1977 280z needs help.

[Kayva]

Hey everyone, I am at my wits end. I have a 1977 280Z with an automatic. The car sat for a little while and now I cant get it started. Here is a list of what is going on:

• With key in ACC I get fasten seat belt light, buzzer, and voltage light, when key is advanced to ON, I get a click from passenger side and from engine bay passenger side then everything goes out.
• No gauges work except fuel gauge
• No interior lights work.
• Headlights do work, but no tail lights, turn signal lights, or brake lights.
• Radio does not work

I have replaced the alternator, voltage regulator, the ignition switch, the ignition relay, fusible links (will upgrade to powerblock soon), done the starter relay mod, had the battery checked, and now want to cry myself to sleep. I have searched and tried multiple ideas. Kind of wondering if the seat belt interlock could be an issue, but am not sure on how to bypass it.

Thanks any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I want to drive my car this summer.

[EuroDat]

Welcome to the club (first post).

If you have a color wiring diagram, here is a link to waynes thread (wal280Z) on the color wiring diagram for the 1977 280Z. It's helped me a lot.

Its a bit hard to tell what is going on if you don't have a meter to check voltage. A fully charged battery should have around 13.5 volts. Are you sure you have a fully charged battery?

It could be an ignition switch problem? A multi meter would help

Can you crank the engine with an extra wire from the battery positive to the spade terminal on the starter? See if it will turn over. I don't think that is your problem because you don't tail lights, turn signals and brake light don't

If you look in the middle section of the wiring diagram the C9 conector could be causing your problem. You could check it.

[gwri8]

Yes, Welcome!  

I'm not an electrical guy but  I know the more specific you can be the better chance of an accurate answer. 

A few more questions before more chime in,  Is this 77' new to you?  How long did it sit?  Could any varmints have chewed any wires when it was sitting? Was it running before?  Have you cleaned all your electrical connections?  Pictures of the work you have done will go a long way and help give folks more information.

[siteunseen]

When you/it does this the next time, feel all the fuses and the fusible links to see if any are a little warm.

I had a brand new alternator that was bad and killed all my gauges through the ignition. I read that it was was back feeding? through the ignition. It did smoke the IGN fuse though.

A lot of the lights you mentioned are powered through the combo light switch on the right side of the steering wheel. Do you have the green background lights on the speedo and tach?

[Zed Head]

3 hours ago, Kayva said:

I have replaced the alternator, voltage regulator, the ignition switch, the ignition relay, fusible links (will upgrade to powerblock soon), done the starter relay mod, had the battery checked,

Did you replace all of these things after the problem occurred?  Or is this just a list of new parts?

And did you replace the actual ignition relay (passenger foot well) or the fuel injection relay (above hood release handle)?  And are they new parts or used parts?  The click from the passenger foot well is probably the ignition relay.  The ignition relays are in a bad spot for moisture.

Are the battery connections clean and tight?  A loose or dirty connection will open up when current heats it.  Same with a fusible link connection.  Check those.  When you turn the key to On, more current flows.  It also flows through a different portion of the ignition relay.  I just realized though that I don't understand Nissan's schematic for the ignition relay at all.  I assume that four triangles are showing two relays.  Anyway, a separate circuit for Acc and On.

Finally, after "everything goes out", does everything come back when you move the key back to Acc?  You could jump the circuits at the plug if you wanted to check them.

Good luck.,

 

 

 

 

[toneatron83-280z]

This may be a long shot, but check that the switch in your auto gear shifter is working. I had similar issues in my 83 280zx and traced it to the auto gear shift. It's the switch that won't allow the car to start unless it is in park and in my car it is located under the centre console within the shifter mechanism.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk