280ZX (S130) Forums Dedicated to 79-83 ZCars

I was so Happy...Until

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Old Feb 21, 2010 | 12:37 PM
  #1  
BackHouseZ's Avatar
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Talking I was so Happy...Until

Well the good news is I have a bright and new shiny Chrome Valve cover.
Here is the problem, Before removing the old and dusty cover. i took the dash out trying to fix my heater. I replaced the heater core and found a leaking Valve.
I started the engine with the dash out and tried to see if my heat would work but no it did not???( still trying to fix this problem) but when i got my valve cover back maybe like a month later i installed it and now my car wont start.

It cranks but wont start..I checked maybe fuel was out so i added. Still no start, next i checked to see if fuel was reaching the engine and it is. (I took off the top hose to the fuel filter and started it and fuel came out. I'm pretty sure the battery still has a good charge because the crank sounded pretty strong.

So I am not sure what happen, there has been alot of rain in the past month so i dont know if maybe some moistuer got in something? Spark plug wires are connected right 1-5-3-6-2-4.

Fixing the 83 Turbo

Last edited by BackHouseZ; Mar 22, 2010 at 06:11 PM.
Old Feb 21, 2010 | 01:58 PM
  #2  
hoov100's Avatar
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are you getting spark?
Old Feb 21, 2010 | 02:21 PM
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no start

Well i am thinking your talking about the spark plugs. How do i check?
Old Feb 21, 2010 | 04:39 PM
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pull the boot off a speak plug and hole it near a ground (like the corner of the valve cover) and have a buddy crank it and see if it sparks! its also helpful to have a spark plug in the boot but no necessary, and watch your fingers or they will get zapped! gloves help with that
Old Feb 21, 2010 | 05:13 PM
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Three basic checks:
Fuel (you checked already)
Spark (follow the Advice from snow)
Air (check to see if the engine is getting enough air: all the hoses and vacuums??, also filter??)
Old Feb 21, 2010 | 06:18 PM
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Ok so im waiting on the buddy. When i try this test if i get spark from some or none of the plugs do i have to repleace the dist. Cap and rotor or the intire thing. I think my wires r pretty good i have the taylor ones and still pretty good condition.
Old Feb 21, 2010 | 07:35 PM
  #7  
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prolly wont have to replace the dizzy. pull the cap off and check all the contacts, they should look clean, unburned and in one piece, not odd shaped. if only some plugs are getting spark, try replacing the wires, or the plugs, either could be bad, and neither expensive to change. if none are getting spark, then check cap and rotor as before, and if they are good, check the dizzy connections and coil connections. you may have mistakenly bumped something.
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 01:54 AM
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Even if one or two plugs are firing. it will make an attempt to start. it will spit and spudder just never fire up. chances are it's not firing any spark at all. Is the dash still out? or have you placed it back in. since it was a month from dash to valve cover i assume it was drove or at least started since then. I can not remember where the factory vacuum hose to the FPR is, but make sure it is connected. even though without it your pressure will be high, but anything is a possibility. grounds grounds grounds.
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 11:13 AM
  #9  
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Thumbs down

So First thing I did was see if I got a spark from the coil. And I did not..So I tried another coil from another Z and nothing I checked the dist. cap and rotor and everything looks good. Tried to jump the car just for the hell of it and nothing happen just cranked. To Answer the question about the dash, it is still out. While I had the dash out I tried to fix the heater and it never got hot. So i cut the car off and took the valve cover in to get chromed. The first night there was no cover on engine and it kinda rained that night. although the hood was closed. next day i put a towel on it to cover it.

On the 3rd day i took a valve cover off another engine i had and just kind stuck it on there this was about Jan 8th or so last time it was running was like the 5th of January.
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 11:25 AM
  #10  
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Is your coil getting 12 Volts to the + side? You might have knocked loose some wiring under the dash when you removed it
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 11:29 AM
  #11  
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Well i dont know if it is getting 12v i guess i have to buy a tester. Actually i have one but i dont know how to use it. The hayes Book is saying #5 on check list...EFI or ECCS sytem not operating properly. Check Relay control unit..( Where is it? )exhaust gas sensor and wiring harness. loose conection or damage..

FIrst i dont know if i have EFI or ECCS but i dont know, what ya'll think?

Last edited by BackHouseZ; Feb 22, 2010 at 11:34 AM.
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 12:16 PM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by BackHouseZ
To Answer the question about the dash, it is still out.
Wait, is the dash still out? You have to have a lot of those plugs connected in the passenger foot area or else it won't fire up.
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 03:02 PM
  #13  
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Yeah Dash is out I will check for loose connections tonight or when i get some time i'll keep ya'll posted.
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 10:29 PM
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the dash is out? lol idk about the S130 wiring a whole lot but if the dash is out of an S30 it does not start. have to have everything hooked up because the under dash has ALOT of very very important wires on the S30 necessary for start-up.
Old Feb 23, 2010 | 02:47 AM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by BackHouseZ
FIrst i dont know if i have EFI or ECCS but i dont know, what ya'll think?
Ok so.... this is where you should stop everything your doing. and read a few books or something. like really. Put the dash back in, check all wiring. worry about the heater control valve later. and get it running again. Ain't no reason to worry about a heater is the heating element is out

















......................and by heating element i do mean engine. gosh
Old Feb 23, 2010 | 08:31 AM
  #16  
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wont start unless the guages are plugged in....at least that's how it was with mine.
Old Feb 23, 2010 | 09:09 AM
  #17  
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did you check the fusible links?
Old Feb 23, 2010 | 01:22 PM
  #18  
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Ok well this is the plan guys..

I just got a 83 N/A 5-speed and i am going to take the dash out of it. It has the digital gauge and i decided I wanna go with that. For now at least...
Once I put it in i will just see what happens HAHAHA. I did check the Fusible links and all is well. I did look by the gas pedal and checked the wires r good. I dont work tomorrow so i'll have some time.
Old Feb 23, 2010 | 02:23 PM
  #19  
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Definitely put the dash back in and see what happens. I'd be willing to bet that's your problem-o.
Old Feb 24, 2010 | 11:59 AM
  #20  
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Dash is back in but still no start
Old Mar 22, 2010 | 06:08 PM
  #21  
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Talking



It started... What did I do???? NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!

From my last post i said i put the dash back in and I still got nothing. So yesterday I just looked at me my z and i just got this urge to try to start it.
And I heard the song of an engine

I dont know what really happen all i can say is that the rain has went away for a little and it has been getting kinda hot it was like 80 the other day.
So I think some kind of moisture got in somewhere and It dried up. Any ideas where?
Old Mar 22, 2010 | 09:30 PM
  #22  
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possible, and plus the dash is back in. lol
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