Hi, Ive just spent a small fortune on getting my 1st Z on the road. Its an 1989 import t-turbo Auto. It has just been mot'd, had a Major service- at the mot centre, then it went straight to a local garage (less then 1 mile away from the mot centre) and had New :- Cam belt, tensioner + idlers, water pump, Gates Aux belts x3, + SFS coolant hoses fitted.

I thought everything had gone well........... after only 14 Kmtrs, I thought I would try the sports mode on the A/T, and when I pulled away from the lights, the car had just started to boost, when.... splutter, cough, splutter, then it cut out. I left it for a few mins and tried starting it again, it started fine + idled ok, but as soon as i pulled away, it spluttered and died again, this time it would not start again. The recovery guy said it sounds like its turning over rather quikly, ie no comp in the engine.

Any help/advice is welcome, please somebody help!!! I've waited 6 months to drive my Z and after spending over £1k I was hoping it would last a lot more then 14Kmtrs,,,

could be a boost leak mate? maybe the garage have disturbed a pipe....?

and there's nothing stupid about that, that's what that buttons for! :)

probably flooded too...?

check all your connectors too, injectors, ptu, coil packs etc, they get green gunk corrosion on em over time, yours being an '89, if it's got the original loom, may well be that something has been disturbed during the service, and under a load, i.e. booting it, something comes a bit loose, i would check the PTU connectors as it's right in the way of the cam belt cover, so needs to be removed to fit a new can belt. hope this helps mate, been a long day, and still can't sleep, and up soon!

Ok, great. thanks for responding so early in the morning. much appriciated :) ill check those things shortly.

It happened at 2.30 this morning- didnt get home until gone 4am, and i just cant sleep now..

have a peek at the CAS (Crank Angle sensor) it is a little plug on the right hand side of the cam cover underneath the boost pipe and just make sure it is in all the way as its happened to me before i have given it a bit of beans and it wiggled itself about 1mm off and engine cut out and wouldn't start to i figured it out :)

I have to ask... you say you had a major service and then it went to the mechanics and had timing belt, water pump etc. Pretty much all of this should have been included in the major service. If not, they have charged you for a major service and just changed the oil, plugs, air filter and fuel pump.

 

Anyway back to your issue. A few questions about the senario.

 

Was it wet outside when the problem occurred ?

Any other symptoms when the problem occurred i.e. smoke from the back, unusual noise, wheels locking up etc?

 

A boost leak wouldn't usually cause the engine not to start are there's hardly any pressure on the system. It would cause lumpy idle (hunting) and poor performance but you should be able to get it started. Unless one of your main T/B hoses has come off.

 

First of all.

Check the 4 main hoses and clamp are in place.

Check the connectors are securly connected on the following:

MAF

CAS

PTU

TPS

Once you've checked then post back and we'll give you some more to check.

Hey man, don't panic. Its probably something simply and the symptoms sound very similar to what I experienced when my MAF gave me issues. I could be driving along and the car would just die on me. Then it wouldn't start for ages.

 

A simple way to establish whether or not it is the MAF, is the next time it cuts out and won't start, remove the slam panel at the front of the car and disconnect the MAF. If it starts straight away then you have established that the problem lies with the MAF. They are not that expensive 2nd hand.

i had a similar problem with my old car ( an s13 200sx ) it turned out that a boost pipe had come off (not completely but was basically causing a major boost leak), it might be when they service it they didn't tighten one of the clamps properly and its come off,

 

in fact it sounds very similar because that's what i did, floored it and it cut out as it stepped onto boost

Hi, Thanks for the replies everyone. Starting at the top- since my last post.

The garage that did the belt changes etc, found the CAS had been unplugged, prob by the previous owner, and they reconected it before i had it back+ it was still firmly in place when i broke down.

 

The mot centre wasnt willing to take on the job, so had to go elsewhere. It was dry out, and there were no noises or smoke at all or anything else. Having never driven a Z before im not sure if there meant to be so slow when not in sports mode, it feals like its got loads of torque+power, it just doesnt want to give me any, and is slower then a Mk4 XR3i... I have checked all of the items listed apart from the MAF, ill do this in the morning.

Hopefully its just the MAF.

 

Today the garage that did the belts etc, had a quick look and tried to start it, and nothing, then the guy fiddled with the alarm/immob- armed it then unarmed it a few times,, then..... it started. He took it for a quick test drive and returned 10 mins later - He said theres probly a fueling issue as at around 4k rpm, it "hesitates badly- and then goes again" -- 4k is about where i got to when it died on me completely.

 

So this afternoon I took it for a quick drive, it seemed ok for a while (still very slow+ i was reluctant to use the Sports mode) Then I had to stop at roadworks, facing up a hill, after a couple of seconds idling, the tone dropped, it sounded like it was missing slightly/ timing was off??, and about to stall, after that it sounded odd , almost like a 4stroke chopper style bike, and it didnt pull at all. After a few mins it started going away, and sounded+drove more normal again. When I got home I parked up + left it running in N, and gently rev'd it to around 2.5k 3 or 4 times, then it did it again, only this time the car started vibrating quit badly, so i turned it off + havnt touched it since.

 

Hope this helps, I really hope its not anything major.

 

Oh, one quick question, What should the oil pressure guage be displaying under normal driving at around 1.5k - 3k rpm?

I forgot to mention- the car had been sat for nearly 3 years when i got it on 1st of jan this year.

Strange, a MAF will not let you go above 3K, I bet you its the PTU, if you look on your engine bay, to the drivers side underneath one of the intake pipes.

 

 

Tell me which one you see mate.

Hi, i just went out and had a look, Its the one one the left.

It is starting to sound PTU related if it's dropping a cylinder when warm.

 

The series 1 PTU (one on the left) has an issue with the solder joints inside. The PTU controlls the signals to all 6 coil packs. When the PTU gets warm a solder joint lifts up inside the unit and breaks connection to a coil pack causing it to misfire. When the car cools down the solder drops back in place and reshablishes the connection to that coil pack.

 

If you can borrow a PTU from someone you will establish if this is the issue. No point in buying loads of stuff and wasting money until you find the problem.

 

Get chummy with someone who lives near you and help each other out. You'll soon be up and running again and this time go the distance.

Ok, That doesnt sound so bad. Are there many members in the SW? ive only seen 3 other Z32's in plymouth- and i dont think any of them are members on here..

Do you know roughly how much a PTU is to buy new? - im guessing theres no point in getting a second hand one as it will prob hav the same fault??? Also is it poss to fit the later PTU to my series1?

I really hope i manage to get this sorted soon.

Thanks for all the help guys :)

yep the series 2 is the upgrade...you can repair the old ones if you're handy with a solder gun, if you seek out and ask jeffTT (of zedworld...google it) he may send you a working 2nd hand ptu in the post for you to try....he's breaking a couple of zeds at the moment

Edited June 4, 201015 yr by Uno

Yes the series two PTU is a straight swap for the series 1. All connectors come with it.

 

http://www.courtesyparts.com/22020-power-transistor-unit-ptu-harness-1989-1999-300zx-z32-p-182593.html

 

It's a nissan place in the states.

 

Or if you are feeling lucky.

 

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=300zx+ptu&_sacat=See-All-Categories

 

 

But as I mentioned it's probably best to borrow a known working one first to make sure it's this problem.

Mike at MJP (Trader on here) will be able to give you a price as I got mine from him, thinking my problem was PTU related, when it was actually the MAF.

 

Lumpy idle and no power above 2.5 - 3k and cutting out still suggests to me that it is the MAF. As Murt said it usually won't drive above 3k, but in my instance it went through the rev range with slow acceleration. Next time when it cuts out and won't start, disconnect the MAF and try to start it. If it starts, then a 2nd hand MAF is your next purchase. Too expensive to buy new.

Ok, Thanks for all the help everybody, Ill take it for another short drive today and check the MAF if/ when it cuts out. Are there any pics of the inside of the series 1 PTU ? and/or a walkthrew on how to repair it, im quite good at soldering.

What does PTU stand for?

Its- Power Transistor Unit.

 

Should my oil pressure guage only show 2, when driving around? every now and then it will go to 4 for a few seconds (regardless of what rpms the engines doing) and then go back to 2? Please tell me this is normal.....

Ok, Thanks for all the help everybody, Ill take it for another short drive today and check the MAF if/ when it cuts out. Are there any pics of the inside of the series 1 PTU ? and/or a walkthrew on how to repair it, im quite good at soldering.

 

 

http://www.pexcom.com.au/z32cms/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.270

:yes:

Its- Power Transistor Unit.

 

Should my oil pressure guage only show 2, when driving around? every now and then it will go to 4 for a few seconds (regardless of what rpms the engines doing) and then go back to 2? Please tell me this is normal.....

 

 

Standard Oil pressure gauge on a 300zx is very unreliable, you're never going to be able to tell ifyou have a problem or not with oil pressure. It's an issue with the sender.

Best to get an after market one. But don't worry yourself too much about the oil sensor gauge at present it's not accurate and likely to confuse the hell out of you.

Standard Oil pressure gauge on a 300zx is very unreliable, you're never going to be able to tell ifyou have a problem or not with oil pressure. It's an issue with the sender.

Best to get an after market one. But don't worry yourself too much about the oil sensor gauge at present it's not accurate and likely to confuse the hell out of you.

 

Sorry to hi jack......Stu are the original boost/oil guges still connected on silver streak?

Boost = no, oil = yes.