weykool

My wife was driving her Z in the rain and the gauges went haywire and the car shut off. Now the starter is spinning when you turn the key (and I have bench checked the starter it is good) but the car will not start. Unfortunetly I have no "codes" on the ECM as I disconnected the battery when attempting to replace the starter. When the ignition is turned on the starter is "motoring" or spinning like crazy but apparently not engaging the flywheel.
My thoughts are of course something got wet, but I don't know where to start with this. The battery is just over a year old and appears plenty strong enough to start the car. Can anyone point me in the right direction? These electrical problems can be tough...
Thanks,
G Dubya

weykool

Okay today I pulled alarm relays and alarm fuse and I got the same thing. All wiring to starter appears to be in good condition (no bare wires or burnt wires) The alarm light on the dash seems to be functioning properly as in the alarm will "cycle" with the key in the door lock etc.

When you turn the ignition key to the "on" / "start" position the starter is spinning like a mad dog! But car will not start. I am at a complete loss here.

Please help.

G Dubya

NismoPick

So the starter is spinning, but not pushing out to engage on the flywheel? Or is the entire motor spinning, just won't start?

SpeciallySpiked

Tap the starter with a hammer. The starter solenoid is not pushing the shift lever causing (which pushes the starter gears onto the flywheel gears)



See how that can move inside itself. It may be stuck there. Or check the wires going to the solenoid.

anderlinedr

Or you could check to make sure the gear on the starter is good and not broken.

weykool

The starter is just spinning. When I had the starter bench checked it was extending plenty far enough to engage the flywheel, now I am not sure if it is doing the same thing on the car (obviously it isn't engaging the starter or the car would start) If I put the car in second gear (with the clutch IN) the car wants to lurch forward, so at that point I know the starter is engaging the flywheel, but the car shouldn't lurch if the clutch is IN........

I will try tapping on the starter and see if that does anything for me. This car has run perfect for 170,000 miles and is in excellent condition, I need to find out what the problem is and get it fixed. My wife loves this car.

anderlinedr

but is the starter's gear that engages the flywheel broken? i know maybe a dumb question, but if it is then there's your problem. my buddy has an 86 nissan pickup that had the same problem and found that the starter's gear was broken. changed it and problem solved.

weykool

Okay, when I got a second set of eyes we realized the engine was turning over, not just the starter. Removed the distributor cap and distributor IS NOT turning. So we thought perhaps the timing belt broke (170,000 miles on car) so I pulled the front of the engine down and removed the timing belt cover and to my amazement the timing belt is fine. (although since I am in here I will replace it) but the car will not start. It's turning over but the distributor is NOT turning, any ideas?
G

NismoPick

Sounds like you are doing a lot of unneeded work....

Have you seen this? https://www.zdriver.com/forums/300zx-z31-forums-8/distributor-rotor-will-not-rotate-spin-31111/

hoov100

Why is this so difficult? if the dizzy ain't turning, pull the dizzy and find out why. There are only a hand full of reasons why a distributor won't rotate when the engine turns over.

weykool

Okay, I have the front of the engine off to do my timing belt (it has 170,000 miles on it so it's overdue) so that's on the list, so no real "extra work" with as it neded to be changed anyway. I initially thought that was why the dizzy wasn't turning (I thought the timing belt had snapped)

Anyway, pulled the dizzy out and it turns just fine while out of the car. So now I need to check and see what else could be causing it to not turn when it's installed.

Any other ideas?

hoov100

just because it turns fine, doesnt mean it's good, how does the gear look? when you grab the gear and turn the rotor does anything move? when you have the dizzy installed can you spin it by hand? The dizzy is connected to the cam by a gear, if it's not turning then there is something wrong with that connection or the dizzy itself..

weykool

The gear on the dizzy (to the camshaft) looks fine (no signs of wear) I will double check tomorrow to be positive, but when I looked at it today, I am pretty sure the rotor and bottom gear were turning together while the dizzy was out of the car. (again I will double check this) but when the dizzy is installed the rotor would not turn.

This should be pretty cut and dry. Isn't the bottom gear held on with a pin? Maybe the dizzy is just gone bad. I mean it just splines right into the camshaft, so if it isn't turning while it's installed then it has to be the distributor right? I mean what else could it be?

weykool

Okay, pulled the dizzy again to double check it. First, it DOES NOT move when installed (nice and tight) second, when it's removed and in your hand it spins just fine. The rotor and the bottom gear are spinning to together, there is NO PLAY at all. Gear is in great shape, no wear marks at all, nothing ground over. If you hold the dizzy in your hand it appears fine, when installed it is not spinning when you try to start the car.

Could the dizzy still be bad? Here we go around in circles.....

hoov100

Ok, it's attached to the cam and it doesn't move by hand when installed. And you are sure the cam is turning? let alone the entire motor is turning over?

weykool

Okay, when we try to start it, the fan is turning so the bottom end is turning. I will have to double check the cam shaft gears to make sure they are turning. I mean what else can it be? Maybe the timing belt is "slipping". There is a small amount of play in the timing belt, but it's still on the cam shaft gears, over the tensioner and the crank shaft gear.

hoov100

Ok dude seriously, pull the distributor cap and have someone turn the car over and watch to see if the rotor spins. If it doesn't you are either a troll, or on drugs...

weykool

I gotta be a troll.......it was NOT turning when we tried to start the car. I will drop it back in a try again, but it DID NOT move when everything else DID...

Car is possessed! That's why I am here, this makes absolutely no sense.

weykool

Okay, finally got a second set of eyes to watch "everything" while I attempted to start the car. The camshaft pulley's and the timing belt ARE NOT TURNING when turning over the engine. My only thought here is that the keyway/key has come out on the crankshaft as the crankshaft pulley is turning. Was already going to replace the timing belt, so hopefully that's all I find.

Does anyone know where to get a keyway/key for the crankshaft? Is it just a standard key? Trying to order all my parts before I get everything apart.

Wow, this was a weird ride, but I think it's almost over.