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1976 280z Help


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Ok, so having issues with my 280z and with the multitude of info out there(i have been reading for the past 3 days) and the multitude of contradicting info i have found im gonna ask for definitive answer lol.

 

Ok so my 76 is not getting any power to the coil at all, its been checked. The coil is brand new and should be good. I have done the zx alternator upgrade and i get the charging light when the key is in the on position. Sometimes i get a voltage reading sometimes i dont so i imagine something is going on there. I have read on a older post on this site that following the write up on Atlantic z car will end up with a dead battery in a few days. Thats the write up i used so i am hoping this is not gonna be the case, ill try to post pictures of what i did later.

 

So back to the main propblem at hand, no power to the coil. I have read it could the the ignition control module on the passenger side, i have read that there is also one on the firewall above the break pedal, and i have heared there is a ballast resistor that could be bad. I have also read that ballast resistors are for points cars and a 76 280z does not have one.. this is where the contradicting info crops up. Incase it matters my ignition switch is new.

 

So initially last year the car was having a issue with fuel so the fuel pump was replaced. Car fired right up and then as it reached temp it started to stumble, then sputter, then fail. Have not got it to start since. It was doing this before but it was thought that it was the symptoms of a pump that was on its last legs.

 

Any help that can be given would be great... also any writeups or just general info or hell even rumor at this point to upgrade the weak points in the ignition system would be GREAT!.. Thanks alot

 

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Make sure you check all of your ground wires (as that was my issue for a whole year), especially the one to the alternator in case you forgot when switching it out. And from my understanding, the ICM sends power to the coil. 

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The charge light will be on unless the car is running and the alternator is working. So if your car isn't running, then your alternator is not being spun enough and thus your light is going to be on. My 76 was having similar issues, you need to bust out the FSM and multimeter and trouble shoot the ignition problem. I kept talking to people online for about 3 days when mine wasnt starting. After only ten minutes of checking voltage and resistance, I found my pickup coil was bad.

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A before-and-after cause-effect process might help you.  You mentioned the ZX alternator swap but didn't say if that was the only thing you did, or if it worked just before the swap, but not after.  You said the engine ran then died and hasn't started since, last year.  What's happened in that year?  You're getting voltage sometimes - voltage to where?  You have a brand new coil - was it replaced to fix the problem, or replaced before the problem?  Can't tell what happened when.  

 

Ballast resistors don't generally go bad when they're just sitting.  As for measuring coil voltage, you can measure power to the ballast also, it's sitting right there with terminals exposed.  And, the ballast and coil only get power when the key is on.  In case you've been measuring with the key off.

 

Here's the easy link to the FSM's.  Try the Engine Electrical chapter for some diagrams.  http://www.nicoclub.com/datsun-service-manuals

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