Serious Issues, at my wits end and need help.

[SledgehammerX]

Ok, I bought my 77 280Z, a few months back. Since that time I have had it running, and drove it but not very far. I will walk you through everything I have done in hopes that someone can pinpoint my problem.

When I first got it, the injectors were out. The guy told me they were bad, well I put them in, and aside from where I didn't clamp the hoses down it was spraying gas but that is long since fixed. I took it for a test drive and it drove fine at first then just died and quit responding. So here are the actions I took. New plugs, new plug wires, new MSD coil, all new vacuum lines, new distributor cap. After all of that, I drove it, ran great for about 20 minutes then it would fumble down in RPM's and quit responding to the throttle. You start it up and it would repeat the process. A friend of mine mentioned it could be my pick-up coil, so I bought and when I swapped it, the old one was destroyed, like I barely snagged it and it ripped. It was in very bad shape, now the car does not start. I have been at this for weeks now, we did all the checks, I got spark, I got fuel, it just turns overs and literally sounds like it's running faintly as long as your turning it over. If you press the throttle open it increases revs and sounds like it's gonna start but does not. I pulled the Air flow meter, and used my hand to block it off to see if it would give it a forced induction so to speak and nothing. However this morning, I went back at it and with the throttle wide open it started but was very rough and low idle, and then just stopped without me letting off the throttle.... I am stuck and it's killing me, someone please help?

[SledgehammerX]

Perhaps it's my ignition control module? Is it the big black box in the passenger side kick panel?

[Zed Head]

Slow day, I'll take a shot.

The output from the negative side of the coil has to go to the tach and the ECU so the ECU will know how fast the engine is rotating to feed it the proper amount of fuel. Maybe you lost that connection. I have not actually followed it out, but I do know that if you disconnect your tachometer your engine will not start or run. Does your tach work when you try to start the engine?

[SledgehammerX]

The last time it ran, the tach acted stupid like it bounced all over the place.

[cozye]

check for continuity between pin 1 of the ECU connector, and the negative side of the coil. If that is good, you should be fine there.

Do you have the water temp sensor connected ? Sounds like it's bad, or unplugged. If it is connected, what is the resistance reading between the two pings on the water temp sensor ?

The tach bouncing around could be a bad tach, so I wouldn't put a lot of faith in that.

[IdahoKidd]

It's a fuel issue. Not enough pressure or not enough volume. It will try to start after it sets because the fuel pickup can get enough to get it going and then the line/filter/tank plugs up and no more. Take a spray bottle (windex, cleaner, anything) fill it with gas, pull the hose off the afm and spray it in while cranking. I'll bet it will run along as you keep spraying the fuel. If I am right, (IF), then there is a problem with the fuel delivery system (weak pump, plugged pickup, junk in the tank, plugged filter). Out of curiousity, how did you KNOW the injecters were bad?

Let us know what you finally determine.

[SledgehammerX]

Ok, I did the whole screwdriver to ear trick to listen for the clicking sound. Two of them were just dumping fuel. - that's how I KNOW on the injectors.

I already tried putting fuel in the throttle chamber while trying to start it, that did nothing.

The car ran great until I put the pick up coil on. Which afterwards i checked for spark and im getting plenty! In the notes section of all part stores it says to change ignition control module with pick up coil. So I dunno. I'm tripping out cause I don't know what to do. The tach worked great before btw

[Zed Head]

Sorry Sledge, I gave you bad advice, about the tach (although the jumpy tach is odd). I misread your post or got it confused with someone else's or I didn't read the whole thing. My advice was for a car that cranks but won't fire. I missed the comments about it starting then dying.

If it ran before and you didn't move the distributor and you're getting spark then it is probably fuel delivery or injector firing issues. Unless you changed something while you were fixing. Did you move any plug wires or take the distributor off or loosen the distributor adjustment screw? Are you trying to start it with everything, all wires, hoses, etc., attached properly? You can't leave stuff off like you could on a carbed engine, then put it back together after it's running. Everything, including the oil filler cap and the dipstick, has to be on the engine, properly attached.

If you can, check your fuel pressure. I agree with Idaho, your original description sounds like a fuel delivery problem. Running then slowly dying shows that you might be running out of fuel at the injectors.

[Zedrally]

My bet (if it's not an electronic dizzy), is the capacitor.

Had similar problem years back, would start and idle, once you put your foot down...nothing..HIH

[SledgehammerX]

Zed - I didn't pull the dizzy. Just the cap. I just find it really odd, that with a new pick up coil it would stop starting, but yet still have spark

[Zedrally]

Now you have me confused.

Is you're dizzy electronic or points?

[SledgehammerX]

Not sure, whichever one came on it in 77. It's a 77 fuel injected. When I ordered the part it was a dead match so whatever it is supposed to be I'm assuming.