I will not drive them in a house and will not drive them with a mouse.

Ok, so now I'm being told that my AFM is bad, do we agree or disagree?

(Refer to "on goin problems" post)

 

The AFM or MAF senses air temp/density. All it is, is a hot wire that reads resistance changes in the temperature of the wire. I don't think it would make your car run rich like that. If it is burned out then it will tell the ECU that it is stone cold air passing throuh it which may be causing the erratic idle. If it tested bad then you have to replace it anyway. Let us know what happens..

 

The thinking is that it is malfunctioning and opening and closing at the wrong times, therefore causing the mis/backfires as well as erratic idle and all the rest, we'll see. What's another $200 to find a cure?

 

Unless swapped out for a hot wire sensor from a 300zx, this should have an AFM which has a flap in it that changes position according to air flowing through it. And yes, hot wire or air flap can cause an extremely rich condition. If the meter is giving improper information the the computer( i.e. the meter is telling the computer that you have a full throttle amount of air going in to the engine and you only have the throttle cracked open, you will run very rich). I have seen these flapper vane meters damaged by backfires through the intake. It is also possible that you have a bad ground to the AFM causing this condition. I've personally seen it a couple of times including on my own green Z. Be sure to check the wiring to your sensor first. Verify that you have the proper voltage and ground to the sensor and that the connector isn't fully of nasty green corrosion. If it comes to replacing the AFM, they're a dime a dozen. You shouldn't have to pay more then $30 for one used. The green corrosion can also show up on your computer connector, so be sure to inspect/clean them as well.
Good luck and happy hunting!

 

I got smart and pulled the air cleaner off, while leaving the AFM connected, and it sounds like it is not opening and closing correctly, at best the car sounds like it has asthma. Throttle it up and you can hear the valve plate inside popping shut. So we're replacing the whole unit for about $100 from Z Car Atlanta.