1983 280zx No Signal from ECM to Ignitor
 

Help! This 1983 230ZX Turbo doesnt have any spark. I also cant get any voltage to trigger wire from ecm to ignitor when key on or cranking. I was reading about a Led Light on the ECM. I cannot find a light anywhere on this one.

Welcome to ZDriver! :006:

There is a hole in the middle edge of the ecu... inside is the green LED.

Check your fusible links...

The fusible links all check out ok.

Does anyone have a wiring schematic from the Crank Angle Sensor in the Distributor to the ECM?

I found the green light, it is working. Am i correct in thinking I need voltage to yellow wire at ignitor when cranking?

This car had major mice issues in the engine bay, I discovered. What would get fried if the yellow trigger wire was grounded out to the body?

Probably the ecu if the fusible links are still good...

Does anyone know how many volts the ecm trigger wire puts out to the ignitor?

12v. :023:

Ok, I put a noid light on the injector plug...no voltage when cranking. No Voltage to Yellow trigger wire at Ignitor. Does this point to Crank Angle Sensor?

Hmmm.... I think I'll go with ECU....

If the crank angle sensor is bad in the Distributor and not sending a signal back to the ecm, that could cause no trigger signal to be sent to the power transistor. Is the CAS trigger wire the Green/Black wire? This wire (Green/Black) should have voltage when cranking because the distributor has power going to it, Right?

The CAS doesn't usually go bad... it's an LED optical unit & is fairly well protected. If you suspect the CAS, replace it. :D The stock 280zxt one is pretty hard to find these days, so you can get a VG30E (any Z31 or Maxima) and install it w/ 2 long screws / nuts.

Anyway, you never really explained anything about this car... more info will help us help you. :D

When was the last time this car ran? Were there any other problems when it stopped running?

I am working on this car for someone else. They said it shut off when they were driving and would not start. I took the distributor out of the car and by spinning it by hand I can get voltage out of the Green/Black signal wire, but not the Green/Yellow wire. I have 12v going to the Black/White Wire and a good ground to the Black wire. Shouldnt I be getting 0-5v throught the G/Y wire when I spin the Distributor?

It is an 83 Turbo so I have the CAS in the distributor.

I need a distributor for this car 1983 280zx Turbo.

You need the entire distributor or just the CAS?

The 82/83 Dizzy uses an optical encoder wheel with two rings - one with 360 windows (one pulse per degree) and the other ring has six windows (one pulse per 60 degrees or TDC for each piston). The Green/Black wire are the pulses from the 60 degree encoder. The Green/Yellow are the pulses from the 360 degree encoder. I don't know how the encoder works since I haven't played with it yet but it will be off when the window is "shut" and on when the window is "open" (or vice versa). You will only get a voltage when the window is "open" (probably - I haven't checked if it turns it on when the window is open or off when the window is open. Regardless one will be on and the other will be off). If you have the distributor positioned so the window is closed you won't get any voltage. With the 60 degree window it will be harder to get it in position since its only on once for every 60 times the other encoder ring turns off and on as the dizzy is rotated. You won't get a voltage as the dizzy is rotated but a series of on/off pulses....

I found a used Distributor and installed it. Now I can hear the injectors firing so I know the CAS is working again. I still dont have spark so I need to troubleshoot further and find out what else is fried. Maybe the ignitor....

anyone know how to test the Ignitor/Power Transistor? I have a signal to it now since I replaced the Distributor.

Ok got this car fixed! Used Distributor installed gave me signal to the computer. Still no spark....then I installed a GM HEI ignition module and she purrs like a kitten. Thanks for your help guys. HEI ignition modules are awesome!

Did you do this upgrade using Skittle's instructions? Did you bypass the stock ignitor on the side of the coil?

Yes, I used Skittle's Instructions. I totally bypassed the Ignitor. Thanks for your help guys. :023:

I'm doing the same thing (the HEI module swap) and I was wondering what wires I hook it to on the distributor?

I'm working on an 83 NA to 83 Turbo swap (l28et) and wiring has been a nightmare but I figured it should have been easy.

There are 4 wires on the distributor Black, Red, Green, and White. Black is obviously ground but what are the others? I can't figure out how to hook this module up to the distributor and i can't get this thing to spark.

The write-up is for the turbo wiring. Are you using the turbo efi / engine harness?

Yep! Turbo engine harness, ECU, and HEI setup. We have spark now and our only problem is that the injectors aren't firing correctly. they are getting power, but we are not getting fuel. I have no idea why. :017: