1990 Non Turbo ZX

Please can anyone give us some ideas as to what could have gone wrong?

Car has been sat on the drive for a couple of weeks and was then driven 10 miles and put in a garage running fine no probs at all, then.....

48 hours later went to start it up and its running like a complete sack of!!

It won't tick over, if you put it into gear it stalls it misses and sounds awful

Thanx please dont get too technical as we are new to this

Forgot to mention its a non turbo auto thanx all for looking but pleeasse reply!

I'm no expert but it sounds to me like the ECU has forgotton something. There is a reset procdure somewhere on this forum (use search) that you can try. The other thing I'd look at would be the air filter but my first guess would be ECU.

 

Over to one of the forums aces...

I was gonna say the same as Barry, its the 1st place to start.

Has it been left in a garage before?

It would have been wet and damp so perhaps something to do with that, ie condensation , if it was me i would open the bonnet and get the hair dryer on it.:D , well its worth a go!

OK will disconnect the battery for an hour tomorrow, at the risk of sounding a total idiot where is the ecu situated?

It was used daily then sat in the garage for approx 5 weeks but started regularly then on the drive for a couple of weeks before the last ride!!

The hairdryer also sounds like a good easy idea

Also a light on the dash that looks like a little exhaust briefly came on but its gone now

if you disconnect the battery for an hour it should reset the ECU.

 

Vijay

The ECU is in the passenger footwell, under the carpet, under some well crafted wood. Where the passenger puts their feet!

Thanx this really isn't easy when you know nothing about them:confused:

Only a page (or maybe a line) ahead of you in the manual Suey - this forum is a good resource.

Wont add anything to the above, except to welcome another member to the growing number of NA zeds on the forum, welcome aboard Suey :)

Ok changed the PTU and it made no difference currently got battery disconnected to reset ECU has anybody got any more ideas??

could be the TPS (throttle position sensor) do a search or look in the manual for testing it

 

have you done an ECU diag to see if any fault codes show up?

Update passenger exhaust is blowing out wet fumes drivers side is dry not the best description I know but novice at this

Might help if you give us a bit of history on the car. How long have you had it? How were you driving it before this happened? do you have any service history?

 

Tell us what ever you can.

Actually, if you haven't already done this, I would go round to all the connectors and make sure that they are securely in place. Then got some WD40 and just spay a little bit on and around each connector. It's like it could just be damp.

 

First place to start would be your coil packs.

Might help if you give us a bit of history on the car. How long have you had it? How were you driving it before this happened? do you have any service history?

 

Tell us what ever you can.

Ok got the car in August approx 52000 miles brought to uk late 2002 used it daily for a while then approx end of sep garaged it then late nov early dec she sat outside for a couple of weeks then as 1st post Dont know anything about the car or previous s/h but it never missed a beat up until now

Thanx for trying to help:confused:

WD40 went on all the connectors on Wednesday night when this prob first started it wouldn't tick over now it sometimes does but as soon as you try and put it in gear it dies learnt one lesson should have reversed it in to the garage:D

Tested the ECU with the wire method engine check light is now showing code 34 help please what do I do now

I was going to suggest it might the battery on the way out... so you're not getting enough juice? Especially if it's stood in the cold for a while. I doubt 10 miles is enough to fully recharge it unless driven hard.

 

But code 34 is the det sensor harness - if that's knackered the car will stay in cold running / safety boost mode which could be what's happening!

Suey, sorry this is of topic but my Z is giving me similar problems. Thoough I do think mine are PTU related :(( . You mentioned earlier in your post that you'd tried a new PTU on yours. I don't suppose you'd be willing to part with said spare PTU would you, mate?

 

Good luck with your problem! I've found some of the advise very interesting.

 

derek_wylie@hotmail.com

Is it possible to actually keep the car running but it is hard to do and all the car wants to so is stall?

 

That sounds like the water temperature sensor is faulty. For people who have never experienced this, unplug the yellow

water temp sensor and try to start your car. It doesnt want to start and when it finally does, it struggles to stay running. It is possible to keep it running but you have to keep using the throttle to do so.

 

Is this what is happening? If so, there is a yellow water temperature sensor right at the front of the engine on the metal water pipe just behind the big fan.

 

Take the plug off and give the connectors on the plug and sensor a really good clean. If you can, take the sensor out and give that a good clean too.

 

It may be as simple as that.

 

Code 34? Is that the detonation sensor? Does the NA have one? Seems strange a NA engine having one.

 

Stuart

Doofry: would love to help BUT unfortunately I only borrowed it sorry

Will someone please tell me if the N/A does have the Detonation sensor thing 'cos I am definately getting 34 thanx

theres no reason why an NA shouldnt have a det sensor - most modern cars have one.

 

obviously on an NA it will just retard the timing rather than limiting your boost

Only other thing is while it has been sat on the drive I put some anti freeze in it could this have done anything? I know it sounds daft but desperate:confused:

Temperature sensor as Stuart said looks an obvious candidate, give the connector and the sensor itself a good clean.

 

The ECU relies on the temp signal to run properly.