vern936

Cheers the reply again zx-eyes - so without the mounting bracket is it basically just a case of chucking it in the hole and bending some of the tabs of the Kenwood mounting cage so it can't be pulled out of the front? How would I be able to put it into the top DIN slot like this? Wouldn't it just fall down? :confused: It does seem very hard to explain! Cheers, James

Cheers for the pic FunkySi! That mounting bracket is the bit I'm missing! I don't know where the mounting bracket has gone! I can only assume that the person that stole the previous head unit took that as well! The lugs have broken off the dash for the lower screws :( but I think it will be alright with just the top ones. Will look for the bracket on eBay. Cheers, James

I've just bought a Kenwood KDC-W3037 single DIN head unit from Halfrauds with my usual "how hard can it be" attitude towards fitting it and cannot for the life of me work out how you are supposed to secure it into the dash. I have come to the conclusion that I must be missing a part and thought I'd post on here to find out if anyone knows what I am missing and where I can get it :) - I've even resorted to reading the instructions and they are no help as they just say bend the tabs of the mounting cage and screw it in (with screws that aren't included!!! :shock:). The only screw holes behind the radio surround are the 2 at the top but it looks like there used to be 2 more probably about a head unit's size below them but the plastic has been broken (probably by the b@stard that stole the radio before I bought the car) so there is no screw hole on either side anymore but even if they were there there's no way this Kenwood mounting cage would be able to screw into them! Am I missing some sort of Nissan mounting cage? My plan is to fit the head unit into the bottom unit and make a piece of chrome plate with "Nissan 300ZX" cut out of it and backlight it red to match the head unit illumination instead of a standard blanking plate :) Also, does anyone have any recommendations for a brushed aluminium dash kit and photos they can upload? I've looked on eBay but there's no pictures of the kit fitted so I'm not to keen on buying one without looking at it first. What actually is it that you get when you buy a dash kit? Just pre cut out sticky backed stuff? And finally, are the Door/Dash/Consol leather trim kit and the seat trim kit from Zcentre any good? Thanks, James

Wanted to join in; the correct spelling is grammar. :tongue:

LOL! I have to say I'm confused about what's going on with it but the reason you don't understand is probably because the situation is really hard to type about - to understand I think you need to be shown :) Cheers, James

Checked every coilpack connector for what sorry? The backfeed? I hadn't done before but I did this morning and there was no sign of a backfeed at the PTU output connector or the coilpack connector but another thing I noticed is that all the pins on the PTU output connector had continuity with the chassis/ground/battery -ve and none of the PTU output connector pins had continuity with any coilpack connector pins except the earth - I know I haven't explained it very well but I can't think of how else to put it so good luck understanding what I mean lol :) Like I said it looks like it needs a new 'engine room wiring harness' but I'm still on the lookout for a cheap series 1 PTU to run it temporarily after I've tidied up the mess of a loom that's on it at the moment :) Cheers, James

Update - Had a chance to look at the zed again this morning and found that the 4.78 volts feed I had at the output connector of the PTU had disappeared! I shook the loom and the multimeter reading was all over the place so I started to remove some of the outer sheathing of the loom and found that across the top of the engine near the bulkhead the loom is bodged together i.e. wires are taped together :mad: Looks like new eninge bay wiring loom time! :cry: Cheers, James

Cheers for the reply Steve. My next step was to do exactly what you said and track where the backfeed is coming from but the thing was that I wasn't sure whether the feed was supposed to be there or not - that's why I posted on here because I thought I'd better check that the 4.4~4.8 volt feed was actually a fault rather than wasting my time testing all sort of connectors etc in the engine bay and then finding out that the feed is actually supposed to be there :) I think the previous owner has already added a grounding kit in an attempt to cure this problem but I will check and post back on here. I'm assuming from your reply that there is not supposed to be any feed to the output side of the PTU? Cheers, James

Quavey - what's being subscribed got to do with getting responses? :confused: I wouldn't expect the benefits like being able to sell things on the forum etc without paying subscription but if the help and advice forum is free to use then surely the fact that I'm not subscribed should have no effect on people responding. andyduff - Don't know who has been whinging about not getting replies within 10 minutes but it certainly isn't me. Let me state one thing - I also have a life to live and a job to go to and I know that nobody is here to bend over to every single help post etc. I'm sure you do do your best and I understand that that's all you can do - nobody is disputing that. It's not exactly a difficult or time consuming thing to do though is it and it doesn't involve 'stripping a car'. Also, to be honest I wouldn't be any the wiser if, whilst you were working on my car, you had tested the voltage at the PTU output connector would I? If there was a question in a post that I could easily find the answer to I would do so gladly. No offence taken - but I don't think posts from me 'demanding help' can be getting tedious because I've only posted two threads! :) Regards, James

I know you would mate but out of however many members there are on the forum I can't believe you're the only one that is prepared to test this for me :) Regards, James

It's already blown two series 2 PTUs :) Nobody able to check this 4.78V backfeed thing for me? :( could really do with a bit of help here just so I can find the problem! James

Cheers mate :) appreciate it. As you know it's an expensive part to keep buying new ones of just to have them blow again 5 mins after starting the car!!! Regards, James

Hi (Z)Master, you won't get continuity through all of the pins. I'm talking about the actual Nissan (I think) test procedure for PTUs: As you can see from this it depends on the polarity of the tester probes and the combination of the pins you test. I think that the pin labelled 3/d in the 'in' connector is supposed to be the earth and on the series one connectors it's not so you need to keep that in mind when testing a PTU - however, that's only an assumption. The connectors and pins have been cleaned up throughly and still has not solved the problem :) Any chance someone could test the voltage of the pins of their 'out' PTU connector while the ignition is turned on and see if they get 4.78 volts too'? Would really appreciate it as I want to check this before I put another PTU on it :) Cheers, James

Thanks for the reply Dan, not interested in buying a S2 PTU at the moment as I'm not sure if it's going to blow another one or not. I'm just after a cheap used series 1 so that I can start the car and test what voltage the alternator is giving out so that I can check it's what it should be so I know that it's not excessive voltage blowing the PTUs. Cheers, James

Anyone able to check if the ouput connector of their PTU has 4.4~4.7 volts to it? Could do with knowing this before I buy another PTU and by the way - anyone got a series 1 working unit that they're selling? Or does anyone know the best place to get one? Thanks, James

I assumed it wasn't turning over :) Check for a spark first so you can eliminate an ignition system problem and then move onto the fuel but having said that whilst checking for a spark you will be able to at least see if there's fuel in the cylinder that you've taken the spark plug out of because the plug should be wet with fuel. Good luck! James

Try push starting it to see if it's a starter issue? Regards, James

Just to let everyone know, I am now the proud owner of a 1990 300zx TT SWB T-Top Black Jap Import (I'll get some photos uploaded when it's clean)...BUT I've got a bit of a problem with the car blowing PTUs at the moment and I could do with a little help working out what the problem is. I've checked the PTU for continuity and it's dead so I know I definately need a working PTU but would like to find and fix the problem to prevent it from blowing another one. Does anyone have a cheap working S1 PTU I can buy to test the car with? (I know it'll need a S2 eventually but don't want to fork out the extra money in case it blows it again) The PTU is getting it's 12 volt feed on all 6 pins on the input connector and the earth has little resistance between the earth pin and the battery -ve post but from the connector that connects to the output side of the PTU there is a 4.4 volt feed on all 6 pins :confused: It looks like I'm going to have to strip the loom back and find the short/breaking down component that is backfeeding through the loom but I found it a unusual that if the 4.4 volt feed is a problem it would be on all 6 pins so I thought I'd better check on here first. By the way - I know that the usual problem with S1 PTUs is that a dry/disconnected joint inside the unit but I have opened one of the car's previous PTUs and checked the joints and they're all OK but there's still no continuity through that unit either so it looks like the actual transistor bit is fried. My first thought was to check the alternator is charging correctly i.e. not over 14 volts but now it has blown the current PTU I obviously can't check this. Regards, James

Hi andy. What do you mean that you're not there for very much longer? Where are you going? Closer? lol. My cousins mechanic doesn't seem to be very reliable and still has not fixed the car yet but I'll keep the forum updated on what's going on :) Regards, James

markstevens - The car will have an MOT but I was under the impression that a trade plate allows for no road tax and no insurance because how could you just go and test drive a car with trade plates on otherwise? You'd have to arrange it with your insurance etc wouldn't you. And I'm not sure about note everyone being able to use them - will check both these issues though. jimjitsu - not the case at all. I am dead set on having a 300zx which as far as I'm concerned in the only conclusion you could draw from most of the thread with my replies to people telling me I shouldn't have a car this powerful and this expensive :) It's not necessarily my cousins I want to buy. Of couse I wouldn't buy it if someone from here genuinely said it was a piece of crap and was only worth selling for spares. I just feel that from the description I've given it seems like a really bad car - and like mrogers said at the beginning of the thread Regards, James

jimjitsu - Like I said before the only reason I've shown an interest in this 300zx is because the seller is my cousin so I know the history of it etc :) Surprisingly, for an N/A the insurance isn't actually much less which is the only thing that would make me consider buying an N/A - I've reasearched it so I thought I may as well go for the twin-turbo :) Next time I speak to my cousin I will let him know what Slick Pete said and see what he says about getting it into better condition :) or about letting it go really really cheap. I'll keep you guys updated though. Cheers, James

Munny975 - I'm waiting on my cousin's mechanic at the moment to get it running cause it would obviously be a wasted trip just to come and look at it but as far as I was concerned it was supposed to have been fixed by this mechanic yesterday and apparently has not been. Will keep you updated and cheers for the offer. Slick Pete - THANKYOU! This is the sort of advice I need!!!!!! Will take your advice and check the bodywork with a magnet. Part worns are a bad idea then - will take on board. I'll ask him about documentation for the replacement engine. With regards to HICAS - why a HICAS eliminator? Is eliminating the HICAS a common mod? The car does run (if it's battery was charged/a booster pack used) but my cousin has been advised not to run it until this mechanic can check out some connectors that he thinks may have been causing it to blow PTUs. The brakes are alright disc and pad wise as far as I know the handbrake just needs adjusting. I will be getting the seller to get the car MOTd anyway because there is no chance I am buying it without a fresh MOT and I could get hold of a trade plate for a day so getting it legal won't be a problem. Would I be better off with a stock bumper then? I thought of just getting the one on it repaired if I buy the car? I am looking for a SWB Twin Turbo Manual in black if I have a 300zx because these are my personal favourites. markstevens There's no need to be funny with me - all I'm after is a bit of advice so if you haven't got good advice to give me like everyone else that's posted in the thread then don't bother posting IMO Fairladyzgirl - Fortunately I can afford the car and the going out, buying things I want, and getting wasted as well. If I buy the car it will definately be fixed into a driveable condition by my cousin first :) Cheers for the advice, James

markstevens - I keep asking the same question because I've had no offers from anyone to come and look at the car for me. I don't really see how you can tell more or less than me about the condition of the car from sitting at your computer - no offence :) The idea was to encourage someone to come and look at it and to be honest most of the replies I've had are people telling me that I shoudln't by ANY zed - not particularly this one- because of their own opinions of what I might be like at driving and the fact that I'm spending too much money on getting one. This wasn't the main question I asked and I seem to have had most responses on this. Although it's useful and I can see where people are coming from it kind of just makes me want to prove myself to you guys even more - I want to show you that I will be fine driving a zed and that I can afford the running costs etc. Munny975 - Oh yeh Munny975...never noticed your location! Are you actually in Stafford then or closer to me or further away? I don't suppose you'd be interested in/have time to come and look at the car with me? You must be about 20 minutes away or so? Cheers, James

Cheers for the reply Munny975. I'd personally rather get straight into a serious car and skip the crappy run around car bit which will probably result in being pointless anyway and just have me wishing I'd spent the money on getting a 'special' car when I'm driving round in a Shitron Paxo sort of thing :) I do appreciate all the advice from you guys about the cost of a 300zx and how it's too powerful but I really can't see the lack of experience of driving a zed being an issue because like you say and also I don't mind replacing parts because of wear and tear like brakes, oil changes and cambelt - all of which I'd fit/do myself. I keep referring to my motorbike when people bring up the issue of experience being a problem when driving a zed because the motorbike is rear wheel drive anyway, has less grip due to half the number of wheels and has smaller tires on those wheels. It has no rider aids whatsoever and is even less predictable than I imagine the zed will be on the issue of losing grip in corners. I really don't think lack of experience of driving a FWD car will come into this decision for me :) I think that if anything jumping straight into the zed will improve my driving. I intend to insure the car for 6 months of the year (the summer months where I can take the t-top off being the theory) so that the insurance premium will not be 5k. That is just a maximum :) and the eventual premium should be around half that which is what some of my friends are paying for Clio's etc. I am prepared to shop around but I need to establish whether or not this car of my cousin's is worth buying first because in my experience people will make the car look better than it is when trying to sell it where as I know the past of this car because it's been my cousins for the last few years. I intend to invest in property in a few years time as well but while I have no other commitments I figured I may as well spend money on a car I'll love to drive :) I also know what you mean about finding the right car for the right price etc but I don't really have time to go travelling up and down the country finding the right zed for me - what with college and work etc. I'm keeping my eyes open on the forum for any zeds for sale located reasonably close though. Cheers for the advice though guys and keep it coming. Can anyone recommend any members from the Midlands that know their stuff about zeds that you think might be willing to travel to Stoke for some extra cash? If anybody can think of any members just let me know in this post and I'll email them and ask them :) I thought about perhaps phoning ZedWorld in Tamworth to see if any of the guys that work there are from close to Stoke maybe but as yet I haven't had time. Regards, James

Cheers for the reply Mowerman. I know there are better examples around but they are usually modded and have more power which would obviously further increase my insurance premium. Like I said I know that you can't really judge the car at all from the pictures and that in my description I have highlighted the bad points really - but the point is although I'm good with cars and know my stuff - I know nothing about these cars in particular other what I've read in the buyers guide and threads on the forum so would appreciate someone coming to have a look at it because I've never driven one or even heard one running before. I just don't want to miss out on the opportunity of buying it but don't want to end up buying a lemon :) Regards, James