Mystery wire on Distributor (78 280Z)

[jbond]

I am trying to reassemble a 280Z (Dec77 build date) that I purchased with all the engine electricals and Fuel Injection removed and stored in boxes.  I'm getting close. But now I have a mystery wire attached to the distributor. Its obviously a ground wire but I'm not sure of its function or what it was attached to. In the picture the mystery wire is attached to the bolt holding the distributor in and has a bullet connector on the far end after about 1 foot of wire.

 

I think it ran from the distributor (as in the attached pix)  to a condenser near the ignition coil.  The 78 FSM  EE section on page EE-26 shows a circuit running from the coil positive wire thru a condenser to ground.  But I'm not sure the wire shown in the pix is the ground wire in the FSM diagram.

 

Part of my problem is that I haven't found the condenser in my boxes of parts.

 

So if you have 78 280Z, could you look for this wire and tell me where the other end is attached and if you have a condenser mounted near the coil. 

 

I presume this condenser is for noise suppression  in the ignition circuit. So I think I could just remove the wire?  Any thoughts about this?

 

Thanks

 

 

[Zed Head]

I think that you are right and that is just the ground connection for the condenser.  The condenser is probably still stuck in your harness somewhere, by the coil wiring.  I'd try to find it and use it.  I'm not sure that all of the condensers are just for radio noise.  Other circuits might be affected by the noise.  I know that my tachometer will not work without a condenser, but my ignition system is modified.

 

Here's another wiring diagram that shows a condenser grounding next to the distributor.

 

http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/wiringdiagrams/78_280Z_wiring.pdf

[EuroDat]

+1 on Zed Heads post.

I made a post for this same wire in a thread for another member. See post nr7 in the thread for the photo's.

Photo's can make the wiring diagram easy to follow.

http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/51696-redwings-disconnected-wires/?hl=redwing

[Chickenman]

Look closely at the enlarged picture, and you'll see that is not a factory connection. It also looks like the wire was accidentally hooked to a 12V source as the insulation is all bubbled and fried with exposed bare wire.

Edited September 2, 2015 by Chickenman