sone Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 i just got my first car and it is a 77 datsun 280z, non turbo, i love it but we drove it to a friends house and parked it the first day (last sunday) and it hasnt worked since, we figured out the battery died so i had it charged at auto zone and then found that it smelled like gas because gas was literally spraying from the fuel line between the pump and the filter, so i replaced that, so now it actually wants to start its not leaking but it styill doesnt. i have no cluce and like no money lol so i was wondering if anyone can help me out, i see as i get to know my car little by little this site is going to be handy but i was wondering if anyone can tell me how to get it started here are the facts -put in 3 gallons of gas because it was running low -it was running fine before (that past sunday) the battery died from leaving the lights on or so the guy says but i think its because he didnt use the car much -the lights do turn on (now) brightly which i plan to change to hid -i have it on nuetral when i try to turn it on -before it wouldnt do anything but buzz and now the fan turns and it sounds like it going to start but doesnt, it keeps trying (i was told dont hold the key into the ignition too long if it doesnt start because it will mess it up) -my guess is the spark plugs but the guy i bought it from replaced a new battery air intake and a few other nicks and nacks but im guessing spark plugs but non of my friends have a sprocket big enough to ttake them out and see if maybe they built up carbon, oh and one more thing the chg light turns on where the voltage meter is, but the batteyr is new!!! btw anyone got this? http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CP&Product_Code=CD28077A im calling them tomorow to see if they got any in but imm going to really need it besides all the problems im still glad actually found one of these no one has it anywhere near my neighborhood and i guess this is how ill learn more.. thank you in advance to anyone who helps me out frank...18....officially with a z machine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sone Posted August 28, 2006 Author Share Posted August 28, 2006 dam 20 views and no one knows? lol anyone..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COZY Z COLE Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Hold on grasshopper. You posted this on a weekend when most people are with family. I suggest first go to the following link and read the info and follow their tips/ instructions and then come back with some detailed questions.http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/ LARRY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 All 77's are going to be non-turbo, that wasn't an option until 81 I believe. Automatic, or manual? How does the distributor cap and rotor look? Generally speaking, whenever you buy a used car, you should always do tune up stuff and oil change, that way you KNOW what you are starting with, instead of what you are TOLD you are starting with. You might have some junk in your fuel filter if it was run down to the bottom of the tank, so you could start by doing a fuel filter. Have you checked the spark? I assume you've got fuel since it was squirting everywhere. Are there any air leaks between the MAF and the throttle body? That factory service manual sounds like a good investment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 but the guy i bought it from replaced a new battery air intake Does this not seem a bit strange? I think this is probably the result of a punctuation error but that leads me to wonder about the accuracy of the rest of the information. 1) The car started no problem when you drove it to a friends house. Was that the only time it started since you've had it or did it start ok before then? 2) When did the battery die? With the previous owner - or at your friends house -or both? Who left the lights on? 3) You're not pressing on the gas when you try to start it, are you? You keep your foot off the gas when starting an FI engine. 4) How long is too long? 3 seconds, 30 seconds, 3 minutes? Need to eliminate the subjective terms and use quantifiable ones. 5) By "trying to start" do you mean just that the starter is turning the engine over or that that it will fire intermittantly? 6) Pull a spark plug and look at the electrode and tell us what color (white, grey, brown, black) it is and if it is dry or wet looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sone Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 first of all thanks for the responces... 1-i did add fuel 2- i have not checked for any air leaks but will look into that first thing tomorow 3- non of my friend shad the rigth size "sprocket" i think its called to take out the spark plugs, but thats another "to do" 4- the car worked the first day driving it to my friends house , we did not drive it at all because we knew we were running low on fuel it was past E, so i went to get a a gallon the next day which was monday and found out the battery died, got it charged that day and found out it was leaking gas in the line inbetween were it pumps up into the filter(which i plan on replacing jus for the heck of it), and i fixed the fuel line wiht new tubing wensday, had it towed to my house, and reconnected the battery friday and now its still there but itleast finally infront of my apartment 5- what i meant by "tryig to turn on" is before the battery got recharged i would turn the key and all you heard was a like small buzz, (no voltage basically), now after the recharged battery the motor actually responds, the fan starts turning and everyhting, but lacks to get on idle 6-im not pressing the gas, even though we did try it once pressing the clutch, no pedal combination worked 7- new info.....today i tried once again just to see whats up and the car actually pushed forward a little, but i had the e brake on so it just basically like bounced back, but it still didnt turn on 8- i was wondering if anyone had an upload of the cd rom, i got to call them tomorow, i live in florida and were about to get hit with a hurricane / storm suposedly so i been getting supplies all day didnt really have a chance to do much 9- and when i get it started and running tune up and oil change if not included is the first thing on the list... 10- and sorry for being impatient but it took me a while just get the car im anxious to drive it already lol, and one more thing...i dont have alot of experience in cars (this is my first), so try to hold back a little on the technical terms please...ill come back to see this post friday if electricity doesnt go out and im about to look at the link...thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sone Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 oh another thing is there any way of knowing for my engine is f1, a guy was selling a brand new l28 without a hint of oil and i said ill think about it but i dont want to replace the engine with a less powerful one he said it was a 6 cylinder like mine but becuase i dont know what mine is exactly im not sure, if anyone knows exactly what i have id appreciate the shout out.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sone Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 oh and cozy z cole im definetly going to sit down and study that site, thanks, i need the crash course seriously Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sone Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 its manual btw and yes i have it on nuetral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sone Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 oh and it started fine before that day btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Your car would have been originally equipped with an L28 that had fuel injection, probably an N42 casting, since that's what my 77 had in it. The problem with these (or any car this old really) is that you never really know what a previous owner may have done. Before you buy a new engine, I think you should sort out what's happening with this one. It sounds like an electrical problem, so a new engine is going to do the same thing unless you fix this one. When you say you have it in neutral, is the gear shifter in neutral, or is your foot on the clutch? Your foot should be on the clutch unless the neutral safety switch has been bypassed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savageskaterkid Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 You have a neutral safety switch? 1st gen Z's didn't come stock with them, or thats the consensus of a post I started a while back. Yet again, everytime I mention this, I get flamed for it, but spray starter fluid in the intake, then go start the car, DO NOT SPRAY WHILE ITS RUNNING-trust me. If this starts it, then its a fuel related problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COZY Z COLE Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Yet again' date=' everytime I mention this, I get flamed for it, but spray starter fluid in the intake, then go start the car, DO NOT SPRAY WHILE ITS RUNNING-trust me. If this starts it, then its a fuel related problem.[/quote'] You're telling this to a guy who doesn't have a clue about cars...... Thank God it's pouring rain in Miami now. LARRY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Did they not? My car began it's life as an Automatic, so I didn't have to worry about that. Let me see if my service manual is here...I don't think this guy's problem is fuel related, just because he said the fuel would squirt out everywhere. Does the starter work? *edit* According the wiring diagram in my Haynes manual, the manual transmission 280z's 75 and up were equipped with a neutral safety switch. It's on page 246 if anybody wants to check up on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savageskaterkid Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 You're telling this to a guy who doesn't have a clue about cars...... Thank God it's pouring rain in Miami now. LARRY Good call, scratch that, we don't need one less Z and member. Try this then, look at your fuel hose that goes to the fuel rail(this is the one comming off the fuel filter) and disconnect it from the fuel rail(big metal loop that goes above the motor) Put the end of it in a soda bottle or some other container and try and start the car for a couple cranks. Now look in the bottle, is there gas? If so you have fuel-skip to the next step. If not, follow the same fuel line under the car till you find the fuel pump(big piece of metal-it will have wires comming from it.) Hook a wire from the positive lead to the positive lead on the battery-does it make noise? Is there fuel in the soda bottle now? If not, maybe you used the wrong lead, try again, but with the other lead. There should be fuel in the bottle now-if not then you have a bad pump, or a connection disconnected. If you succesfully jumped the pump and got fuel in the bottle, reconnect the hose and try starting the car again. Sometimes if my car sits my fuel pump stops working and I have to jump it to get it going. If you have fuel but it still doesn't start it could be your injectors and such, but that doesn't seem right, just because of the fact it was running a week ago-and injectors usually don't fail all at once, you can still usually run a Z on 4 or 5 cylinders, I've done it(spark plug boots slipped off) May even be a Fuel pressure regulator problem, I've gone through about 6 between 2 Zs. To test that, get some vice-grip pliers and clamp the return line, which is the one next to the filter(not too tight, if you have to force it shut, thats too tight) Try to start it yet again. I do not mean to put you down by writing this post like an idiot, but you stated you have no car knowledge so I'm trying to make it simple for you. btw....veritech-z I screwed up the wording of my post, I meant it more as an electrical problem causing a fuel problem. Such as the electric fuel pump-I messed up the thought. Sorry for the mis-write. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.INSANE Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 ECU could be being stupid try spraying contact cleaner on the harness connector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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