zstreet86 Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 i have an 83 280zxt and am having ignition problems. before the car would start run fine, then when it warms up it would die out and i would be unable to restart the car again till it "cooled down". right now the car isnt starting period so my theory is that whatever was shorting out might have now gone out completely. ive searched around and i think my culprit could be the ignitor. i currently cant find my haynes manual so i dont know if it says how to test this component out or not, so do any of you know how to test the ignitor? thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbesheer Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 You're talking about the little matchbox thing on the side of the dizzy ? If so it's probably not that, they last a long time, you can go to a yard and pick one off a car there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuoWing Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I'd bet it is your igniter. That sounds like the classic symptoms. I'm not sure how you test it, I think I heard someone mention you could run a hotwire right from the battery to the coil to bypass and at least see if the car starts. They will do exactly what you described start dieing out when warmed up, need to cool down before restarting, then eventually you can crank and crank and it won't spark. Oh on the Turbo cars it's attached to the coil bracket, not the side of the dizzy like the N/A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 It can also be the Optical sensor circuit in the distrubutor - as in my case, I put in a new ignitor w/no luck - engine would still cut out on me. I am converting to MegaSquirt w/12-1 (not EDIS) crankshaft sensor. I will be using 12 neo magnets on the back of my crank dampner. I am so sick of the stock ignition system stranding me that I am willing to pay XXX$ to convert to MS and get more driveability and take it beyond stock levels at the same time. I'll get better mileage out of it too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zstreet86 Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share Posted August 15, 2008 yeah i changed out the ignitor and no dice. not only does it have no spark, but the injectors are not pulsing either. so maybe its related to the crank angle sensor/distributor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbesheer Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I stand corrected, apparently ignitors do go bad. Word on the 510 street is that they last "forever" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zstreet86 Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 i have replaced the coil, ignitor and distributor but there is still no spark, any ideas? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woldson Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Now may be time to break out a volt/ohm meter, Because of parts you have repalced, and the nomenclature you present I recommend you go back to the basics, very basics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zstreet86 Posted August 22, 2008 Author Share Posted August 22, 2008 Now may be time to break out a volt/ohm meter, Because of parts you have repalced, and the nomenclature you present I recommend you go back to the basics, very basics. dude ive tried and tested (with an ohm meter) everything i could think of and everything in haynes manual and fsm. i know it has to be simple but i'm running out of ideas. thanks its weird cuz i dont have spark from the coil. tomorrow im going to try and double check the ignitor again. this car is getting the better of me, if its not one thing its another... but i refuse to give up on it. i will restore her to her former glory. i have carpet, dashcap etc waiting for this stupid ignition problem to be solved. sorry i went off on a rant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger.svoboda Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 ignitor in nothing more than a power switching transistor. You can make a rough and dirty check with a VOM to see if it is really blown but not 100%. Here is a link that explains it well. http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_4/3.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zstreet86 Posted August 22, 2008 Author Share Posted August 22, 2008 thanks guys, everyone seems to be pointing back to the ignitor so maybe its possible the used one i got is bad too... i dont know we'll see soon enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woldson Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 If you have spark from the coil than it stands to reason you will have spark at the plugs. Check wires and cap and rotor. Also fireing order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getZ Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 I did a write up a long time ago on the ignitor trouble shooting. It's easy enough to test with a 9v battery. The ignitor is just a tranistor. When you apply 9 volts to the base (computer input) it completes a short, essentialy it is just a switch that activates with a computer signal input. This is part is critical, the ignitor coil completes the circuit connection through the ignitor housing, so it must be mounted to the body or it has no ground path. Testing the trigger signal from the computer is a little more involved without a quick responding meter or digital o-scope, but somewhere in the archives I posted images with a digital o-scope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zstreet86 Posted September 7, 2008 Author Share Posted September 7, 2008 i tried yet another used ignitor and coil yet still no spark. could the computer have went out? what is this thing that runs to the back of the distributor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dnm Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 have you checked for power from the ignition? sorry i know thats basic but a similiar problem with my 81 ZX baffled me for weeks till i located a loose connection at the key. i felt stupid , but now back on track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zstreet86 Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 im coming back to the distributor again. i think the used one i got may also have been faulty. guess im going to have to buy a new one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zedman240 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Have you checked the coil for power with a test light on the "+" terminal? If there is still no spark and there are no injector pulses, its like the ECU isnt getting a signal that the engine is cranking. I don't think 280ZX's have a crank angle sensor anywhere else other than in the distributor. Check the magnetic plate under the "teeth" in the pickup area under the rotor button. There is a coil of wire there that might be "open". Just a guess...it's hard when you're not there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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