NEW MEMBER, need help with car...

[Chris Iglehart]

I have an 81 280ZX turbo that has been sitting for 3 years since it quit running. The car ran great until it suddenly would not start one day. The engine turns over but I have no spark. I believe that the problem is electrical, possibly the crank position sensor, but I don't want to spend $300 and that not be the problem.

I have the factory service manual for the car, but it tells me I need a ECCS analyzer to chase these problems, but my local Nissan dealer doesn't even have this machine. It has been sitting long enough and something needs to be done.

[kmack]

Unfortunately, there are not many ZX owners here on this site. Except for ZmeFly. :classic:

But since the engines are somewhat similar.... Three things you need to check for: fuel, spark, air. You mention you have no spark so I assume you've checked for fuel also and that is ok. I've heard that the little black boxes on the distributors can just up and quit. That would be the first place I'd look.

You might try to get in contact with a local Z club or find someone that has another ZX Turbo. See if they will let you borrow a known good distributor to swap onto your car. If it runs after the swap, then there is the problem. Sorry I can't be of much help after this point, I'm mainly a carb kind of guy.

[nutxo]

are there fusible links on that car? mebbe a circuit breaker like on the older renault? Ignition fuses?

[kmack]

If it has a fusible link set up like the earlier cars and it had blown, then he wouldn't even be able to turn it over. On the early cars, if the fusible link blows, the entire electrical system is shut down. Been there, done that....

[Chris Iglehart]

My distributor doesn't have a black box anywhere near it, should it?

[kmack]

Might be my memory failing, but I thought that the ZX distributors had a small, black (in color), sealed box that contained some of the electrical stuff for the ignition mounted on the side of the distributor. It's been a long time since I've actually looked at a ZX engine, so I may be wrong here.

Check out this site, look under item 7 - ignition. You'll have to scroll down a bit, but there is a picture of the black box I'm talking about. http://www.geocities.com/zgarage2001/engine.html

Anybody else, have a better clue of what's going on here?

[Gav240z]

The black module u are refering to does exist on a ZX I have a ZX distributor on my 240z and it has the module but some modules don't work on carbed cars.

If you don't have the module is it possible it's been replaced by a points distributor or something like the petronix ignitor for some obscure reason?

I am having a similar problem ith my 240z currently that I believe is electrical.

Have you disconnected the spark plug that goes from coil to distributor? hold the lead against the valve cover and turn it over it there's no spark there we know it's someting other than distributor.

Good luck will keep you posted on my progress with the 240z.

[Chris Iglehart]

I still don't see that box anywhere, on the car or in my manual. It's a turbo, does that make a difference?

[sjcurtis]

Chris Iglehart,

Hi, I have never seen a 1981 ZXT, I would like to. I have seen a number of variations in L28 fuel and ignition management, I believe the ignition package and fuel package is you are running (factory Digital with external crank angle sensor). Your engine should have a serrated pizza wheel as part of the crank V belt pulley on the front end of the crank, below the fan. if you look down at the lower pulley, you should see a sensor module on the edge of the pizza wheel directly below the distributor, recognise the module by a thick black plastic covered lead to the main loom, the module is secured by two 16mm bolts to the support bracket.

Firstly is this what you have.

cheers

Steve:classic:

[Chris Iglehart]

When I get my digital camera back from being repaired I will send you some pics. I do believe the crank sensor is the problem. According to the factory manuals, the ignition system lives off of that thing, but it's taking a $300 gamble if I buy a new one.

I do have a bare wire around the coil area, and according to my manual it goes right in to the distributor, BUT, my dist. doesn't have any wires OR places for wires on it. I was thinking this was the problem, or part of it, but my father told me it ran like that before.

:stupid:

[Gav240z]

My friends VL turbo had a crank angle sensor problem, didn't stop the car from starting but it did cause it to stall or die for no reason it would missfire and cause all havok.

A VL turbo is an RB30Turbo (Nissan Turbo) car and straight 6 basically a younger brother of the L28.

I guess it would be best to wait for pictures.

As I understand it the L28(280zx) turbo had a different intake manifold, and distributor.