aso846 Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 hi, i have a 1980 280zx with a chevy 305.... the car has been running and i thought most of the bugs have been taken cared of... couple days ago, i bought a new battery wich is the same as the old one.. when i installed the new battery the car would not even crank? i tested the battery and it's reading around 13 volts... i am confused on what happened? now i am thinking of rewiring the whole car so i could start fresh... thanks for any input Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paz8 Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Could be alot of things wrong, but without knowing how the car was wired during the SBC swap here are a few things to check. If the car has an auto. trans is the neutral start switch working when the trans is in park position? If someone tried to jump start your old battery did they hook up the jumpers wrong, if so check the fuse links under the hood. Check the heavy cable from the battery to the starter make sure it's tight at the starter. See if the other wire to the starter is connected, this cranks the starter when the key is turned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 One of two things happened. Either there was a wire connected to one of bolts that fell off when you pulled the terminal or for some reason you blew a fusible link or a fuse when you reconnected it. I would look for a loose wire around the battery that looks like it would have gone to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danc Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 aso846 I have an 83 /SBC that had starting problems. Do the lights work? Do the gauges and warning lights "energize" when you turn the key on? Does the solonoid "Click" when you try to start it? Do you have a good ground from the engine to the frame rails? I would echo the suggestion to re-check the wiring connections. If they are all O.K. then use a multi-meter and check for voltage at the starter and trace back to the point you don't have voltage. You will need some help to check the ignition in start position. If you are getting voltage to everything except the starter you might want to consider by-passing the factory starting circuit and installing a starter button with a relay. I went the all the steps I've suggested to you and followed advice of the good folks on this forum with no luck. Mine would start intermittantly but usually not when it "counted"! The starter button took care of my problem 2 or so years ago without another incident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Voltage is only one of two necessary components of a good battery and electrical connection. There must also be sufficient current. If the battery is not fully charged or is bad, it can still read 13+ volts while NOT providing enough current. The same holds true for your electrical connections, which might be loose or dirty or oxidized. These connections may "look" okay but a physical inspection is in order. Assume NOTHING... question EVERYTHING... look for the SIMPLEST solution(s) first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aso846 Posted December 7, 2006 Author Share Posted December 7, 2006 i did some more work on the zx and it was the starter solenoid.. replaced it and it crank for a few times... then nothing again... found something weird on my starter circuit... if i connect the the purple wire to the negative post then my fuel pump comes on and the volt meter on the car turns the other way (negative side) so i am convinced that i have a bad ground somewhere... i disconnected my wiper a while back because my fuse keeps popping... that's probably where the bad ground is coming from... i guess i am better of buying the ez wiring or painless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paz8 Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 Your better off fixing your wiring unless it's all burned or cut up. Get a factory service manual and check each electrical problem one at a time, that way it's not so overly hard if your not into wiring problems. A few notes about SAFETY: If your ZX has an auto trans DO NOT eliminate the neutral start safety switches, if the trans is left in gear the cars going to take off when the engine starts. Run your elect. fuel pump through an oil pressure sw. so it shuts off if the engine dies, it's not enough just to get the stuff working it needs to be safe also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danc Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 aso846: I'd have to agree with Paz8 on this one. I installed a complete Ron Francis wiring harness in my 40 Ford Pick-up and it took a lot of time. The steering column (Camaro) was a pain and I'm still having problems with a turn signal short.... Does it start with the key on and a remote starter switch (Sears has them for cheap) on the solonoid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 The ZXs are know to have problems with the starter relay. A long while back I had problem starting my ZX and I kept thinking my battery was dying. This was because when I have this problem if I get jumped then it will start. I later put in a brand new battery and it still happenning. So I knew it wasn't the battery. I then install a new starter relay with all new wiring from the ignition switch to relay and from relay to the starter and that fixed the problem for good. In this process I also install the push button start. I used the headlight washer switch under the left side of the steering column and wired it into the starter relay. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paz8 Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 The starter relay is called the INHIBITOR on auto trans ZX, all it requires is to grounded through a neutral start sw. and the relay will pick when the keys in the crank position, You reuse the same heavy yellow wire (around 12 gauge) to the SBC starter sol. that the ZX used on it's starter sol., the wire is long enough don't even have to extend it, Don't get much easier than this, why make things hard.I spent alot of time looking over wiring diagrams for the ZX during my swap, all my stuff works including the digital dash. Never found bad wires but did find a few corroded connector plugs, now I spray contact cleaner on all plug and push them together a few times to clean them, haven't had any problems so far, maybe just lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aso846 Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 i won't be able to work on the car for a couple of weeks.. i need to do some honey do's.. but i have one thing that bothers me.. the starter has a direct positive and negative connection to the battery and the yellow wire that goes from the ignition switch to the inhibitor and finally to the starter... i bypass the inhibitor relay. tapped a direct line from the starter to the posititve battery just to test if my starter solenoid is still alive... nothing.. then that same wire when connected to the negative post turns the electrice fuel pump ON and tips my volt meter to the negative side???? with my fuel pump.. i know it's not very safe what i did.. i took the green wire and added a switch and tapped it to the acc off the ignition switch.. so my question is why does the fuel pump comes on and volt meter reeds negative... i was hoping i could find a popped fuse.. not this time... thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paz8 Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 Check the heavy ground cable on the battery and make sure it's connected to the neg. terminal on the battery, check that it's grounded good to the chassis and engine block, by grounded good I mean bolted to a CLEAN spot, scape off the paint where it is bolted and clean any oil off it. Check your fuse links (small plastic box by battery) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest timmy72240 Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 did you spark some wires or went to ground if so the volt meter in the car has a fusible link on the back of the guage that could be the problem it will kill the ignition system.also the emergency flasher switch could be giving you problems...it does strange things ...or just bypass the key to a push button switch....also make shure your ground is all good........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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