Help me bring it back to life!

[garretthes]

Bought a 79 280zx. Actually my daughter bought it but I'm helping her. It's been setting up for two years in the weather. I dropped a battery in, hooked it up and noticed the pail lights stay on. Hmmm. OK. Also noticed with the key in the on position NOTHING works except the headlights which work without the ignition obviously. When I try to crank it I get nothing. No clicks, don't hear the fuel pump or anything.

The previous owner was driving it daily when parked two years ago. The windows wouldn't go up.

Where should I start?

I downloaded the FSM

The car hasn't been cleaned out yet so I can't even sit in it. The cleaning will happen later today when daughter gets off work.

Edited August 28, 2010 by garretthes

[Zs-ondabrain]

Start with the fusable links. Use a meter and follow the power from the battery all the way to the fusebox. You'll likely find a bad fusable link, fuse or bad wire in there somewhere. I wish my daughter was old enough to care about buying a car. IT WILL BE A Z!! or older Datsun of some sort.

Dave

[Walter Moore]

The headlights wouldn't work if the fuse-able link was open.

[zbane]

Brake lights staying on is a simple little thing.... Mid way up the brake pedal bar is a whole. There was a plastic piece that fit in this hole which made contact with the brake light activation switch. Find yourself a bolt, and put it in there.

As to the fusible links, they may be all fine and good, but if the spade connectors from the positive battery lead have been disconnected (or are corroded sufficiently) you will get nothing to start.

You might as well go ahead and inspect the gas tank: open the hatch, pull the carpet and pad, unscrew the two screws near the center of the hatch floor, remove the fuel lines that will now be visible, and carefully remove all those little hex screws. (you might want to spray some pb blaster on them first-they like to break).

[Zs-ondabrain]

it's a 280ZX Walter. The headlights and ignition are 2 different links. The ignition is not getting power but the headlights are. pretty simple. So like I said. Use a meter and follow everything from the battery, to the starter, the links, etc, etc.

I just worked on one the other day with the SAME problem. Link was good but the connection was corroded. Had a couple loose fuses as well.

Dave

[garretthes]

I'm slowly learning where everything is. Are the fuseable links the glass fuses? I know fuses and relays so learning this Nissan talk is slow. I was trying to trace power to the ignition relay but I can't find it. The FSM shows it to be where the battery sits at the firewall. Only there is nothing but firewall.

[garretthes]

I think I found them behind the glove box. Dang! How am I supposed to get to them?

[garretthes]

Well the horn works. There is no power at the coil with the ignition on. I'm wondering if it might be the ignition switch in the column. This is SLOW go because I'm exterminating brown recluse spiders from the car. I hate spiders so this is not fun for me. I still cant sit or crawl inside. I do have an 83 parts car with a good interior.

[garretthes]

Anyone have a pic of the fuseable links?

[garretthes]

OK I finally figured out the fusible link was what I thought it was. I got all the wires going in the right direction and terminals cleaned. I HAVE POWER! Only problem is when I hit the starter the coil ground wire smokes as well as the ignition power jumper wire in the fusible link.

Edited August 31, 2010 by garretthes

[grodrigu19]

I have a similar problem on my 79' 280zx. I was driving one day then it suddenly just turned off on me, popped opened the hood and one of the fusible links on the passenger side was smoking. After that the car would not even crank just a click in the inner passenger kick panel. I tried replacing the burnt fusible link with an inline 30 amp fuse but no luck, just does the same clicking sound. I removed the relay in the kick panel that I thought was the culprit, which I think it was an ignition relay but have now lost it can anyone help with a part number. I think someone mentioned that this relay was obsolete and it now crossed over to a new part number.

[Zed Head]

Are you asking for the part number for a 1979 280ZX ignition relay?  Or help with the no-crank problem?  

 

You didn't mention finding the short that caused the fusible link to smoke, or if the 30 amp fuse blew when you tried to start it again.