help car wont idle and i need a car tommrow!

[bemmerguy714]

first of all i have very little mecanical expericance (ok i lie, i dont have much at all). i have a 280z that is stock. wanted a little more prefomance so i installed headers. i started to install headers and put everything back went to start the car. this ridiculous poping noise at idle. i pressed the gas and it dies completely. that was yesterday and now today it wont even idle. i did remove all the intake, injectors and fuel rail to install the headers. maybe i didnt do something right when putting everything back? it wont even idle anymore and the sound coming out of the exhaust is this stupid poping noise. help please! id like to use the car tommrow.

[Ed]

Hey Matt,

I'm sorry but I'm no FI guy. But it sounds like a fuel delivery problem. Maybe disconnect and reconnect all your fuel and electrical connections involved with the header process to double check that everything went back as it was supposed to.

Hopefully a FI guy will give you some more constructive feedback.

Good luck.

Ed

[Mike]

Sounds like a timing issue to me. Are you sure you got everything back together in the correct position it was removed? Ie: If you removed the spark plugs make sure they are all in the correct positions, etc.

[Virto]

Yhea, if you pulled the high tension wires, you might have them mixed up now. That would certainly cause a problem.

[78 280zcar]

Mixing up the injector wires might do that too. My 2cents

[bemmerguy714]

Mixing up the injector wires might do that too. My 2cents

hmm how do i know which wire goes for what? is there a way to test which injector for what cylinder or is it just a guess? sorry if that a dumb question but i dont know.

[MikeZcar]

The good news is=if it was running ok before you "fixed it" it will be ok again, bad news=you are going to have to go back over everything you touched and verify it's the way it belongs. Plug wires and injector wiring to start, you NEED a Factory Shop Manual.

Don't feel bad, I am 50 and have been working with car/motorcycle "stuff" since I was 13, the big question I get asked by son's and their friends (in amazement most of the time) is "How did you know that, or How did you know that would happen" , because I learned lot's of hard lessons, over the years I have "fixed" a lot of things that worked ok after I fixed em again. Live and learn, 20 years ago I built a 302 Chevy motor, yes 302, and left the dist drive out, that was one of the most painful lessons. All ready to stab the dist. and oops it won't grab anything. Found that cute little 4" shaft in my 7 at the time, son's room later(not on the bench), pulled the motor back out, pulled the oil pan and pump then put it all back again, and the list goes on,,,,,,,,, Anyway I digress, just check all your wiring first, plugs wires, injector wiring and go from there.

[bemmerguy714]

The good news is=if it was running ok before you "fixed it" it will be ok again, bad news=you are going to have to go back over everything you touched and verify it's the way it belongs. Plug wires and injector wiring to start, you NEED a Factory Shop Manual.

Don't feel bad, I am 50 and have been working with car/motorcycle "stuff" since I was 13, the big question I get asked by son's and their friends (in amazement most of the time) is "How did you know that, or How did you know that would happen" , because I learned lot's of hard lessons, over the years I have "fixed" a lot of things that worked ok after I fixed em again. Live and learn, 20 years ago I built a 302 Chevy motor, yes 302, and left the dist drive out, that was one of the most painful lessons. All ready to stab the dist. and oops it won't grab anything. Found that cute little 4" shaft in my 7 at the time, son's room later(not on the bench), pulled the motor back out, pulled the oil pan and pump then put it all back again, and the list goes on,,,,,,,,, Anyway I digress, just check all your wiring first, plugs wires, injector wiring and go from there.

funny u mention that. my dad was tellin me its probobly something small and stupid. and it was. it would have helped if i would have pluged the 3 cylinder wires that were out on the other side haha. kinda weird that the car was able to idle on 3 cyls thou haha. i feel like an idiot....:nervous:

[sblake01]

The spark plug wires?? You are and idio.....No, just kidding. I'm sure all of us, if we would admit it, have at least one story like that. I have several. I once agonized for about an hour as to why my car would not start after a tune up until I glanced over to the workbench and saw the new rotor just sitting there........

[bemmerguy714]

oh well it happens haha. im 18 so i can blame it on my lack of experiance haha. ill get better....i hope...

[MikeZcar]

Glad to hear it, my Grampa would have loved it. He and his brother were the first 2 "Authorized" Lincoln/Mercury(Factory Trained) mechanics in the State of Texas and when he was 94 and mostly blind could still put his ear to a motor and tell you what was going on. Only Saint I have ever known, he was a good man with a hearty sense of humor and a natural teacher. What little I know I owe to him, miss him still. Go out and drive that car!!!!! Live it up, you only get one go around in this life.

Mike

[KDMatt]

Heheh, good call on the plug wires there Matt.

Reminds me of when that happened to me... 'Only difference was my car was idling all crazy because I didn't have enough gas in it. :stupid: