Wade Nelson

The fuel rails on the XJS's were notorious for cracking. I know at least two other S owners who had Jaguar flambe'.

My ZX borders on bouncy. I don't get a REBOUND, indication of worn out shocks/struts, but I get a full bounce. And I discovered I like it that way. It makes the ride SOFTER than with super-firm struts that transmit every bump right to your spinal column. The new struts I ordered are still sitting in the garage. Just wait. When you hit age 55-60 your taste in suspensions will change too.

My experience is on a ZX, the Z may provide just enough room to do it. I'm not saying it was IMPOSSIBLE, but for me, 30 seconds with the Dremel tool was a heck of a lot easier. I'd been down the same road on several Subarus, which have an identical collar / setup. If you meet someone who owns a cordless dremel you can be ASSURED that stealing cars is at least a SIDELINE business for him,

>And where do I get this switch rockauto.com Tell 'em Wade sent ya. Or you can run down to the local NAPA store. I've worked with a local locksmith a lot. A tiny spritz of Tri-flow lubricant is the ONLY thing she will use in locksets. And I've had very good success with it. If the key / tumbler part of your switch isn't smooth, is binding, whatever, consider buying a replacement on Ebay. (once you unplug it from the electrical switch) Steering lock and ignition switch housing (in Catain's photo) is what I'm calling the "collar"

An ignition switch is composed of two parts. One is the tumblers, the part that ONLY allows a certain key to rotate ALL of it. The other part is a simple electrical switch, a rotary switch. Unplug it from the tumbler part and you can turn it with a screwdriver. http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=488797&cc=1209316 (for a 1980 ZX) You need a new one of those. They're relatively cheap, although replacing them isn't simple or easy. both are attached to the steering column by a "collar" that prevents the column from rotating when the key is removed. Typically the collar is bolted to the steering column with some special bolts whose heads shear off once they're tight. To get them out, you take a dremel tool and cut a slot for a screwdriver in them. And it's REALLY REALLY hard to get the angle on the screwdriver right, you'll use stubbies, super long ones, etcc. Having someone who has done it all before show you how is invaluable. Here's a trick, once you GET the screws out (usually 2 phillips and 2 seccurity) AGAIN use the dremel tool and cut some even cleaner slots in the heads. Or replace them altogether. Lubricating your switch won't fix it. It's the electrical part that's messed up. Broken copper contacts in there, jamming stuff. Time for a new one. You may THINK you can get around behind it and just replace the electrical part without pulling the collar, but I've never successfully done it. And believe me I've tried. Hope this tells you what you need. Most auto shops are very familiar with replacing ignition switches. They wear out on a lot of cars. And I suggest you buy one with the longest possible warranty.

Flat tires, running out of gas, and overheating are the big three out on the highway. Along with accidents. Check the air in the spare, or carry along one of those toy compressors. A gallon of water can put out a fire as well as fill a radiator. That same plastic milk jug can ALSO serve as a gas can you GIVE to someone else. A piece of 14AWG wire, couple feet long can be invaluable. An empty plastic gas can. A $20 tow strap, which ANY SUV/pickup can tow you to a repair shop wiith, saving you HOURS waiting for a tow truck. A hydraulic bottle jack and a 4-way wrench. An old sheet (to put on the ground and lie on, tear bandages out of, cover up a casualty..) A WORKING flashlight, a big one, not a mini Maglite. Something to read. Priceless. I've very seldom needed any of these thing, or all the tools I carry, flares, etc. But I've really helped out some people I saw broken down on the side of the road. people whose jack can't lift the car high enough because of their oversize wheels, for instance. At night that flashlight will allow you to stop or direct cars who would otherwise pile into an accident. And they'll always remember the guy in the Z who stopped and got them going again.

The fire estinguisher can help not only YOU but some other poor schmoe you see on the side of the road. True story. I came up on a guy with a Jaguar XJS aflame, slammed on the brakes, stopped far enough away so MY car wouldn't ignite if his gas tank did, ran to the scene, fire estinguisher in hand, my finger in the safety pin... I said to him...Think for a moment....do you want me to put this out, or do you want to let it burn, and have the insurance company total it. burning my hands opening the hood on a car that's on fire isn't something I relish doing anyway -- especially someone elses! He paused...."Let it burn."

definitely save your old switch. You me or someone else can use the GOOD contacts that still remain inside it. AZCLOUDS, Be sure and post what the problem found / resolution was so OTHERS can benefit from this thread, ok?

Ok, Ok, maybe I overreacted a bit. I apologize. You see, I'm the guy who comes out, scuffs the paint off underneath the ground.... I'm BSEE, worked on an auto assembly line diagnosing any and EVERY electrical problem that came down the line, from airbags to ecms, ASCE certified, blah, blah, blah. And NOTHING makes me sadder than seeing bad splices, detour wiring, inline fuses, and all the crap the "neighbor down the street" put in... Along with a stack of bills for $300+ in repairs and parts that DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM Because i know, myself, or someone like me, a true AUTO ELECTRICAL EXPERT, probably COULD have diagnosed it in 30 minutes or less. And saved you a wad of cash. And put SOME of that $300 into MINES! So why is it so friggin' hard to convince folks to go to THAT guy first, instead of last? I stomped you out of love, AZcloud. Really and truly.

"Cloisonne" style? What are you, a girly man? Turned metal! Diamond plate! Wrought Iron! Hell, real men don't even know how to PRONOUNCE "cloisonne" style much less SPELL it! /snark

I could SO do that. Just imagine, a Ferrari you wouldn't have to constantly worry about someone opening their car door into. Or stealing. V8 ought to provide plenty of power. It looks like a million bucks. And it's probably FAR more reliable than a ferrari.

Personally I would NEVER put my knob in a drill press.

Clouds, throwing parts ($135 headlight switches) at electrical problems is a very fast way to waste a lot of money. Find an auto electric shop and pay them up to ONE HOUR of labor $80 to DIAGNOSE what's wrong. You may STILL need a new combo switch but if not, if it's a bad ground or something else, you SAVE $135. What if you have a bad voltage regulator and it's burning out headlamps? What if your headlight relay is FUBAR. These guys can diagnose in 20 minutes what would take me DAYS to walk you through over the Internet. And if it's a broken wire buried inside a harness, they can look at a schematic and figure it out and know exactly where to look for it. Do what you do best, and pay OTHER people to do what THEY do best --- like diagnosing automobile electrical problems. If you can't read a schematic, and use a DVOM to check continuity, perform a voltage drop test, etc, quite honestly, you've got no business trying to fix even something as simple as headlights that are out. And for Gawd's sake don't go get your "buddy down the street" who knows "a little bit about electricity" to help you diagnose it.

Go to the junkyard and buy a used drive shaft for $30. Put your $ into something that would ACTUALLY boost performance, like a better exhaust system instead of something shiny on the bottom of the car.

Yep, replaced it with a new, workign one, and confirmed operation of THAT while cranking. Right now it appears my main fuel injection relay (the one that actualy powers? grounds? the injectors) may have dirty contacts, be temp sensitive, or whatever. I sometimes don't get injection when cranking when it's VERY cold out. Confirmed that with a noid light. Had to leave the car in a garage and go take care of my sick father, may not get back to it for six months or more Would give anything to have the car here to work on between visits to the rest home & hospital. I thought my "biggest" problem was a car that was intermittently hard to start.

I experienced this riding motorcycles. With a couple of different clubs. There were always guys with LESS skill than I had riding faster and closer to the limits. Some with no skill at all, attempting to corner their bikes upright. Middle aged men who bought big motorcycles far beyond their abilities. Unable to recognize they needed riding lessons. Or unwilling to admit it. Thereby endangering the entire group. I don't ride with groups anymore. Maybe a few friends, safely spaced out. If I misjudge a corner, enter it too fast, I don't mind wrecking myself and suffering the consequences. But I don't do it with passengers in the car or in tight packs of other cars. That's for professional drivers with roll cages and safety gear. I guess I've gotten old.

JEsus Christ in a chicken basket, take it ALL to an automotive machine shop and ask THEM what's going on and how to fix it!!! They may need to line bore your block!

"There's NO WAY...." Famous last words, Fast, famous last words. Plug off yer AAR anyway for a couple of days and just CONFIRM it's the true and ONLY cause of your erratic idle. What'll it cost you, 20 minutes? One of us will owe the other one a six pack when this is all over

Valve lash enables the valve stem to expand when it gets hot without ending up with ZERO clearance. Ideally, you'd want just NEXT to zero clearance on valves in order to obtain maximum valve lift, and flow. Max horsepoer. But on a car that will be neglected by consumers for 100K+ miles, the "factory" has to throw in a LOT of clearance. Ok, so in a "racing" engine you adjust for less clearance. The assumption is you're not gonna drive 100,000 miles without ever re-adjusting them, as they, or the lifters, or rocker arms wear. In some designs the valve clearances DECREASE as it wears, in others, it INCREASES. Noisy, clacking lifters indicate too much lash. That's far better than silent ones, which may ALREADY be too tight. The only damage comes is when they're too tight, because of wear or mis-adjustment, and the valve doesn't close completley, and escaping exhaust gasses damage/destroy the valve and seat. So, assuming you're not going to "set it and forget it!" tighter clearances can result in some nice performance gains --- at the cost of needing to check and/or re-adjust them more often. Valve lash ALSO affects timing. Less lash means the valve will open SOONER than it would otherwise. So Crane adjusts their cam so the valve opens at the correct time WHEN its correctly set to .006/.008. Maybe you knew alll this already, but I"m sure others here don't or didn't. So to answer your question, no, it's not a BIG difference, but it's an important one. I suggest some time you try adjusting valves on your Z or some other car to spec, and then try adjusting 'em a bit looser, say add .005, and DRIVE it under both conditions. I'd say Chances are you won't be able to discern any difference. Valves opening/closing sooner/later WILL affect whether a given engine has more low end torque, or makes more high end power. This is why VVT- variable valve timing --- is such a winner. On SOME systems, it not only adjusts valve TIMING, but also valve LIFT. So it can optimize for power AND economy ALL across the rpm range. I've long wondered how much power the L28 engine in the 280Z could put out if SOMEONE retrofitted a VVT head for it. Could be a monster! Cheers!

Very interesting comment. Valves out of adjustment might INDEED be responsible for some of my cold starting problems. My guess is they haven't been adjusted in a very long time, if ever. What was your experience that caused you to make that suggestion?

Hey, Fast. Id suggest you completely block off yer AAR and CONFIRM that it ALONE is the source of your erratic idle. Make sure you don't have a vacuum leak anywhere else, spray around the injectors / manifold with brake cleaner, both hot and cold, looking for an rpm increase. You knew that, but sometimes we focus too hard on one avenue and miss some other possible streets. I got a lot of gunk out of my AAR doing what you're about to, but found, no matter how much I tried to adjust it, out of the freezer or nice and warmed up, just couldn't get enough travel. It only makes about a 100-200 rpm difference hot vs cold. I'm just gonna replace it with a fresh one. Unless I can get Captain to do a magnificent rebuild for me like he did on his own. One possible idea, instead of tapping 3 tiny holes, just have a really good TIG guy weld a couple of dots to hold it back together. You can always grind 'em off if you ever have to go back in -- unlikely!

What a tool. (2)

I need your honest opinion. Can this 32 year old car EVER be reliable again??? If it was anything but a 280ZX in a color I love, the straw would have already broken this camel's back. I am literally having something NEW go wrong with this car before I am finish fixing the LAST thing to go wrong. Sometimes two Case in point: I am diagnosing a no-start-when very cold. I find the headlight relay is staying powered up, warm to the touch, even when the ignition is off, when I am in search of the fuel injection relay . It must be intermittent because I THOUGHT my battery was getting weak, yet other times it was fine after sitting for days or weeks. I decide to pull the headlight relay, and drive it only in the daytime, until I have time to fully diagnose THAT problem. I get in it the NEXT day, and the clutch pedal goes to the floor. No apparent leaks, but the master cylinder is very low on fluid. The throwout bearing occasionally howls, indicating it too, is in need of replacement. This is on a vehicle with 210,000 miles where I have already repaired or replaced (partial list) FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS LAUNDRY LIST, BROUGHT TO YOU COURTESY OF ROCK AUTO LLC, RFMC (refrigerator magnet central) Front calipers and rotors, sway bar links and bushings, new rear struts, fuel injectors, fuel filter, FI lines, replaced headlight / combination switch, fixed broken ac vent door operator, new seats, new wipers, new upholstery in rear, rear sway bar links, welded / fabbed repair for rusted out floorboard where rear crossmember bolts up, new distributor, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, new stereo, speakers, amp, antenna, shifter rattling, new fuel injection relay, new clutch slave cylinder, repaired AAR, , new CSV, custom (HOTWIRE) to run auxiliary fan, hotwire to run fuel pump to prime fuel rail, new starter, ring gear, 2 ignition switches, new keyswitch, check valve inserted into fuel line to prevent bleeddown, all new vacuum lines both in engine bay and for ac/vent controls, ... The car needs: New windshield (pitted), new paint (hood dented, rest faded), new clutch/throwout, new rear pads / rotors, new rubber around the windows / doors, installation of new front struts (squeaky old ones), new tires all around, new synchros (1st gear) in tranny or rebuilt... Will this vehicle EVER, with ANY number of new parts, become reliable once again? Or should I give up and accept that owning a 1980ZX with this many miles is simply going to be one thing after another FOREVER??? Despite all the previous repairs/replacements, and current problems, it's a BLAST to drive, a real Highway Star. Smooth, aerodynamic, powerful, a great view over a million dollar hoodline... I'm wondering if I should keep pressing forward, knocking out these problems one by one, or try and find a sub-100K mile car, or something that has undergone a total restoration, body paint AND drivetrain, pay a premium for it, and start over. FWIW I paid $2400 for the car (overpaid by at least $500), and estimate I have at least $4000 in it now, valuing all my labor at zero.

Quit screwing around. Buy a set of new injectors off eBay for $159 and be done. 30 year old injectors belong in the trash can.

It's not so much that oil WEARS out as it gets contaminated by blow-by, and condensation of water. The latter is a greater problem in vehicles that sit parked a lot. The former, in high-mileage cars with worn rings. Aside from the Toyota sludge motors, oil-related failures are rare, rare, rare. The only ones I've EVER seen as a mechanic were where people with cars that consumed oil let it get too low, it started knocking, they added oil, and 50 miles later a bearing seized.