecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pharaohabq Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Well, the issue has to be with those wires. The white and the White/red I think you have this confused. The white and white/red should be connected together. in the AMP meter, they show the current running to the battery, either a positive draw or a negative draw. current has to run through it to get a reading. The Volt meter is different, If just measures if there's voltage on the line. So you'll have to verify this, but it seems if you connected the two wires together, then connected one of the terminals, then connected the other to ground you shoudl read volts. This should be switched power, so while key is off it should not be reading power. otherwise you'd have to find a different connection to use for the switched power. there's probably a thread on this, Voltmeter installation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo72-240 Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 sorry about the time in between, i havent had access to my email/internet at all for a while.but i have not resolved the problem, i actually do keep the key in the ignition, i just make sure i lock my doors when i leave it alone.i actually havent really messed with it much in awhile, ive been doing other stuff.i just got done swapping a zxt motor in it, but i threw the carbs back on because the guy didnt have a wiring harness to sell me....anyways, back on topic...while driving it i did notice that i actually can take my key out of the ignition when it is in the "lock" position, but my emergency brake light stays on.the only time it wont try to turn over the starter is when i turn the key quick enough that it doesnt have time to engage...but when i do that i just realized that the coil is getting very very hot...so im back to leaving the keys in the ignition...i will check the 2 wires comiing from the ignition(the red and red/black)..ill make sure those are connected properly.i just took the headlight switch off about a week ago and didnt notice anything odd...(other than the fact that i cant for the life of my find the location that one of the grounds go to...im not sure if that would be a problem, but it isnt near the ignition switch at all...its coming off the headlight switch, so i wouldnt think that it would cause me a problem.also, santanawhite, if you have figured out your problem let me know please...if i find my problem and get ahold of a phone or computer i will let you guys know if i found the problem.thanks alot for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeemuM Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Did you find what cause this issue? I have same problem in my car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrit Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 On the 240z tach, the ignition wire runs through it so maybe the issue is there. If not get a new ignition. I had similar issues and after replacing the ignition, it was fine. This is where I got mine and its a quality piece http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NISSAN-DATSUN-240Z-260Z-280Z-IGNITION-SWITCH-STARTER-KEYS-SET-/160976339870 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 I have one of those, it really is well made. Make sure you keep the spare in a safe place. The locksmith I went to said he hasn't seen a key like that and said he probably couldn't make another one. His advice was to order extra keys if possible if you have a tendency to misplace yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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