New Battery, Yet No Power

[Bojanglez280]

As a rookie Z owner/project starter...today I purchased a new battery, brought it home, put it in, and there is no power in the car when the key is turned. We are currently trying to troubleshoot it.....but any help would be much appreciated. I have no intentions of trying to start the car today, just wanted to see if there were any electrical "issues" and there may be.

[SteveJ]

First, make sure you have the polarity correct on the battery. The positive should go to the starter. Second, check your fusible links. After that, purchase a multimeter and learn how to use it. That way, if you need to do more advanced diagnostics, we can give you better suggestions, and you can give us better feedback.

Edit: I forgot to mention that a factory service manual (FSM) is your best repair guide.

[Bojanglez280]

ok, i checked all the fuses as well as battery connections etc... The only things that seem odd to me are these two pictures. In the first one, on the transistor ignition unit, what plugs into the solo terminal? Also, in the second picture, same area, what do these two wires plug into??? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

[EScanlon]

Model, Year and Build Date will help define the vehicle you're working on, and the right members can then give you more meaninful and directed advice.

Add your model info to your signature in the Control Panel for User and that way it will show up on every post. Otherwise, people have to do a search on you to determine what you're driving.

E

Edited October 23, 2011 by EScanlon

[Bojanglez280]

Model, Year and Build Date will help define the vehicle you're working on, and the right members can then give you more meaninful and directed advice.

E

Thanks,

1978 Datsun 280z, built in Nov. '77

[SteveJ]

Pictures are good. Pictures with a description of where they are in a car are even better. For example, I don't have a 280Z, so I have to rely on the FSM to give you suggestions.

The terminal on the ignition relay is for a ground. It is a good chance that the white/red wire is for the headlights. Knowing where the wire resides under your dash would help to confirm.

Edit: How did you check your fusible links? The correct way is to remove them carefully and do continuity checks.

Edited October 23, 2011 by SteveJ

[Bojanglez280]

These pictures were taken from underneath the passenger side dash (right behind the glove box). Also right above the fuse box, on the passenger side wall (right in front of the close of the door). Hope this helps narrow it down. I had a friend posting for me as we were working on the car together this afternoon. We have quit for the day, and I may not be able to start back on troubleshooting until next weekend. I teach and coach, and it is the last week of football season. Sorry for the "not enough information post". Also remember, I am no mechanic.....so my descriptions may seem incomplete at times.

Thanks again for your input! I will get it solved eventually.

[SteveJ]

That helps. The white/red wire is for the seatbelt warning timer unit.

[Bojanglez280]

Won't know until later on.....but thanks to many threads being read this evening from people with similar problems...I am leaning towards thinking my problem may be the infamous fusible links. The PO did some rigging that I should have posted pictures of earlier that would have helped, but I'm beginning to think that may be my problem.

[Bojanglez280]

Here are two pictures of the fusible links. I apologize for the poor quality photos. They were taken with my iPod in a poorly lit garage. One of these days I will use my wife's digital camera. You will notice in the first photo that there are only 3 of the 4 fusible links plugged up, and in the second you will see the "4th" fusible link below the fusible link boxes. The PO apparetly cut the fusible link from the box for an unknown reason and spliced it to itself. I am guessing this has a part to play in my electrical issues.

Thanks for all the input. One of these days, I will be a proud owner of a running Z.

[FastWoman]

Well, if it's crusty fusible links, you certainly wouldn't be the first to have this problem! There are 6 altogether on the '78. Two of them, both for the ECU if I recall correctly, are clipped to the side of the black relay housing. You can check all of these fusible links very easily by setting your multimeter to the voltage scale, touching the negative (black) probe to ground (or negative terminal of battery) and the red probe to each connector on each fusible link. You should read the battery voltage (approx 12.5V) at each connector. If any of them read +12V on one side and 0 on the other, the fusible link is bad. If you don't get +12V anywhere, then the connection between the (+) battery post connector and the fusible link assemblies is bad, most likely due to corrosion around the end of the wire nearest the battery post.

The next possible failure point is the ignition switch. You might have +12 to the switch, but if the internal contacts of the switch are bad, you won't be able to crank the engine. Do your headlights work? they don't depend on the ignition switch or any relay -- only a fusible link and a couple of fuses in the main fuse panel.

[Bojanglez280]

Wow....thanks for the detail and I will get information back to you as soon as possible. However, I wanted to let you know the headlights DO WORK!! I hadn't thought to check that. I got excited, but could be too early cause for all I know that may be a bad thing and mean my problem is bigger ?!?!

Thanks again