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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.

I have a short or something going on that when I pres the brake pedal the sidemarker lights and the dash lights come on in addition to the rear brake lights. Also when I have my headlights on the turn signal for the left signal lights up ...Anybody have an issue like this and how did you fix it. Thanks

Oh so wise Z community! I need your assistance desperately! I have a short... Somewhere! I currently have, running lights at all. I also have no dash lights, marker lights, tail lights, or engine light. I believe the dome light is also not working. What I do have is headlights, turn signals, brake lights, map light, and radio. When I change the fuse (tried 3 times) it immediately flashes and burns.. So much so that I burned my finger. Oh wise ones! You direction and help is very needed! Thanks much! Kira The lil z lady

Oh so wise Z community! I need your assistance desperately! I have a short... Somewhere! I currently have, running lights a all at night, I also have no dash lights, marker lights, tail lights, or engine light. I believe the dome light is also not working. What I do have is headlights, turn signals, brake lights, map light, and radio. When I change the fuse (tried 3 times) it immediately flashes and burns.. So much so that I burned my finger. Oh wise ones! You direction and help is very needed! Thanks much! Kira The lil z lady

Oh so wise Z community! I need your assistance desperately! I have a short... Somewhere! I currently have, running lights a all at night, I also have no dash lights, marker lights, tail lights, or engine light. I believe the dome light is also not working. What I do have is headlights, turn signals, brake lights, map light, and radio. When I change the fuse (tried 3 times) it immediately flashes and burns.. So much so that I burned my finger. Oh wise ones! You direction and help is very needed! Thanks much! Kira The lil z lady

Hey guys, New to the forum, new to the 74' 260z 2x2 as well. Long post, i do apologize but i figure i should provied a full picture to the best of my knowledge. Any and all advice is greatly appericated in advance, Thank You. My roommate basically has had this car since high school, and in the past 10 years it got neglected. I started working on it cause i was bored. Anyway not a car guy so lots of reading trying to make sense of things and ask other car people questions and advice. Car is now running, almost never need the choke cable engaged to get it started even in cold weather. It has other issues i will list below but im concerned about a spark that keeps happening anytime the key touches the door lock to lock or unlock. Ive been driving it for a week and hadnt noticed the spark but i wasnt paying attention. The shifter was very loose, did some research figured it was the bushing so i took the center console apart unplugged everything and sure enough no bushing. Bought a nylon piece that fit from OSH, Dremled it a bit slipped it in. All in all pretty happy, still have a lot of play in 1st and 2nd so figure i got more problems but atleast i can find 1st and 2nd now. So putting everything back together i reconnect all the wires, car turns on runs fine everything looks like it was prior to the take apart however i get this spark when i go to lock the door. So i walk to the passanger door and try to put the key in there and i get a spark again. (It cant be my body and clothes as i just discharged on the driver door). NOTE THE CENTER CONSOLE PICTURE PROVIDED SHOWS "FASTEN SEAT BELT", MY CARS SAYS "CHOKE" 1. I noticed a black ground wire in my center console, when i was taking it apart it wasnt connected to anything so i attached it to the silver bar under the rear defogger and throttle toggle switch (the bar is connected to the chasi, figured this would be a good ground). 2. Also im worried that the metal wire from the AC TEMP CONTROL dial between the REAR DEFOGGER and the THROTTLE TOGGLE might have gotten lose. I dont know what its for and there is no air conditioning unit in the car. (It was removed when it failed years ago). It does into the crazy mess in the dash, cant trace from there. 3. There is also a plug in my center console that doesnt connect to anything, ive attached pictures below of the outside of plug as well was the inside. 4. Earlier this week my tail lights/dash werent working, tried to resolder but it made no difference so i soldered them straight into the headlight. Pictures also below. 5. Last possibilty is that i removed the wind shield wiper motor and that plug under the hood has nothing connected to it and for some reason is creating sparks? So the above 5 things are what it could be cause the spark im assuming numbers 1,2, or 3 most likely. Being not so good with cars, and concerned and the fact that my gas tank leaks when i fill up all the way i decided i would disconnect my battery just because i dont want any charges sparking anything. I would love some guidence on this issue, i know the weather in the bay are recently has been very dry, wet and cold so i understand that static electricty gets generated especially with the warmer clothing but to spark twice in less then 1 minute is kind of scary. Other things done to car to get it running: -Replaced throttle cable. -New battery (the negative side also has a ground attached to it) -Turn singles were disassembled cleaned resoldered, added some solder to the inside of the switch also cause it just wouldn't catch. -Shifter bushing -Tail Light/Dash switch soldered directly into headlight Things i need to do: -New air conditioner unit -Suspension is shot -Fix leak with gas tank, (think its the neck leading to the tank) -Center console guages work, (clock is always off), They do light up -Speedo and Tach not functioning, They do light up -E-brake must be fully engaged in order to work, and when fully disengaged light always flickers on dash "Brake" -New light bulbs for interior of car (interior dome light, glove box, CHOKE, REAR DEFOGGER) -Wind Shield wipers dont work (the motor clicks once but no action beyond that) -Either axel or e-brake seem to lock up when car is cold, thus i get a jolt in 1st, 2nd, sometimes in 3rd. -Tranmission i think needs some work, shifting into second it grinds sometimes so i go into 3rd instead -RANDOM CLICKING NOSE WHEN CARS OFF FROM FRONT OF ENGINE, (between radiator and litterally front of engine) -Need battery clamp mechanism to hold battery in palce (bungie cord right now) -Door locks are a nightmare, and occasionally doors wont stay shut Questions: -In the driver side center console theres a toggle switch with no labels, assuming it was added post production. It has 2 blue wires coming out of it and goes into the steering column. Dont think it does anything, does anyone have any clues? (Roommate thinks it was cruise control switch added later) -Under the driver seat theres a silver box with tons of wires, 1 blue wire is split. It says PACESETTER with a number dial and on/off switch. Any clues? -A friend was saying maybe some SeaFoam into the gas tank, and engine, maybe the vacuum lines inorder to get junk out. But SeaFoam scares the **** out of me so i want to hold of on it till someone experianced can help with it.

Well folks, here's my first post. I've spent the last two hours trying to find an answer to my wiring issue and another 2 trying to diagnose it. So when all else fails, get some help from those who have LOTS of experience. 1977 280Z. PO "fixed" the combination switch for the headlights. After my drive home (lights off) I realized that they didn't work. I noticed the Red wire FSM says it runs to the fuse box, I think, was off. I put my finger over it and pressed it back onto the connection and it the lights turned on. A month later I'm finally getting to the issue of soldering it back on. I soldered the connection back together on it's pin. I turned the lights on and they work fine, out of curiosity I touched the connection and it's heating up, hotter than my finger can handle. I didn't let it sit like that for long and checked the other connections, for heat while the running lights were on. Nothing else was even hot, or warm. I double checked the connection. It's not touching any wires, housing, etc. Checked the fuse box, no burned out fuses. I suck at electrical issues (next semester I'll be signing up for that class) but from what I can see, doesn't look like there's anything too out of the ordinary. Recent electrical fixes are as follows. Headlights (New, PO installed them) Short on Black and Green ignition wire (jumped to passenger side connection before it connects to the 8 or 12 pin connection. (PO did this but I had to clean it up). New Pos and Neg battery cables. Starter wire that goes to the solenoid. (PO soldered them half a$$ so I cut, cleaned, crimped and wrapped them). A picture is worth 1000 words. Attached is the pic of my crappy soldering job and the combo switch that's problematic. Thanks in advance!!! I've read some really awesome threads and learned a lot so far but have a long way to go.

Help! I need the lists collective wisdom. I drove my 260Z this morning to my kids hockey game. When I went to leave I turned the key and nothing. Dead silence. No hums, no fuel pump, no lights no radio... I cleaned the poitive terminal which looked clean except for a little corrosion on the outside of the clamp bolt. the ground looked fine and tight. Nothing chaned when I tried to start it. I tried to jump it and I had a hugh arc that melted a spot on the terminal. I came home and searched the treads and the closest I found was a "Dead Short" in a battery. So I pulled a battery from my 240z that was on a charger and installed it. Still nothing. Then the ran came and I am home again with out the Z. The Z was having a hard time with the starter each morning as it seemed to draw a lot of power to get it to start spinning. Once it spun the starter acted normally. My Z is an early 260Z with a 2.8 short block and an E31 head and MSD electronic ignition. Electric fan conversion is about the extent of electric modifications. Any ideas whoul;d be great, Thanks, JohnB Chicago