280zx won't start!!!

[DoctorRobert]

Howdy,

I just bought a 1979 Nissan/Datsun 280zx.

It's an - alright - car. It is a little rusty, especially for a Southern car and the interior needs some work.

However, it runs pretty good.

That is up until the other day I -assume- I ran it out of gas. I went down one morning to go to work and it wouldn't start. I tried it several times, and then gave up, assuming it was out of gas. After work that night I put two gallons of gas in the car via a can, and after some trying, was able to get it to start up. The next day I started it up and it started fine. After work I put 10 dollars in the car, about four gallons. I took it home, and the next morning I went to start it... and it doesn't start. I keep trying it and eventually it catches. I drive it to work. After work, it starts. Drive it home, park it... next morning I go to start it. Won't start. I give up and come home that night, it eventually starts after a lot of trying. I drive it around some, stop and start it twice... it seems fine. I take it home, and then today after work I tried to start it and it won't start for anything. I changed the fuel filter, but it didn't make any difference. If I hold the gas pedal to the floor while trying to start it, it will idle very roughly, sounding like a lawn mower, at 500 RPMs for about a minute, then it shuts off. I cannot get it to start now at all, other that the idling for just a second... so any ideas?

Also, after it wouldn't start, I took off the gas line from the fuel rail, and turned the ignition to 'on' to see if any gas would come out, but none did, but when I turned the key to 'start' gas started flowing out. Is that normal? My step-dad had said that gas was supposed to start flowing when the key was turned to "on," but he could be wrong.

Thanks.

[evildky]

sounds liek it might be the chts, it's located int he bottom of your thermostat gasket and has s 2 wire plug that looks like an injector plug, if it's not working or disconnected the eignine things it cold and since you are in GA I'm guessint it ain't cold so it floods out, you cna verify this by first checking the connection then try startign after a minute of not starting pull a spark plug and see if it's wet with gas, if the chts is connected and your plug is fuel fouled it's either a chts issue of a spark issue, you can check for spark by hooking a plug wire to a clean plug and laying it on the valve cover

[DoctorRobert]

sounds liek it might be the chts, it's located int he bottom of your thermostat gasket and has s 2 wire plug that looks like an injector plug, if it's not working or disconnected the eignine things it cold and since you are in GA I'm guessint it ain't cold so it floods out, you cna verify this by first checking the connection then try startign after a minute of not starting pull a spark plug and see if it's wet with gas, if the chts is connected and your plug is fuel fouled it's either a chts issue of a spark issue, you can check for spark by hooking a plug wire to a clean plug and laying it on the valve cover

Well, I do believe that's what it is.

I actually got the car started again, shortly after I made this post by changing the spark plugs, but it wouldn't rev at all. It would idle well, but when I gave it gas the air breather would "gasp" and it would shut off, or come very close to it.

So I located what I believe to be the CHTS on the front of the engine, and unplugged it. It started up instantly, and it runs pretty well, but rich. When driving it down the road when it gets to higher RPMs (3000 - 4000) in gear if I don't shift it just right it spits and sputters and won't really go, but if I downshift and shift up again it does fine. Otherwise I can rev it fine.

So... where can I find a CHTS for a '79 280zx? I checked MSA, but the one they are selling is for a 80 - 83 and they say that it won't work with the '79 engine.

[evildky]

if unplugging the chts helps you might have a bad afm or ecu

[DoctorRobert]

Is there a way to tell which one is bad?

[evildky]

the fsm details ow to testt eh afm with a multimeter