Help! Car ran today and now dead. No electric at all - short

[JohnB]

I own and have owned multiple 240Z's and two 280Z's. I have only had one fusible link go bad. This is my first 260Z. Since it is an early one and is so close to the old '73 240Z I thought the fusible links in the small white topped boxes where a 280Z FI related upgrade. Since none where on the inner fender I ASSuMEd it was like the 240Z near the alternater and starter.

I brought two of my links from my 280Z and swapped in the one that was blown. It was mostly gone, blown to bits plus a whole burned through the cover against the fire wall.

So I am guessing the starter went bad and the link blew or the link blew from the jump start arc because the starter was bad. I found the starter had a brittle cap on the solenoid that came apart when I removed the starter. The starter looked trashed.

Now the car starts quicker with the new high torque starter (Bosch $70 from Pep Boys) and IT RUNS! I plan on replacing the fusible links with new ones for the 260Z.

Last question:

What is the difference between the fusible links from a 260Z and the 280Z? Are they the same rating or are they specific to the model? I see on ebay they are listed differently. Of course the 280Z's are cheaper and you get four vs two for about the same amount. Are they interchangable?

Thanks to Manny1973, SteveJ, Idahokidd, dimitri zee and FastWoman. Your ideas where a big help! As always this forum keeps my Z's on the road.

Thanks again,

JohnB

[FastWoman]

Your fusible link wouldn't have been blown out by the jump start. It probably wouldn't have been taken down by a shorted solenoid, and no other starter problem would have done it. I'm guessing the culprit was corrosion. I first learned what a fusible link was when a link in my '75 Z corroded through at a mere 8 years of age (i.e. 1983) -- in TEXAS! It left me stranded in the center turn lane of a highway, and I had to be towed. The fusible links in my recently acquired '78 didn't fail, but they looked incredibly crusty, and one of them fell apart when I unplugged it. (I did pull by the connector, not the wire.)

The fusible links would be the same between the 240, 260, 280, or any automobile, provided they have the correct rating. (They come in all different ratings, just like normal fuses.)

[SteveJ]

I'm glad you got it running. The fusible link ratings/colors are in the FSM.

I'll repeat what I said in an earlier post. If you don't already have a copy of the FSM, download it.