Every thing was fine till the next day.

[esmit208]

On Saturday, August 19, 2017 at 11:31 PM, SeanT said:

I have had my z for a couple of months (1976 280z) had some trouble with the ignition relay at first (accessories did not work) but got them working in the end. Started driving it 2 weeks ago no problems everything worked fine. Then last week I went to start it and it had no spark so after messing with the ignition relay and coil for a bit I found one of the fuseable links was bad (the one that goes to the lights, whippers and washer motor controls.) I replaced it hooked up every thing tured the key, and nothing worked then I heard a relay click and a fizz frying type sound comming from the passanger side didnt smell any thing. I took out the igniton relay and took it apart and all the wiring harness conectors. Checked the relay and filed the contacts and hooked it back up and still nothing. If I turn the lights on the voltage gauge pegs below 12 volts and the lights dont turn on the head lights will on the second click. I tried unhooking all the wires connecting to that control arm and still nothing when i tured the key. I could still hear the clock ticking aswell. I am thinking about taking the dash out I also need to replace the heater core, do some rust work on the fire wall and under the battery, and carpet aswell as some lights and what not behide the dash. Thank you.

Whatever the frying sound was THAT ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE FOUND!  Check the connection on the back of your ammeter. Make sure it hasn't gotten damp. You mentioned some firewall rust so it is likely something behind the dash may have gotten wet. Pulling the dash is not difficult and a lot easier to work behind out of the car. I had a fire back in 2005 as a result of poor ammeter connections. I'm still putting the car back together. Completely fried the main harness down to the alternator. It started behind the ammeter. Good luck!

[SeanT]

I cleaned the battery connecters and every thing and every thing is working again but there is still no spark. I was going through the wiring diagram and he believes that the problem is the transistor ignition unit under the dash. I was reading that some one disconnected the the condencer and his car ran again. There is a thing that kind of looks like a condencer by the coil. but it has a wire going it to it then comming out out of it that goes to the air flow meter. then there is a nother thing that look like a condencer with one wire going in to it on the altinator. does any one know about disconnecting the condencer and where it is. I havent had any smells or fizzes but ill keep looking.

         - Thank you 

[Zed Head]

Have you measured voltage at the coil with the key on?  That's a start.  

[SeanT]

I took a muli meter and I hooked one end to a ground and on to the stud on the coil and there is 12 volts on both the positive and negative sides of the coil when the key is on. My grandpa said this should be happening and thats why he thinks it is the computer ignition uint that is bad.

[Zed Head]

Don't forget the pickup coil in the distributor.  And check that you didn't forget to put the rotor back on under the cap.  (Everyone has done it).  The ignition module is in the area of the noise though.  Take it out and examine.  It's easy to get to.  You can wire in a GM HEI module pretty simply, although the Federal models of 1976 Z's have two pickup coils.  So you lose one.

You haven't really done enough of the electrical testing to justify replacing the module though.  You have a meter, just start probing and writing.  The Engine Electrical chapter has whole list of tests, with pictures.  Page EE-33 starts it.

 

On 8/22/2017 at 11:22 AM, esmit208 said:

Check the connection on the back of your ammeter.

I think that he has a 76, with a voltmeter.  His other thread mentioned 76.

[SeanT]

Ill look in to the pick up in the distriutor i noiced that the tach doesnt move when its turning over i cant remember if it did before or not. I was looking on page EE-33 and noticed mine looked differentI also noticed that on my 1976 parts car it was diffent then the one on my car. the parts car one looks the same as the manual. This is what mine looks like.

 

Edited August 30, 2017 by SeanT

[Zed Head]

I'm not positive but I think that that's a 260Z module.  They had the aluminum case with the fins.  E12-09 is an early number.  And I think I see a bunch of splices on the connecting wires, to make it fit the 280Z wiring.  I did something similar to use a 78 module in my 76.

If you have a parts car, then a module swap would be the quick easy thing to do.  The correct module should let you get rid of the splice job.  Disconnect the battery first to avoid shorts.  You never know what a PO might have done.

[SeanT]

Alright tomorrow ill look into the distributor and ill clean the contacts on the module or switch it over and see what happens. Thank you for helping me out so far.

[JSM]

The other thing to check are those blue connectors. Take the ignition module out and make sure no wires came lose. 

[SeanT]

Hey, so today i found that one of the pick-ups had no resitance the other had about 700 so i am switching them with two from a spare distruptor that came with 2+2. they both have good resitance. I also found that the condencer's blue male wire was brocken and just shoved into the hole and it didnt have a good ground so i put the one from the 2+2 in. The coil also read 1.3 oms so it sould be good.

[SeanT]

At the bottom of this thread EuroDat posted a check list and ive been going through it and found it helpful. 

Edited September 1, 2017 by SeanT

[Zed Head]

That's two good finds!

Don't be intimidated by all of the wires on the ignition module.  The ones you need are under that red strip of plastic.  It's a terminal block with a spot and a screw for each wire.  You'll see when you take the spare out of your parts car.  Might want to snap a picture for reference of where each color wire goes.  Easier than digging through eh FSM.