I have a 1983 280zx in mint condition and has been garage kept it's entire life.

But I am having only one problem.

Here is the problem before I start rambling.

In high heat (meaning if its hot outside) or the engine is very hot and also when it is low on gas it starts to buck like wild horse. If it is cool outside or the engine is cooling nicely and it has $10.00 worth of gas in it then there are absolutely no problems. The two are independent sometimes. If the car is hot and has a full tank then I get the problem. Also if the car is cool but the gas is sorta low then I get the bronco horse but not as bad as the heat. If its both then forget it I will be sitting on the side of the road waiting for it to cool down and keep doing this until I get to a gas station and fill it up and let it cool all the way down. It also seems to have terrible gas milage. When it gets real bad and dies and can't go any further I hear a clicking sound behind the glove box. Which I have no idea what is back there. I pulled the glove box out and there is some components in there. Does anybody know what they are?

The worst is the heat. It happened last year about this same time. I went to Vegas and it did it all the way there and back. IT SUCKED. Luckily most of the time I was able to get to a town or something and sit in a bar for two or three hours while it cooled...

Thing is the car isn't overheating in the sense the temperature isn't in the red. Its at it's normal hot operating temp and no higher so I know the cooling system is working properly.

The symptoms are like low gas or something. The engine just cuts in and out. Sometimes I can downshift and run high RPMs and that will get me a little further down the road.

Could this be the oxygen sensor. I read in my manual that this sensor needs to be replaced every 30,000 miles no matter what. I bet its only been changed once in my Z and it has 80,000 original miles.

Anyway, any help from anyone would be great. It sucks being stuck on the road in 90 + degree weather and have to wait until your car cools to drive it. If I don't do something soon I won't have any U joints, tranny or a neck left.

P.S. I have done an entire tune up also. I have replaced the fuel filter along with the spark plugs, spark wires, rotor, and air filter. I pulled out the fuel sending unit out of the top of the tank and looked at that filter and the inside of the tank. Both were like brand new. No deposits or anything.

 

oh oh

head gasket?

David K- SoCalZ Prez

 

Um, very much guessing here but I'd check for vacuum leaks and check your fuel pressure regulator for leaks - they may only be showing up when the diaphram is hot.

iksteh

What Rust?

 

maybe this will help. I live in the desert and right now we are still in the 100's. I also have an 83 ZX, I had a simiar problem. I changed the O2 sensor, did a whole tune up and replaced the fuel pump. At the end it was the catalytic converter and an air leak. from the throttle boot. and now I have no problems. Hope this helps.

"It can't rain all the time"

 

I would go with the cat they can cause all sorts of problems. Also check the fuel pump it might be geting hot and not producing enough presure my 76 had that issue. But I would remove the cat first.

Gotta get my Z's