So I was bragging how I wouldn’t hesitate jumping in my 1981 280ZX 2+2 non turbo, and head anywhere in the world because I trusted her validity and thought I knew her pretty darn good. Hell it’s been smooth sailing past couple of years.
Naturally next day she didn’t start. No start 1st jump. Did start later second jump. Next day she started and I drove to the store,,, came out NO Start.
For weeks I have been baffled. 1. Replace coil and spark plugs SHE EAGERLY FIRED RIGHT UP. But ran good for a minute then started flooding out real bad. One mile drive barely made it back home.. pulled a plug drenched in gas. AND NOW SHE WOULD NOT FIRE AGAIN EITHER. So I figure I got a fuel problem and a firing problem. Put new fuel pressure regulator on new plug wires, rotor cap AND an ignition control module. No start still. Later found 2 open wires and that got her to start, but damn it AFTER ONE MINUTE OF PURRING she is just running awful AGAIN. I am sure when I go pull another plug (after cleaning the new ones up and re-gapping them once) I can tell they are going to be gas drenched again. IT DID RUN GOOD FOR FIR4ST MINUTE AGAIN. Oh yeah we took apart the air flow thingy and got the little arm to swing in a different groove and cleaned her up like “myfairlady” suggested but I know its dumping too much fuel.. ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM MY GOD LIKE FORUM GUYS.
Thanks, Denise
TRULYWITIT@YAHOO.COM
update: put new oxegyn sensor in and now wont fire again. EVERYTIME I REPLACE/FIX SOMETING TO GET HER TO START SHE STARTS ONE TIME and runs good for a minute then gas central to my plugs AND WONT FIRE UP AGAIN. So Confused

 

Sruns good for a minute then gas fouls my plugs again AND WONT FIRE UP AGAIN. So Confused

 

Check the TPS, MAF and the CHTS connections. Do a Star Ground on your car, it basically connects all the important stuff together, run a ground wire from your battery negative, ECU and Plenum, you can run a wire from each to a common point on the firewall, some people have used a copper grounding block to tie everything together. You adjusted the carbon tracks on the MAF, part of that process can result in a richer mix, so after checking everything else, if that does not fix it, you may need to tweak the MAF to a lower setting to lean out your mixture.

 

CHTS Coolant Head Temp Sensor is bad,that what it looks to me.Also there is another thing that makes same problem witch is the Igntion module that sticks to the distributor!!

 

Merged threads.

Have you checked the CHTS (Cylinder Head Temp Sensor) and connection? That's the usual flooding culprit.

 

thanks

 

THANKS TO ALL WHO REPLIED.
THE CHTS THINGY GOT CLEANED AND LOOKED GOOD TODAY AND WE RAN NEW DEDICATED GROUNDS TO THE FRAME from places needed it…BUT TODAY WE GOT POWER TO THE COIL BUT NO SPARK FROM IT. (SO IT WONT START SO DONT KNOW IF THAT CEASED THE FLOODING PROB...Yesterday we had spark…. But only started once right after the cap and new wires were on.
JUST LIKE THE ONE TIME IT FIRED RIGHT UP AFTER I PUT NEW COIL ON… BUT ONLY THAT one start then as well.
And that BIBLE FSM is not helping at this point. I’m leaning towards DYNOMITE for the solution pretty soon as it’s been over a month of trying everything and my money and patience is running short.

Yes I took apart and cleaned the thing attached to the distributer (AFM I think its called ) IN FACT WE PULLED AND CHECKED OUT THE DISTRIBUTER a couple days after that one start day…
as well as I have replaced with new the ICM, coil, plugs, wires, roter, cap and ALL THE OBVIOUS TUNE UP PARTS AND a new FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, AND NEW BATTERY…

EVERY TIME WE THINK WE FIXED IT AND IT STARTS , WELL IT RUNS FOR A MINUTE GETTING INREASINGLY WORSE THEN DIES AND WILL NOT START A SECOND TIME. .

(sorry my mechanical terminology sucks being self learned but I promise I do understand everything you guys post)
SO PLEASE POST MORE SUGGESTIONS CAUSE I CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOUR HELP AND I DO SO LOVE MY CAR BUT I GOT TO GET MOBILE….
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR TIME AND PATIENCE.

DENISE

 

Keep in mind i been driving her daily for years and never any problems.... Until this....

 

Have you hooked up a fuel pressure gauge yet? Does the engine run long enough to warm up, then it dies? Have you checked your fuel injectors to make sure they aren't leaking? Is the fuel pump running while the engine is running?
Looks like you've replaced a bunch of sensors and besides the regulator you haven't done much with the fuel system yet. Sucks when things aren't working and you can't figure it out. Good luck!

 

Yes it is most suckful. Dont have a FP gauge. ill try find one. But when I bought car 4 tears ago it wasnt getting enough fuel so my friend just spliced in A SECOND fuel pump and its worked great all this time. In fact I get better gas mileage than I did in my 3 cylinder convertable I think. Its been amazing gas mileage. MORE SO NOW SHE WONT MOVE/
It ran long enough to warm up one time. MAYBE the extra pump should come out now that it has new FP regulator? That still no answer why no signal to fire from coil. I WAS JUST GETTIN READY FOR CUSTOM PAINT JOB TOO.

 

In addition to the FSM...

I found a 280Z Electronic Fuel Injection Theory and Troubleshooting guide on line.

Even though it isn't for your car specifically, it has been a gold mine for me as the principles are all the same.

Try here:
XenonZcar.com

 

You can have 10 fuel pumps but with no spark its not gonna drive. Take out the non-functioning fuel pump - you're just adding drag on the system.

Did you check the ignition module as stated above? You're calling the inginition control module the AFM and saying you replaced the ICM so something's not jiving here. Sounds like your ICM is faulty. Intermittent but still faulty. When it doesn't start do you still get spark?

 

NO spark right now, Well spark to to the coil but no signal to fire. I did buy new ignition control modual (not an expensive one) and cleaned and tweaked the air flow thing to get needle to run fresh groves. But it started once just fine since all that.... ran good for ten seconds getting progressivly worse and now no fire again. PLEASE SHOOT ME MORE IDEAS. I HAVE TO BE CLOSE. I DO SO APPRECIATE EVERYONES TIME.

 

AND YES I ALREADY DOWNLOADED THE FUEL INJECTOR TROUBLE SHOOTING BOOKLET AND STUDIED IT. it was running fine then one day wouldnt fire, While waiting for help it acquired the fuel problem i think.
ty

 

Check your fuses and Fusible links, you might have Toasted one along the way.
Also it could be your ignition switch, they do wear out and occasionally short out from metal debris in the contacts. Check your connectors to the fuse box also, unplug everything, look for corrosion.

 

Still CHTS not good in your Z,,,,repalce it!Buy a new one...

 

THANKS I will start all the double checking in morning. And since u sound so sure on the CHTS, It will be my next buy (after re-couping from all that other stuff I bought and didn't need). LIVE AND LEARN. DO U SUPPOSE I COULD try a used one before i buy one?
THANKS SO MUCH FOR UR TIME,
Denise

 

Don't get stuck on "it was running fine and now it doesn't". Everything was working fine at one point in time before it fails and causes a problem...

You only use used parts if you can't get a new one unless you absolutely know the use part is good. Otherwise you can end up chasing your tail....

 

Today we took out distributor and put a new pick up assy in there hoping to get spark. So I really have replaced so many things WITH BRAND NEW PARTS. But since it will not start now I DONT EVEN KNOW IF MY FUEL FLOODIN OUT MY PLUGS prob. is even fixed. I did order the CHTS but naturally they sent me wrong thing. Throughout all this BS I have been preppin her for a new paint job lol AND I DONT EVEN KNOW IF I CAN GET IT TO START. (I'm not reall laughing out loud ... NOT AT ALL) I am beside myself. It has to be some dumb overlooked thing. I am a pretty good trouble shooter and have NEVER not been able to figure ou t how to get a car to start.
How come when I put new plugs in and a new coil MONTHS AGO she started so fast it made my heart jump and I drove a mile as she got sicker and sicvker AND ENGINE HOT but not thermostat hot or reading hot I should say. Since that day I have only got one start since then. Maybe the brand new ICM is bunk? It seems that the more I do.. the further I get.
HELP ME HEROS! lol

 

the CHTS wouldn't have anything to do with getting spark through my sparkplug wires . OR AM I MISSING SOMETHING THERE?
and why did the outer engine get so damn hot after replacing that ignition coil anyways? SMOKIN HOT now that I think about it. Only drove a mile and a half. NO OVERHEATING AT ALL EVER TO THIS DAY.

 

DOES ANYONE HAVE A CHTS THAT THEY KNOW WORKS THEY WANT TO SELL CHEAP? TWICE I HAVE BEEN SENT WRONG PART. AND WONT ORDER NEW ONE AGAIN TILL IM SURE THAT IS PROBLEM. (EVERYTHING IS NEW IN CAR AT THIS POINT AND STILL NO START)
ALSO I HAVE COMPLETE STOCK AND WORKING STEREO SYSTEM TO GET RID OF / I TOOK PICS ALREADY OF IT DISASSEMBLED AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT/
81 280ZX 2+2 N/A.
INTO A SWAP? OR?????

 

I have a spare, but I won't be near my garage until probably Wed / Thurs. Just an FYI, the reason you keep getting the wrong part is because all the parts stores are idiots and have it named wrong:

Duralast/Coolant Temperature Sensor (SU403) | 1983 Nissan/Datsun 280ZX 6 Cylinders C 2.8L FI Turbo | AutoZone.com

 

OKAY. Turns out that the brand new pick up coil I put in the Dizzr was defective. Got a new one put in and BINGO. WE HAVE SPARK.
But still no start. The injectors have power both sides but wont open. Does not pass the 3 key click test either.
Tryin from the start all the 35 pin meter tests BUT GIVE ME SOME EDUCATED GUESSES PRETTY PLEASE.
What would u suspect? OH YEAJ I ALSO PUY NEW CHTS ON NOW.
EVERYTHING US NEW I THINK NOWE BUT INJECTORS

 

 

So after putting a second pick up coil in yhe dizzy... I had spark again... YEAH. Still no stari. I did all of the volt/ohm meter tests at the 32 pin connector as such from the EFI bible, and all pin tests check out fine MUCH TO MY SURPRISE. and I have gone thru that fsm a hundred times. I fall asleep every night studying hundreds of informative posts in this wonderful forum you zdriver admins provide but cant figure out where I went wrong. Could it be possible that the fuel pressure has just dropped some with all I have had apart? CAUSE FUEL IS MOVING... but maybe not enough cause it almost started after spraying starting fluid somewhere under the hood.
(i was in the cockpit reading more fsm so not sure where he sprayed it.)
Brand new F/P regulater AND ALMOST EVERYTHING ELSE.
Pretty please... just a few more clues?
AND THANK YOU ALL TO THOSE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO TALK TO ME.
Denise