As gorgeous as she is, I have discovered a couple of niggly issues.

 

I seem to have managed to blow both headlight bulbs whilst trying to work out how to put on full beam last night - bit of a worry that there's an underlying electrical fault. Every time I brake, there is a red light that comes on the dash saying "lights".

 

This might be entirely normal for a Z or it could be related to the above issue. Marc checked the fuses for me and they looked ok but we'll change them anyway, and fit new headlight bulbs. Are there generally many electrical issues with a Z?

 

There is a 5p piece size bit of pearl lacquer missing off the roof - so the yellow paint underneath is bare. I won't be driving her in the wet if possible and she is garaged but I would want to get that sorted asap. Anyone with a pearl yellow Z on here who can advise re this?

 

Someone else noticed the roof strips were silver - it seems someone has picked off the black stuff to reveal the chrome underneath so that will need sorting too - again, not sure where to get this done.

 

The bodywork on the whole is really good for an 18 year old car, tiny scratches, dings but not even the tiniest amount of rust which is fab.

 

The ICE - nice Sony X-Plod stereo but the standard speakers are dire and the rear ones don't appear to work at all. All sounds rather tinny and lacking in chunky bass (I like to feel my music from the inside lol)

 

Air-con - definitely needs re-gassing. Can this be done by a local air con specialist or is it more complex than this? I know the gas in my MR2 was obsolete and getting it regassed was an expensive business (I just used the T top on it but as the Z is a slicky, I gets a bit warm in there!!)

 

Er, I think thats it for now!

 

cheers

Jane

Headlights - How do you mean 'Blown both headlight bulbs?' What now works/doesn't work when you switch the lights on? There could be one of many answers here and you don't want members suggesting this and that and wasting your time.

 

Brake Light - Do your brake lights work when you press the peddle? there are four bulbs for brake and all you need is one of them out and the warning lamp will come on. Also have the inner brake bulbs been converted to Rear Fog? If so this would answer that, as the detector is not getting a signal from these ones, so would think the bulb/s is/are out.

 

Paint - The laqure will have to be sorted properly by a proffesional.

 

Roof strips - There are a few threads on here regarding various ways of 're-blacking' these strips, or you can buy new ones which work out very expensive.

 

Stereo - Again loads of info here regaring speakers. I would personally recomend JBL's both front and back. As for no sound out of the rear ones I'd think that could be a wiring issue, possible not properly modified from the original rear amplifier. It may be best to run a pair of new speaker cables from the head unit to the rear, as it's not a difficult job to do.

 

Air-Con - There are places around that will do this for you, but remember that you will currently have R12 in the car which is no longer used, so you'll have to find a place that would sort this for you.

 

I hope that is of some help to you.

 

Dave

Air-Con regas info ... http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=33691

The exact wiring varies by Series but I discovered the 12v feed to the rear amp (or its relay) by trial and error. I was fed up with the bodge solutions of just running new wires. If it is one of the Zeds which has a rear amp, why not use it!

Edited July 16, 201015 yr by Gio

Surely your rear speaker outputs from a modern headunit would already be amplified? So why would you want to amplify them a second time? But saying that I like to see originality in these cars.

It could also be that the amp is already there and wired properly and is simply not working! If it is then I happen to have one spare :D

Modern headunits, yes you're right. But if you want to avoid running new cables or stick to the original wiring loom for whatever reason, you will either need to locate and remove the OEM rear amp (no idea where / how to start) or make it work.

 

I decided to try to work out how the OEM wiring worked as there was a hell of a rat's nest down there cause by people just ramming in another "adapter" or loom bodge. So I took everything out that wasn't OEM and started afresh with what Nissan had put in at the factory.

 

Proper diversity adapter, proper ISO converter and then found two wires left over not mentioned on any wiring diag (the gray and the green/silver band). Plugged in the head unit, aerial etc and everything worked except the rear speakers. That led to the hunt for why and that led to finding out there was a rear amp and how to turn it on.

 

My Sony has to have the rear speakers turned waaaaay down low because of the rear amp. So if I ever want to amp up the fronts, all I have to do is get an amp for the fronts and then it's amped all round.

Edited July 16, 201015 yr by Gio
TLA

Well I've got to agree wholeheartedly with all of that as I love to see it done properly as I did exactly the same with mine. As for the position of the rear amp it is located in the vacinity of the OSR wheel arch around the ABS pump area. It looks like a round sweet tin approx 6 " in diameter x 2.5" with a bent bracket coming off it. When I'm home I'll take a photo of my spare and post it up for referance.

Headlights - How do you mean 'Blown both headlight bulbs?' What now works/doesn't work when you switch the lights on? There could be one of many answers here and you don't want members suggesting this and that and wasting your time.

 

In that the headlights worked - dipped and now only the side lights or the full main beams work now - not quite sure what happened there tho

 

Brake Light - Do your brake lights work when you press the peddle? there are four bulbs for brake and all you need is one of them out and the warning lamp will come on. Also have the inner brake bulbs been converted to Rear Fog? If so this would answer that, as the detector is not getting a signal from these ones, so would think the bulb/s is/are out.

 

the brake lights work but as far as I can tell there are no rear fogs - surely this is a legal requirement/MOT issue? Can see from your reply tho that there must be a fix to this....

 

Paint - The laqure will have to be sorted properly by a proffesional.

 

Yeah I figured it'd be a not-so-easy fix...

 

Roof strips - There are a few threads on here regarding various ways of 're-blacking' these strips, or you can buy new ones which work out very expensive.

 

I'll search on here to find out the easiest, cheapest way of getting these back in tip tip condition

 

Stereo - Again loads of info here regaring speakers. I would personally recomend JBL's both front and back. As for no sound out of the rear ones I'd think that could be a wiring issue, possible not properly modified from the original rear amplifier. It may be best to run a pair of new speaker cables from the head unit to the rear, as it's not a difficult job to do.

 

This will be my boyfriend's department - I don't have the first clue about ICE/wiring :confused1: All I know is that it sounds bloody crap lol

 

Air-Con - There are places around that will do this for you, but remember that you will currently have R12 in the car which is no longer used, so you'll have to find a place that would sort this for you.

 

Ok, I thought it would mean a diff type of gas and I understand thats expensive - will read the thread you posted the kink to below, thanks

 

I hope that is of some help to you.

 

 

 

Cheers Dave, very helpful

Headlights - How do you mean 'Blown both headlight bulbs?' What now works/doesn't work when you switch the lights on? There could be one of many answers here and you don't want members suggesting this and that and wasting your time.

 

In that the headlights worked - dipped and now only the side lights or the full main beams work now - not quite sure what happened there tho

Brake Light - Do your brake lights work when you press the peddle? there are four bulbs for brake and all you need is one of them out and the warning lamp will come on. Also have the inner brake bulbs been converted to Rear Fog? If so this would answer that, as the detector is not getting a signal from these ones, so would think the bulb/s is/are out.

the brake lights work but as far as I can tell there are no rear fogs - surely this is a legal requirement/MOT issue? Can see from your reply tho that there must be a fix to this....

 

Paint - The laqure will have to be sorted properly by a proffesional.

 

Yeah I figured it'd be a not-so-easy fix...

 

Roof strips - There are a few threads on here regarding various ways of 're-blacking' these strips, or you can buy new ones which work out very expensive.

I'll search on here to find out the easiest, cheapest way of getting these back in tip tip condition

 

Stereo - Again loads of info here regaring speakers. I would personally recomend JBL's both front and back. As for no sound out of the rear ones I'd think that could be a wiring issue, possible not properly modified from the original rear amplifier. It may be best to run a pair of new speaker cables from the head unit to the rear, as it's not a difficult job to do.

 

This will be my boyfriend's department - I don't have the first clue about ICE/wiring :confused1: All I know is that it sounds bloody crap lol

Air-Con - There are places around that will do this for you, but remember that you will currently have R12 in the car which is no longer used, so you'll have to find a place that would sort this for you.

Ok, I thought it would mean a diff type of gas and I understand thats expensive - will read the thread you posted the kink to below, thanks

 

I hope that is of some help to you.

 

 

 

Cheers Dave, very helpful

Ps, sorry for the noob type questions

Headlights...... Top row, fuse three in the footwell fuse box >> http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=66739 Check this one out!!!!!

 

Brake lights.... Could be a faulty sender box. It's attached to the Off Side rear lamp in the boot.

Also for the rear fog lights >> http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=117006

 

HTH

Dave

 

PS - And there's nothing like a noob question! ;)