280ZX Cutting Out

Answer to most of the common technical questions
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Loky
Posts: 14
Location: Auckland

280ZX Cutting Out

Post by Loky » Fri Dec 18, 2009 8:52 am

Greetings all.

I have just bought a nice condition 280zx 79 up in Auckland, or it was nice before it started randomly cutting out. The only thing I can see linking the few times it has happened is straight after going round a corner, although this may just be by chance. The engine does'nt give any indication of cutting out what-so-ever it just turns itself off and will not start again for atleast an hour. This is quite embarrasing when you break down just off a busy roundabout :( .

I figured it might have been more help to ask on these forums and cheaper, rather than having it in the hands of a mechanic who may know next to nothing about these particular models, so I'm hoping someone could give me some pointers as to what the problem may be or a mechanic who can definiatly help with such a problem. Any help would be awesome or even better give me a txt/call on 021 067 1468.

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nzeder
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Post by nzeder » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:01 am

I had Mits Sapporo that did the same thing - driving down the road would cut out and not start. But after the car was left for a while it would come back to life. Turned out to be a faulty dizzy box thing. You know the little box on the side of the dizzy would go into some kind of thermal overload and when it cooled down again all was well. A replacement was picked from the wreckers for $20 (when there used to be lots of 80's sigma's in wreckers yards) and I was away again. From that point on I always kept another of the black boxes in the glove box.

So it could be the same issue on your 280zx - never had that issue with my 280zx electronic dizzy but does not mean it does not happen.

Loky
Posts: 14
Location: Auckland

Post by Loky » Fri Dec 18, 2009 11:13 am

Sounds like the same problem. I just checked the dizzy and its been replaced with a mitsi dizzy at some stage. Not sure which black box your meaning because there is a part of the actual base that has a black lid on it, is that it? But its a part of the base not detachable. Do you know any good mechanics because the car will no longer start.... yeah I know fantastic looks like ive been dumped with a lemon but got it for a decent price, or so I thought, and if its something small i dont want to take it back to the guy.

I also spoke to a mechanic the other day before this started to happen, asking about what i might be able to do to avoid letting it sit and keeping low revs for a few minutes before actually driving. He thought it might have something to do with not enough air/petrol getting to the engine because the revs were so low and it didnt have as much mid range power as expected. Do you think this might have anything to do with it?

Thanks so much for your reply

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nzeder
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Post by nzeder » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:41 pm

Ok so what dizzy setup does the car have - there are about 3 different setups that 280zx came with. Got a pic? Also Mits and Hitachi were the dizzy suppliers to Nissan in the day so it will be the original dizzy ;)

EDIT: look at this http://www.jrdemers.com/280ZX/distribut ... butor.html covers the issue you are having with the ignition module on the side of the dizzy cutting out (or not working like yours is now)

Also here is a pic of the 12-80 type dizzy with the ignition module on the side :)
Image

BRONZEE
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Posts: 7200
Location: Auckland

Post by BRONZEE » Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:01 pm

Welcome to the forum Loky. Dave @ Z Parts in Manukau is a Z specialist, parts and fixing the beasties. 276-7376.

Good luck. 8)

Loky
Posts: 14
Location: Auckland

Post by Loky » Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:25 pm

:) :) I got the Dizzy off without any problems and heres a few pics of it. Looks simular but double checking if its the same? I had a look at the link you sent me and it was very informative, well what I understood of it haha not that good with the terminology used. Do you suggest i attempt to open it up and see what the problem is, and if so what am i looking for? Sorry for the terrible questions but gotta learn somewhere I guess.

Or maybe get a replacement then open it up and see what looks to be wrong.

Awesome thanks bronzee ill head up there for a tune and chat after I get her running, or tow it up there if worst comes to worst.

Thanks for taking the time to give me a hand
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Loky
Posts: 14
Location: Auckland

Post by Loky » Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:27 pm

Sorry they are massive just sent straight from my phone

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nzeder
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Post by nzeder » Fri Dec 18, 2009 5:30 pm

Yes that is the ignitor box on the side of the dizzy - you might wan to look at the following mod

http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/gmhei.html

Loky
Posts: 14
Location: Auckland

Post by Loky » Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:33 pm

Ok so i cleaned out the dizzy without touching the bushings because it seams fine and i dont want to risk any further parts being replaced. Turns freely, all parts are intact and working fine, but in the top view picture the valve that comes off the main body is slightly ajar and has no gasket/seal of any sort, is this a problem?

Had a look at the link and to be honest Im not sure most of that applys to my problem. Could i just replace the black box and the problem be solved or will i need to go further than that? By any chance would one of the new dizzys on trademe work and stop this happening again? Im guessing it could quite easily happen again especially if i get a second hand box to replace it with.

Olly
Posts: 6
Location: Christchurch

Post by Olly » Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:35 pm

I had the same issue and was also the black box on dizzy. I had it replaced, lasted about 4 weeks then played up so replaced again and has work fine since then which was 8 years ago. I had another issue with cutting out - no power to dash, ign etc. If i pulled the fuseable links off and on power was restored. This was an ongoing problem that I mentioned to a keen 280Z person in ChCh (he saw my car and came over for a chat) who suggested I look at computer under the right front guard. I did this, cleaned all the terminals and hasnt missed a beat for the last 2 years. So, maybe your problem is related to dirty connections in the fusable links or computer.

Loky
Posts: 14
Location: Auckland

Post by Loky » Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:42 am

Cheers for that Olly ill have a look at that tomorrow and give it the once over. I went to the local auto electricion who my mechanic suggested, and he quoted $230 for that tiny little box! Ill give Dave a ring tomorrow and see if he has any floating around i could grab, perhaps for a few less limbs.

Would anyone be able to source one cheaper than that? That price is for a new one ordered from somewhere in NZ, but could someone tell me what other models may have had the same dizzy setup? Save the cents and the dollars will save themselves haha :lol:

stagefumer11
Posts: 2
Location: Wellington

Post by stagefumer11 » Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:12 am

Clean the ecu pins and plugs.. :D

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wittsend
Posts: 85
Location: One Tree Hill

Post by wittsend » Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:37 pm

My 280 also has that dizzy with the same transitor ignitor unit, and before I installed it in to my car I cleaned it up and noticed a fair bit of corrosion on the back of the black box when I removed it (which is what grounds the circuit), so I used a bit of sandpaper to clean it up. Can't say I've had overheating problems with mine because it now only runs a low 5v through it enough to provide a pulse to the aftermarket ignition computer rather than switching the coil on and off at 12v like on a standard setup, but if it was overheating I'd just strap a computer heatsink to it haha
"If it aint broken...."
Pull it apart anyway and find out how it works!

Loky
Posts: 14
Location: Auckland

Post by Loky » Mon Feb 22, 2010 11:24 pm

Just an update on this topic...

The car stopped starting up completely a few days after I replaced the black box which I picked up second had from Dave. Had a few young mechanics check the problem out to see if they could shed any light on the problem without tearing it apart, and no, they couldn't! So it was towed out to Daves Z workshop in Manukau. He got it going after replacing a part inside the dizzy (small part that has two wires running off it and magnets on either side, cant remember what it was called). Took him allot longer than I would have expected which cost me plenty...

So I drove it about 20 minutes or so after leaving Daves workshop on my way to work, went round a corner and cut out just as it had done previously. Again it was turning left up a hill as it had been the last 4 times so not sure if this has anything to do with the problem or just coincidence? But I attracted two cop cars who got the car into the medium strip while a tow rope was on its way. Once back at home of course it starteded up first turn and so off I went to Dave who agreed to have a quick look at it, and arrived without any problems.

Ruling out fuel and air as a problem due to its simple shut down of the engine when it stoped, there was no clear answer to this problem. In the end Dave decided to just replace the terminals and wires attaching to the dizzy and hope for the best. FORTUNALY THIS WORKED!!! After everything else that was looked over something this simple was a bit of a slap in the face but I have been driving around without a problem for the very first time since I bought it.

Ended up costing around $1100 to get it on the road, after the lovely man who sold it to me claimed there was no problems with it, would fly through the next WOF and even after I informed him of what went wrong still claimed he had never had anything like this happen when he drove it.... Yeah Right.

Thanks to everyone for there input and if your after a 79' 280zx without any problems.... Well now they have all been fixed hopefully, has some mint new wheels that i guarantee noone esle has ... Might just keep to my 72 MK1 preface Ford Capri without all them electrics but i do like the drive these give...

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wittsend
Posts: 85
Location: One Tree Hill

Post by wittsend » Mon Feb 22, 2010 11:50 pm

Glad to hear that your prob was solved even after all those hassles.
"If it aint broken...."
Pull it apart anyway and find out how it works!

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