So here is the deal . . .
The car ran and started fine. Went to gas up, turned her off, went to start her up and then nothing. No click, no struggle to start. Nothing. Pop started her to get out of there and today all I got is that the starter is good, battery is good, cant jump start the starter even by bridging the gap between the solenoid and ignition switch, the lights dim only after I try and start if the 1st time after having reconnected the battery. Once I do this they stay dim and the fuel pump doesn't come on and power is minimal. the car runs if pop started but I cant turn it over. All electrical current is cool, checked with a multimeter. Electrical signs are fine until I try and turn it over. then they go dim and stay di until I disconnect the positive wire and reconnect it resetting something. lww checked it out and couldn't seem to find anything either. Any suggestions?

 

Mine does this as well sometimes. It's always been a bad connection on my ground, possibly messing something up with the voltage regulator? I'm not sure on that though. All I can say is my Zed likes to blow up old batteries, or batts with under 10 volts in them.

 

If you've got an extra battery laying around, try swapping it out. Sometimes a cell in a battery will go bad, I've had that happen to me a couple of times.

 

i had the same issue, even had the starter bench tested...

replaced the starter under my dad's advice (he's had a bunch of z's in his days)

even though it seemed good and the guys that tested it said i didn't have to.........

been a dream ever since

<shrugs>

 

Well i just got home from work and im about to try again. Gunna check the ground and battery connections. Other than that i am stumped. where is ther voltage regulator on our Z's? my Z is an 82.

I had bought a starter yesterday and returned it becuase it didnt fix the problem. The thing to remeber was that i didnt mess with anything. the Z was driving and then wouldnt start, but ran if pop started

 

Get all new battery cables! simular things happened to me and it ended up just being the stupid cables.

Voltage regulator is INSIDE the alternator. These cars run what is called an Internally Regulated Alternator.

I'm not sure how you checked that your battery is good. Take it out, charge it on a charger overnight. Put it back in with clean connections. Hotwire the starter solinoid like you described. If it won't start, then the battery is probably bad even if it reads 12v. Like was said above, also try a battery from someone else's car.

 

just make sure the battery puts out enough to start your car.. if you got a lower Cold Cranking Amp battery.. or a lower Warm Cranking Amp battery.. then you can hve problems like those described.. make sure your battery is rated for your starter

 

Could be a worn out ignition switch. I couldn't start my Z either and had to put a push button starter in for a while till I fixed it.

 

Yeah I had that same kind of problem with my '81. I would sit there and go back and forth with the key. From on to start etc... Then I decided one day that maybe it was the ignition switch. And $10 later, it started every time, first time. Little by little in the 5 years I have owned a Z. I have learned more and more. Hope this helps!

 

I just wanna say thanks to everyone. you guys are always a huge help.

As far as the Z goes . . . . .same old crap. its always is to be the simplest thing, and always gets over looked. i needed new battery cables . . .DUH jake!! they were all nasty and had corrosion all the way through. replaced them and she started right up.

 

Glad we could all help you out. I have learned that it is the simple things that get overlooked!

 

a wise man once said it's the little things that kill.

 

You hit the nail on the head man! Well said bro!

 

What about the balast resistor? could that have anything to do with it?