Scarecrow

I’ve got the later, manual air distribution controls, which now seem to be stuck on dash only. Ever since I had the car all positions have worked except full demist, which just clicked so I guess a rod is jammed or broken. But now I get no noise from the dash at all when I turn it. As I had to take the pod off yesterday to replace a warning lamp bulb in the dash (Major PITA!) I suspect I’ve disturbed something in the switch or wiring (although to be honest I have no idea when I last moved the switch off demist/foot wells so it could have been toast for a while. Does anybody have a pin out diagram for the HVAC connector on the back of the pod so I can test it before taking anything else apart? The only diagrams I can find are for the auto aircon pods. Also is there a specific fuse or relay for the mode control flaps? I can’t see one in any of the fuse boxes. The blower works fine so I know the connector is going home fully and both A/C fuses are good. Thanks, Chris

So as not to leave a story unfinished, just a quick update to say all is now installed and working. Jimmer (top bloke among top blokes) had a good rack from a ‘95 car, and after confirming all the electronics were there he’s swapped it in and worked all the alignment and calibration magic. Just on the drive back from Powerzed I think I can feel it’s dialled out some of the initial understeer on quick direction changes, but need a few more miles to really get the feel of what’s different. Certainly feels nice and planted though. Thanks again to all for the help and advice, and as usual a hearty recommendation for Jimmer.

I used to have a 1990 Zed with the hydraulic system and always enjoyed it, but to be honest it’s so long since that car shuffled off this mortal coil (2003) I can’t really compare it with how the current car drives. I’m working on the theory that Nissan engineers probably knew what they were doing. If I end up hating it (unlikely I suspect) I can always pull the fuse, and I do own a lockout bar :)

Managed to find time to crawl underneath today, and found the (hopefully) attached image. Looks like all the connectors are still there, so hopefully it’s plug and play! That said, a) I don’t have the facilities to raise the car enough for the amount of spanner-wielding this would need, and b) it’s going to need Conzult to make sure it’s calibrated, so I might see if Jimmer is up for doing the actual plugging and playing post-lockdown ? Thanks for the help chaps!

That’s exactly what I was looking for! Thanks Andrew, I’ll have a shufty and see if I can locate the control unit and wiring.

Evenin’ all! My import ‘96TT would originally have had the later electric HICAS, but when I took her to Jimmer for her first check-up one of the first things he pointed out was the lock-out bar the previous owner had fitted. From that and the lowered suspension I suspect she might have drifted in her younger days. Anyway I’ve recently wondered exactly what might have been removed when deleting electric HICAS, and whether it might be practical to re-instate the system. But I have no idea what the electric set-up involved. Clearly the PAS hydraulics to the rear will be absent, and replaced with some form of actuators, but does anyone have access to a diagram or description of what components made up the system? That might enable me to determine whether the whole thing has been stripped out, or if most of it is still there but disconnected. I do know that if I re-insert a fuse into the HICAS slot in the fuse box I don’t get a warning light, but I haven’t checked whether somebody has just removed the bulb! Any information gratefully received, including if anybody out there HAS working electric HICAS and can say “it’s amazing, do it”, “it’s a terrible idea, forget it”, or “great idea but you’ll never find the parts”. Thanks in advance!

G12

I used Torque GT in Devon for my import. Gave them a spec list - including manual box, no significant mods and even colours I couldn’t stand - and they did the rest. I got an email every week with suitable cars, and just had to flag up which ones to follow up for translations. When I saw “the one” we agreed a max price to go to and the next day I got the call to say she was mine! All scanning of auction sites, bidding and shipping paperwork taken care of. And I have a rust-free car which has been under sealed and converted to UK. Easiest purchase I ever made, and way better than some of the rusty wrecks I looked at in the UK. All in from giving them my spec list to having the car took about 5 months. There was another import company in Newcastle I considered, but Torque GT were closer to me and I can’t fault them. Whichever company you use I would heartily recommend importing rather than buying something that’s been in the UK for 20 years.

Gio, just downloaded those attachments. Much clearer than the FSM, thanks for posting!

AndrewG you, sir, are a hero! Matches 100% with the fuzzy pictures I took under the dash and trim panels on Sunday, even though mine is a JDM. Thanks!

You can say that again! Attempting to bypass the power amp in the boot and the colours shown for speaker wiring in the manual are a work of fiction. No resemblance at all to what’s in my 96 car, and the only amp it shows is a Bose, mine’s a Clarion (but clearly factory fit). Will have to pull out the multimeter for this, unless there’s a diagram with the 96 audio wiring out there somewhere?

Thanks Andrew. Maybe a stupid question but I had to ask!

Thinking of swapping out the plugs as I’ve no idea how old they are, but I can’t get to #2 or #3 because the previous owner fitted a Central 20 bracing strut which completely obscures them. The strut is bolted directly onto the studs on the front suspension turrets. Maybe a stupid question, but is it safe to undo the stud nuts to remove the strut with the car’s weight on its wheels? Logic says the weight of the car should hold everything where it is, but I’d like a better-informed opinion before I risk collapsing the whole front end! Thanks in advance

I put a UK spec rear bumper on mine when I imported it. Didn’t like the idea of aftermarket fog lights or re-purposing existing lights, and I prefer the way the wider plate sits on a low, wide car. Undamaged UK rear bumpers seem much easier to find on eBay than front plate mounts!

I wondered about air obstruction in the higher “UK” position too, but as you say it can’t be a problem. I also wondered about re-painting the moustache charcoal grey, but as my car’s black it wouldn’t make much difference!

Thanks all, can probably figure out a way to mount over the JDM holes, looks like it’ll be more of a challenge getting hold of one in the first place! Time to look for breakers I guess :)

Hi all, I’ve got a UK-spec front plate on my JDM car, but it doesn’t fit flush because of the narrow JDM bracket. I’d like to keep the UK plate shape, but before I start searching for a UK plate holder/bracket, does anyone know whether it will fit flush on a JDM bumper? They look similar to me, but thought I’d check! Thanks

Will have to get myself a set for next time. Hopefully once they’ve been taken out they won’t be so bad

Thanks again!

Just an update, after looking through those instructions I thought I’d give it a go! Having sourced the new hoses, the right spec coolant and some new long-nose pliers and having a day free I spent an hour or so stripping down today, only to be thwarted at almost the last hurdle by complete inability to remove the 6mm Allen keys holding the hard pipes on. Despite a long soak with WD40 they wouldn’t budge, to the point where the ball head on my long Allen key actually snapped off! Probably not been undone since they were put there in 1996. Given that if I snap the head off one of the bolts it’s game over (and there are 3 more to remove) I’ve put it all back together and I’m off to see Jimmer next week. I’ve put some silicone sealant round the hose in case it helps stem the leak. So, not an unqualified success, but at least I know the rad comes in and out easily enough and the coolant looked nice and clean. Thanks everyone for the excellent advice and links. Chris

Thanks Andrew!

Yes that’s what I thought, looking at it. Might pop down and see Jimmer and let him work his magic on it, I can just see me scraping loads of skin off trying to get access! Thanks for the advice

Thanks for your reply Tony. I can’t even SEE the engine end, had to stick my phone down a gap to get that picture :). How much has to come off to get access? And is it possible to replace just one of the two short hoses, or does the other one have to be disconnected to remove the pipe and get clearance?

Morning all. After smelling a bit coolant-y last night, I found a puddle under the Zed this morning. After crawling around underneath and tracing the path back up it looks like it’s coming from the short black hose at the top of the picture - in fact you can just see a blurred drop falling in the picture (assuming it’s uploaded ok). If I read the manual correctly I think that’s one of the outlet hoses from the radiator to the head? If so, any pitfalls in replacing it - or advice on how best to get at the rearmost clip, which I can only just about see! Thanks, Chris

Brought mine in 4 years ago through Torque GT in Devon. They did all the hard work, can definitely recommend.