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'81 280zxt-Have fuel and spark but car won't start.


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I was driving one day and all of a sudden the car died and had to be pulled home and it hasn't started since. I thought maybe it was the distributor and tinkered with that, now the car tries to start, cranks over but i'm thinking the timing might be off. Sorry guys, not really that great with cars and trying to learn! Pretty much I think I messed up the timing some how. Oh yeah, just to mention, i think the reason the car may have died was a faulty fuel pump? after replacing that is when it seems to want to start up.

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81 turbo came with an auto tranny and there are inhibitor switches that prevent you starting the car in gear. They could be a problem. Does the starter turn the engine but she just won't start or does the starter not turn the engine. You can't hardly get the timing so far off that it won't start unless you drop the oil pump as that drives the dizzy. Are you getting spark??? pull a plug lay it on the block with wire attached crank engine see if it sparkles. Also you can flood the engine to the point where it won't start unless you disconnect the fuel pump hold throttle wide open crank until it fires. Do that a few times until you get no pops. then reconnect fuel pump and see if it starts. Be sure your battery cables are clean (both ends) free of corrosion. Have the battery load tested you can get it done free most battery shops. ZX are really finicky about having enough voltage for the electronics to work. Try making your post a bit clearer as to what you observe what you did. You'll get better answers if you give better informatiion.

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the car has been converted to a 5 speed, i do have spark and fuel. it sounds like it's about to start, the starter is working fine (replaced it and have a spare now), the battery is new, new spark plug wires as well. if it's been sitting for a week it couldn't be flooded though right? i'll try what you said and post back.

also, the fuse under the hood on the passengers side was bypassed by the past owner, in the manual it said it was the Relay, this could be part of the problem? the past owner had problems with it and the wiring is a nightmare with wires cut and spliced in, i was considering trying megasquirt, but hesitant since the car won't start yet, but then again it was running fine before it died.

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