Ya'll are gonna hate me.
I'm a 19 year-old college student, relatively new to cars.
How I came into the possession of a 1982 280zx is a long and gruesome story. I'd rather not tell at this point. But I've finally decided to take care of this beautiful car.

My Problem:
When I turn the ignition to start, the car gets ready to start, but all you hear is a click.

The Battery is new, the starter is new, the ignition switch itself is probably the problem.
From what I know about electronics (I'm heavy into computer stuff so I know a bit.) The charge doesn't seem to be returning to the starter to, well start.

You can push start the car, and you can use the trick where touch a screwdriver to the starter to start the car(short starting?) but the ignition switch will not start the car.

I've searched all over the internet for an answer, but I've not been very lucky at getting real answers.

 

Are you certain the starter is new? It sounds like one of two things, either a break or short in the line from the ignition switch to the starter, or the starter is actually on its way out. If you can push start the car I'd think the ignition switch seems to be working fine. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that the starter gets limited voltage from the ignition switch, where as with the screwdriver it's getting a full charge from the battery which jumps the starter into working.

 

^^^ indeed. It's the classic "turn the key & click" problem... happens all the time (to all kinds of cars). It's the solenoid for the starter that is bad.

 

You can only push start a standard tranny...don't forget to put the ignition switch in the "on" position, or you won't get it started.

Before you do that, check the nut connecting the battery cable to make sure it's nice and snug. You may want to disconnect the battery cables first.

If you do the screwdriver trick, and it starts...get a new starter. Pep Boys carries them for about $69.95 and will give you a $15 core fee for the old one.

 

...you're crapping me?

It is a new starter.. well as new as you can get for a 82...
but, I did just get it put in, the old starter I just got rid of... hmm...

and I'm pretty much settled that it's a short from the ignition to the starter, but I don't know which wire it would be, I did get a wiremap from autozone.com.

 

Why did you replace the starter?

 

part of the long and gruesome story I mentioned up there. ^

someone who was "working" on the car destroyed the starter.

 

are you a guy? just curious from the rose thing and w.e. lol

but um did you replace teh positive battery cable? mine did this and the positive battery cable was shot, replaced it and everything is wonderful, oh sept my car runs like turd.

 

make sure the battery cables are clean and that they are nice and snug. It takes a LOT of juice to crank that starter and if you're not getting enough amps to the starter then you can get the classic 'click' of a bad starter even though the starter aint bad. And something as simple as a loose or corroded battery cable can inhibit power supply enough to the starter that it wont turn over. If the igntion switch to starter circuit is bad then the solenoid wouldnt click at all.

 

Wow!

All these n00bs all of a sudden... Awesome!

Welcome to ZDriver!


Rod.

 

Yeah I'm a guy, it's hard enough to create new user names all the time on the internet especially if you don't like adding numbers to it. And it's the name of my website, StylusRose.com, which is currently down.

Part of the reason I got the 280 is cuz' a friend of my who is way into to z's, his favorite cars, and I can see why.

Alright... So Basically, check all of my cables to make sure they're all good, great, this may take a while, although, I think I have an idea of which cable it could be but aren't sure.

But, I'll get started on those battery cables, I only just replaced the heads of the cables since I got a new battery.

Thankyou everyone for your help!