Ok guys I got a tough one. Well not for someone that has had the problem before I guess. I was driving my 1990 300zx TT and pressed the gas to pass someone and the car made a pop like a backfire and evertything went dead. I had to turn down a road quickly to avoid getting hit by traffic and soon found myself looking at signs that said "State Property No Trespassing". Only to find out 300ft up the road is a state Pschyo Ward. Nice huh? Anyway back to the car. I had it towed home cause the car would roll over but not fire. My question is as follows... Does the Ignition control module control the fuel pump as well or is that just for ther injectors? I have power to the coils, spark at the plugs, and when you turn the key on the Fuel pump runs for about 2 seconds and then shuts off. While the engine is cranking the injectors are pulsing but no gas comes through the lines while cranking. First I thought it was my fuel filter so I removed that and put the hose into a can to monitor the gas but it only trys to pump for the brief period after turning on the key. So if anyone has any ideas please letme know. Thanks Guys

RDZ! Are you hearing this? Member's Z is dead in the water ~ SOS.
Frank

The fuel pump coming on for 2 seconds and shutting off is normal. It turns back on again when the engine is running.

The backfire sounding...and all dead...sounds like a snapped timing belt.

Pull the plugs and while cranking the engine put your thumb over each hole and see if your making compression, or pop off the oil cap and see if you can see movement of the cam shaft while cranking.

_________________


Also Known As Clayton Pace

Oh, oh.

Chad,

If spark is good, injectors are firing and compression is good, then it must be fuel system before injectors.

Check fuel pressure regulator and dampener (swap out with know good part), change fuel filter just to be sure (time for a new one anyway, if it is orignial).

Then call me and I come pick it up for $75 and we can get the whole car sorted out, I promise .

203-395-2452
Rich

*(Chad, Research and Development for the Z car [RDZ] is the knife-edge hospital in this state for the ZX cars. Just don't bother them with an original S-30 model ~ those are too simple for them! )

Frank

I grew up under the hood of the late 70's- 80's cars, simple is nice some times . I have a '66 Austin Healey 3000 MKIII and '70's Aston Martin in the family and at my shop from time to time.

Working on them take me back

Thanks for the support guys, I try to live up to the kind words.

Off topic...

Can you tune triple webers?

_________________


Also Known As Clayton Pace

He can tune Webers, Harpsichords and bagpipes. The only thing they can't do is repair the crack of dawn.

If the timing belt broke, kiss the valves goodbuy. How many miles on it? Timing belts are replaced every 60,000 miles on these. So for example, if you have 80k on it, and never had one put on, the chances are real good there. If it is, engine would crank over sounding like a drill, wizzzzzzz, because there is no compression. Are we loving our timing chains now. If it was maintained and cranks normal, then we move on. Fuel pump seems fine, if you kept cranking it, fuel should keep on coming out. (key word: should, not familiar with the z32 so much.) "Sudden death pop" wild guess here, but for some reason there was this glitch and you blew the AFM. No sensy air, no pump fuel through the injectors. I think this has happened on the z31's. It's that tiny horse hair wire in there, it's always made me very weary. I like the old s130 AFM's my self. What do you think Rich, possible???

That is an excellent thought Paul. A bad AFM or MAS (Mass Air Sensor) can cause caos. It is easy to check, just swap out with good MAS sensor ( 5 min job).

I want to thank everyone for the prompt response to my problem. This is how much I know so far..... The timing belt is good, I have spark and power in all the right places, I replaced the fuel filter with no change. I have not changed the fuel pressure regulator yet I am looking for parts for that. I wonder though is it possible the car jumped timing? I am going to pull the radiator today and recheck all the timing marks. If that doesn't work I will be taking rich up on his offer to take my baby to his house for some "Reform" . Thanks again guys.

Chances are the Timing is fine. If it jumped a tooth it would still run. If it jumped so much that it didn't run you would know it as the valves would be getting to know the pistons up close and personal.

Ok got the radiator out and timing covers off. All is well everything lines up as necessary. Think its the fuel pump. Fuel pump suns for a couple seconds when the key is first turned on but nothing when cranking. Would the fuel pressure regulator keep the pupm from running if it were junk? I'm lost so when I get back in town I think I will have Rich come get it and see what he can do with it. Guess I should have looked around a bit more for the 300zx that I wanted. This one sounded like a good deal but I should have walked when the guy told me it ran and was 'mechanically perfect". Only to find that after flying down to Georgia that it didn't run at all. I'm glad i was able to get it running and drive it home but my wife is a little upset that in 3 months time it has broken down three times and still hasn't passed emissions. Help??!! I just want this thing to run and be reliable. Well I gusess as longs as everything is apart I should go ahead and get a new timing belt for it. Rich I will contact you when I get back to CT. I am in maine with my wife and my son on vacation. I felt so bad for my son because it was his first ride in the Z and it broke down. He is only 9 years old and we were stuck on the side of the road in the heat for 3 hours waiting for my wife to get home form work so she could call AAA to have me towed. They told me she had to be present withthe card when I called. My sone is only here for 3 more weeks and for the last 3 months all he has talked about was riding in Daddys Z car. I just hope I can get it repaired in time. Pretty embarassing when his mother calls and ask's him what he did today and he tells her we tried to go for a ride in Daddys car but it died and we had to sit for 3 hours before getting towed home. I was kinda hoping that his memory of my Z car would be that it was a fast car and he wanted it when he was old enough to drive. Not Daddys car dosen't run. Well thanks again guys for all your help.

Not to worry, we will get your son's faith restored.

speak with you soon