Hi everyone, I'm a noob from Indianapolis, In. I just picked up a decent 77 280 z 6cyl, 5 speed. It will start in either, and run ragged, but will not start at all w/o either...where should I start...

I did a big search of the site and have a few ideas, but wanted to post the specific symptoms, and say hello to you. I love this car and have wanted one ever since I delivered one from Atlana Ga to longview Tx back in 93. Thanks for your help.

You mean 'ether' as in starting fluid? In that case you're not getting fuel. There are many possible reasons. Fuel pump, fuel pump relay, ignition relay, fuel filter, and on and on. Do you have a factory service manual? There's a troubleshooting sequence in there for not getting fuel. Try this link. It's a pdf so you'll need and acrobat reader.

http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/efisystem/280zfuelinjectionbook.pdf

thanks, strange, but folks on my sea doo board, gave ne a diff. link, but the same book. those guys tinker with everything. I haven't tried much yet, I just got it, but wanted a direction to start.I do have a service manual, and It will be well read. thanks again, I will report back

I did think it was wierd that it will run..poorly...on gas once you get it started with starting fluid.

Had the car been sitting for a while?

yes, the guy would start it, let it run for a while , then shut it off..one day he came out..and could get no fuel

Tank may be crudded up. I had to deal with that when I first got mine. My car had been sitting for 4 1/2 years. But first, try replacing the fuel filter. Have you checked the fuel pressure?

haven't had a ton of time to check a bunch yet, i'm building a 657 sea doo engine, and then I can move on and spend some time going through the troubleshooting book. I'm just trying to get a feel for the most likely culprits. I'll hit those first then move on.

It lives! This morning I picked it up from the guys place..trailered it to the house, put 11 gal. of new gas in (that topped the tank) (anyone know how many gallons it will hold?) I added a bottle of injector cleaner, cleaned the connections related to fuel injection, put on a new glass inline fuel filter, and a new battery. cranked...cranked...cranked, and she started..ran rough, and smelled like nasty gas, stalled was hard to start, ran rough..after about 20 min it started running pretty good (still smells like bad gas) and the filter definatly is getting junky. So I put it in gear..and drove it off the trailer, and into the garage. (I did all this in 38 deg and 40mph wind gusts) I never had to use starting fluid. I started cleaning it, and about an hour later..she fired right back up (unheated garage) Thanks for all the suggestions. I did a lot of reading this week, and it paid off.

DON'T USE A GLASS FILTER!!!

The fuel pressure of the Injection system will probably explode the filter. Stay with the metal can filter.

Check out an owner's manual or get a repair book. The Haynes book has all the capacities. The Factory Service Manual (FSM)on CD-ROM is also a necessity.

Thanks man, yes I'm not gonna run down the road with it. I just wanted to see what was going through there as I got her to start. I will be switching back..just using it as a temp. monitor.

I guess you're lucky so far. Most glass filters can handle only 10 p.s.i MAX., so the 35+ p.s.i of your fuel injection system is probably straining the glass to the max.

If you can find a high-pressure viewable filter, make sure you let us all know. Probably the best thing so far is a filter with a removeable element that you can check ocasionally.