Betty White: The new 280Z racecar. Ugly Betty's autocross replacement.

[HRH]

Yep, that one I circled should be the issue.  I don't have it connected.  I'll regroup tomorrow morning and see if that doesn't solve the problem.  Might have to wait until the weekend, but I'm betting that lack of ground and power is leaving the ECU speechless.  Thanks Skib for suggesting that!  I'll let you guys know when Betty White goes vroom!

[Skib]

It might be, the ECU normally runs the pump

[HRH]

Well fuck a duck.  Yellow to positive, ground to ground, connector plugged into the main harness.  No sparky.  Any other ideas?  I'm going to have to go back over this this weekend I guess.  Really thought it would start up.  There has to be some wire or two that's just missing power to the ecu.  I'm beginning to wonder if the FPCM is needing power supplied to complete where a relay was supposed to be to then trick the ECU into thinking the fuel pump is operational as per the original wiring.

[q-tip]

You could have not cut the working harness all to pieces.

[HRH]

You could have come over and transferred that entire mess to the race car for me.  And actually Q, I didn't cut the wiring harness to pieces.  It separates in two places, but the remaining places are integrated into the dash harness. So unless you want to pull the dash and install all the extraneous dash wires that aren't used, that's about the only option you have.

 

Now then, how about constructive, helpful comments?  If I don't get this working, I'll run a standalone, but I SHOULD be able to get it to work.   

[HRH]

Skib has some more good ideas and a few nuggets I didn't know about.  Thanks again!!  I'll do another round this weekend, hopefully Betty White will go vroom!

[Skib]

no prob  :thumbup: shoot me a text next time your in the shop and can check some of that stuff

 

I sent you some stuff to your Email too

[HRH]

Lol, love the Idiocrasy handle for the email, that's f'ing great! :rofl:

[Skib]

lol what mine?

[Eagle_Adam]

Wish I could be helpful :/

 

But wiring is my downfall ;)

As a friend onece said, "Adam when there's you and wires your 3/4 of the way to setting fires":

[Jester]

I JUST came in from doing wiring on my 76 Goldwing. At one point I contemplated setting it on fire myself! 

[HRH]

Thanks!  Misery loves company! :)  So, I found and few two more wires that go to relays.  I have a green light on at the ECU, but still no spark.  Ended up leaving the fuel pump off, it's stinking of fuel.  Cranking it without, hoping to drift it downline so it can evaporate before I start it when I figure out what's wrong.  Rather not have a sonic boom on startup.

 

Anyway, it seems the only thing not working is spark.  I was debating hooking up a matchbox unit to it instead of the one that's on there, but I don't think that will work either since the matchbox is wired into the distributor and in this case it's a CAS.  Did some tracing of the relays in the ZX, and think maybe I'll investigate what I think is the ECCS relay and stretch out some wires to try and find where they go from that one remaining relay.  Shouldn't need more than fuel pump and ignition to run the car.  So if the fuel pump is in, what's the other one.  It goes to the relay box by the front fender, but those wires go into the body harness and must come out somewhere else because I probed all the wires from the 6 connector by the fuel pump relay I'm using and there's nothing connected to it.  So perhaps it goes back to the 8 prong connector that those other wires in the circled picture go to.

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/11965-l28et-swap-no-spark/

 

^Found this interesting thread.  And found that most everyone recommends using the Z31 maf and ECU swap, and or going to a better engine management system.  Lots of comments, "have fun diddling with that stock S130 wiring harness"  :)  Oh boy.  I definitely think it's just a wire misplaced or not going to the ECU.  I'll find it...I think.

[HRH]

So yeah.  Injectors have power and operate.  Oddly, I disconnected the crank angle sensor and light-probed some wires and on probing one, got the MAF to make a click-click-click-click-click noise, then stop.  Don't know if it was repeatable.  Seems odd the MAF could make that noise, but it sounded like a relay clicking multiple times.  Fuel pump relay has power.  Still no spark.

 

So something isn't allowing the ECU to operate the CAS is what I'm thinking.  Hooked up the throttle linkage and tested starting at WOT, nothing.  The 8 pin connector off the main harness by the ECU, as pictured in those earlier pictures has power feeding from the main ignition power to that yellow wire, which doubles into the power for the T connector at the ignitor box.  According to that diagram the rest of those wires go to seatbelts etc.

 

 

Ok, here's a dumb question.  Neutral safety switch.  It was an automatic.  That should only affect the starting circuit.  There's no chance it also affects the crank signal I wonder?  And now I'm not sure I have that black 12v switched wire connected.  I'm going to have to go check that.  Edit, black switched 12v goes to T connector for ignitor unit.  It has power.  Yellow feeds from the same power, grounds are grounded to the pedal assembly bolts.

[ArchetypeDatsun]

Whos silver 1980 810 sedan is that? hardly see any 80 810 around.

[LenRobertson]

Matt - About all I can do is cheer you on, given how little I know about EFI.  No doubt you will figure this out but that doesn't help with your current frustration. I did read through the link you posted and the guys make a strong case for Z31 bits. I know it would take some time, but maybe you should grab whatever P&S has for Z31 just in case you need to go that route. 30 day return on it if you don't need to use it.

 

Len

[HRH]

Ok, have injector pulse.  Have fuel.  Still no spark.  Wondering if I could have wired the t connector backward for the ignitor unit or gotten something crossed up there.

[HRH]

Figured it out but now I'm banging my head against the running of the wires for the t connector in relation to the connectors.  Trying to figure out how to wire it.  Hoping I haven't fried the power transistor.

[HRH]

Okay, figured it out.  The reference picture I have shows the blue and B/W with blue going to positive and black/white going to negative.  This is incorrect.  Oddly, I'm pretty sure I didn't change this.  So maybe this is why the thing was running crappy?  I don't know.  All I know is I have the wires figured out going to the T connector and from the igniter/power transistor.

 

Now, the question I'm banging my head against is why does that first diagram show the yellow wire for the FPCM getting power?  As far as I can tell, that should be the switched ground for the T connector.  Fuck me, this is getting ridiculous.

[q-tip]

Have you tried swapping the wires at the "T" connector?

[HRH]

Nope, confirmed the wires are correct.  I just had a though wondering if that tach wire with the 2.2kohm resistor needs to be attached.  I wouldn't think so, should only run the tach, CAS should take care of everything else.  I may try and hook it up tomorrow just to see though.

 

So the first problem was the 6 pin connector, I had the negative from the T connector hooked up to positive.  And I didn't have the positive going to the right portion of that same connector, a little yellow wire right next to a big yellow wire.  Got those wired.  Then, how I originally got the car, the wires from the igniter were reversed.  I don't think I did that, but maybe I did.  I still have to fire, but do have injector pulse and fuel pressure and the solenoid pack clicks when I turn the crank.  So in theory the system is working.  However, still no spark.  But if I had injector spark, I shouldn't need tach signal either, I don't think?

 

That stupid can igniter is 121 bucks from rock auto.  I'd love to find something else to replace it with.

[HRH]

Ok, just realized I have the condenser wired into the negative side of the coil instead of the positive side, which then connects to ground on the distributor.  I'll change that tomorrow morning and see if that doesn't fix the issue.  Wheeeeeeee.

[Skib]

 

 

That stupid can igniter is 121 bucks from rock auto.  I'd love to find something else to replace it with.

 

 

http://www.zdriver.com/forums/240z-280zxt-s30-s130-tech-tips-275/turbo-ignitor-swap-upgrade-chevy-hei-27569/

[hobospyder]

Is this thing running yet?

[Skib]

[HRH]

Fixed all my wiring issues to my knowledge.  Attempted to put in a matchbox, running the two wires that go to the distributor to the coil.  Still doesn't work.  Everything works, just no spark.  Negative coil wire is going to the 8 pin connector where it should be.  Power is provided by ignition on positive switch.  I only have the one green relay connected.  The 6 prong plug has the middle black/white wire with power.  When connected it makes a click.  Other side is powered by alternator wire which is positive at all times in this car.  Battery is in the hatch area.  I just ran a ground strap from the front of the motor to the fender apron.

 

Hooked up a timing light, just plain no spark while cranking, no fire.  So either the ignition module is different in application since the matchbox use a hall effect breaker magnetic setup in the distributor and the turbo is a crank angle sensor, in which case I can't get the stupid module except rockauto for 121 bucks.  I would think the regular GM ignition module would work, but perhaps not.  I tried two others, still no spark.  Have power while cranking to the t plug, which should be all that's needed to fire the coil.

 

There's no way that condenser going bad could affect anything is there?  I don't think so, but I'm at a loss here other than going with a different fuel management system.  Or getting rid of the high pressure fuel pump and strapping a carburetor onto the turbo flange.  I'd like to use this car this year.