Hi folks, I took the Z for a good long blast today(first time in ages) enjoyed every second, BUT after about half an hour of motorway driving the Hicas light came on:eek: The car still behaved as it should etc but the light carried on glowing making me feel very uneasy!!! Once I had stopped and turned off the engine I restarted it and the light went off as it should. I thought "nice one, it must have been a faulty sensor or something" But to my horror after another half an hour on the motorway it came back on again:confused: I might be wrong but I am convinced it came on both times when I gave the car a quick burst over 90mph, does anyone know what this could be?? I can't help thinking it's something very very expensive!! Any help would be most welcome.

P.S. Do some ZX's have a little dinging sound like a bell when the petrol gets low? This is another new sound I got today but my fuel level was quite low so I am guessing thats what it was.

 

Thanks

Totally confused Glenn

When I bought my car, the Hicas light was on , and I thought the worse. However it turned out to be low fluid in the power stearing resevoir. I would check that first.

The chime you hear, is somrthing the imports have. Jap law states that their cars have to have an audible warning when the car reaches the equivelent of 70 m.p.h., and it normally continues untill the speed drops below that figure. It can get irritating.

 

Stuart S.

I would agree. 9 out of 10 times it the fulid. Used Dextron III Automatic transmittion fulid to top up the resovoir (front drivers side under the bonnet).

 

Usually you will feel a slight grind on the sterring wheel before this HICAS light comes on, a light humm sound.

 

A lot of 300zx's seem to suffer a very slow loss of steering fluid, whether it burns it of leaks out I relaly don't know. :rolleyes:

 

The chime could be a number of things, but if it happens at speeds around 105km or 65 mph them I would suggest it is the Jap speed alarm. These are very easy to disable Check here for details http://www.aus300zxclub.com/tech/Alarm.htm

Thanks for the advice chaps, I am glad about the chime being a Jap speed warning as I was beggining to think it was in some way linked to the Hicas light:confused: Now I think about it that makes sense as it's the first propper motorway journey I have done in the Z. (Ashamed to admit it)

I will check the power steering fluid tomorrow as you have suggested, I did get a sort of a Hummm noise when the light came on but I can tell you it wasn't the car (more like me:D )

 

Cheers

 

Glenn

Originally posted by Glenn

I did get a sort of a Hummm noise when the light came on but I can tell you it wasn't the car (more like me:D )

 

Think we've all been there mate :D

If the HICAS light came on after you'd been driving in a straight line for a while it may have been because it detected what it thought was a problem. Is your steering wheen centred properly ? ie When you are going in a straight line is the steering wheel straight ahead, or off-centre ?

 

If it is off-centre for a certain period of time then the HICAS reckons there is a problem and shuts itself off. Fix is usually to get the steering wheel centered, by getting the front wheel tracking is corrected the steering wheel is in the central position.

 

Not saying that is couldn't be a fluid level problem of course, but where would that have gone unless its leaking ?

mine was low fluid level FWIW

Interesting point Andy, when I drive in a straight line my steering wheel points slightly to the right all the time. If I let go of the wheel the car also pulls to the left as if it's trying to correct itself. Do you think this could be the tracking?? I am having my front tyres replaced sometime this week and was hoping this would help the pulling to the left problem, I asked my garage if the tracking would cause it to pull to the left and they said it's more lickely to be the tyres. Does that make sense??

 

Cheers

Glenn

Could be your prob. Get them to sort the tracking AND make sure the steering wheel is aligned at the same time.

Off to get it done now Andy, I will let you know the outcome.

 

Glenn