Guest bastaad525 Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I seriously think anyone running the stock '81-83 ZXT ECU/wiring harness, should make a definately HABIT of this, if you haven't already... consider this routine maintenance! Once again, outta the blue, my car starts running like crap. I notice that as I'm accelerating, the more I push in the pedal, the boggier the car feels. This wasn't at any particular RPM, though it did seem to start as the boost gauge would transition from vacuum to boost. But it wasn't the usual 'flooring it above 4000rpm' symptoms, that's for sure. As boost would come on it would start to shimmy and shake and pop thru the exhaust. So I pulled over and disconnected the ECU and reconnected it, started it back up, but it was still doing it. Well I was panicking... anyways, pulled over at a small gas station, and luckily they had one can of brake parts cleaner spray hidden among some fix a flats and WD40's (luckily I looked for myself as the clerk insisted they had nothing like that). Disconnected the wires from the ECU, and also at the AFM (I always clean the AFM as well just as a matter of course) sprayed everything off, let it dry, put it all back together and VOILA!! Car was back to running perfectly... matter of fact it seemed to be running better than it had in weeks. Now, mind you there was no visible sign of any corrosion or being dirty or anything. Also, be careful at other times like when washing your car... I had a similar thing happen a few months ago, ended up that when i had washed my car some water (only the exterior, not cleaning inside the engine bay or anything) had gotten onto the AFMs connector... car was running like CRAP. Little things like that or badly grounded wiring with the ECCS can DEFINATELY make big differences and make you think something is seriously wrong with the motor or EFI, when it's really something you can fix easily and usually for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZmeFly Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I know the feeling, my car had a little problem that was more annoying then anything. When warm it was a surge or stumble, almost like a miss. I couldnt figure this out for the life of me. I did everything I could to figure what the problem was. Cleaned all connectors at every orifice. Used contact jel on everything, cleaned all the grounds. Still nothing worked. Well while looking over my motor to check for all emmision devices for inspection, I noticed that the PVC is not there, its plugged off. Well off to the store to buy my 3.99 PVC and 3.99 hose. Return later to put them on. First thing I notice is my idle is really smoothe. Then I decide to take the car out and test the surge at idle. Run it up and down the street for about an hour. No more surging or bouncing of the rpms. It used to go from 5-750, now 750 all the time. Hard to believe since April of last year this is all I had to do to remedy that lil annoying problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest myth66 Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I'll have to give that a try. my 280zx has been doing some weird sh*t after I got it home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Also don't forget to clean the connectors on the Throttle Position Sensor, and the Cylinder Head Temp Sensor. On my 81 ZXT, the location of the connector on the TPS would collect water if any got under the hood, and it would corrode badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bastaad525 Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 yeah at some point I do make it a point to also clean off the TPS and head temp, also, to clean off all the fuel injector connectors as well. I do the AFM and ECU more often though as one or the other always seems to be the root of my problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 Little bit of advice: Get yourself a tube of dielectric grease, and RIGHT after you clean the connections, apply it so air can NOT get to them afterwards. You will be very pleasantly suprised how much longer the "clean job" lasts. I cleaned mine three years ago on the Fairlady 2+2 (super green connections, so bad I bought new connectors---to replace them "when I had trouble in a few months"---but still haven't had to install them! Over 20K miles ago!) Hope this keeps you running a bit longer between cleaning intervals. I have this stuff at work for industrial severe condition connections, so I figured "WTF" doing headlight connections some years ago, and afterwards started doing it on EVERY electrical connection and my bugs have decreased exponentially! I have actually submersed the nose of a car (by accident I assure you!) and didn't short anything. I was as amazed as my wife was, I can say that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bastaad525 Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 Tony D - thank you for that tip... that's actually good common sense and I wonder that more people aren't doing (and suggesting) this, or why I never thought of it. I'll make it a point to pick some of that stuff up asap. An even better idea for guys like me who are running the 280 vented hoods where water can get in during the rain or washing the car, for sure (not to mention whatever weather stripping was around the hood on my car is long gone). I've actually, honestly not really had problems with water, amazingly, until this time, but still I think the grease would definately be a very worthwhile investment. Especially for not having to clean connectors so often. Thanks again dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 If you can get "worm needles" or large gauge hypodermic needles and syringes (not the insulin stuff) use that to inject it into the little recesses nice and neatly, as well as injecting it into the backside of the intact boots on the back of the connectors. While wiring the megasquirt, I cannibalized an wiring harness where I had THOUGHT I had scrupulously cleaned the connections. And they were clean from what you could see looking at them. But on the backside of the connection where the wires are CRIMPED to the pins in thefactory harness---they were positively GREEN! So when I built up the MS herness, the backs of the new injector boots got a dose of the dielectric grease, too! It works really well on high-amperage connections like headlights! Especially when submerging the nose of the vehicle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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