91 TT bunch of problems

[david_12121]

Today I purchased a 1991 300zxtt at ~117k. It was leaking coolant which I already fixed. It was very cheap and cheap cars are often problematic so I'll list the stuff that are wrong and you guys do me a favor and give me ideas. It's not the first car I fix but it's my first Z so any help is appreciated.

1: no turn signal and no fog lights, the rest of the lights work. Light warning on the cluster is on. (Fuse? Connectors?)

2: Smoke out of tailpipe, and oil residue in driver side turbo piping (didn't check passenger side yet)...turbo seal blown? (Low millage)

3: Boost gauge doesn't work (stuck at -14) and there's no aftermarket one. It's certainly boosting but possibly overboosting cuz it's way too fast for 300hp.

Things that are broken but I know what to do: Corrections appreciated
1: Hicas is gone and just wobbling around...I have a removal kit.
2: Mismatched rear tire widths, which is bad for the vlsd
3: Brake warning light is on...one of the wires to the reservoir is cut

That's all I remember ATM. Thanks in advance guys

[david_12121]

Also rough idle but this forum is smaller than I imagined...not used to not getting ay replies in 12h

[tfs1975]

Hi David,
I have recently purchased a 91TT as well and I am just starting the work on it to make it road worthy. I would assume that the non working factory boost gauge is due to a disconnected vacuum line. I would look to see if any are disconnected. I might be able to take a pic of where mine was disconnected later on tonight. I apologize but don't know the answers to your other questions as I am still learning about the Z myself. There is a ton of great info out there for the Z32. I am amazed that there is essentially almost a write up for everything. I will list links below. Hopefully this helps. Also read the "everything you need to know about your Z" section which is a sticky in this forum. Lot's of good info. Also, YOU TUBE has alot of videos posted and you would be amazed at what google searches return. Good luck.

TT.net Tech section: http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/tech/tech.aspx
TT.net FAQ Section : http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/FAQ/z32faq.aspx
Z32.Wiki: This is a great resource: http://www.z32.wikispaces.com/
TT of Dallas Tech Section: http://www.ttzd.com/tech/fuelfiltertech.html

[ThisIsSparTTa]

1: no turn signal and no fog lights, the rest of the lights work. Light warning on the cluster is on. (Fuse? Connectors?) - Fuse, check the FSM for the wiring diagrams

2: Smoke out of tailpipe, and oil residue in driver side turbo piping (didn't check passenger side yet)...turbo seal blown? (Low millage) - Could be lots of things. Timing, etc. I'd do you 6Ps before assuming the turbo is dead.

3: Boost gauge doesn't work (stuck at -14) and there's no aftermarket one. It's certainly boosting but possibly overboosting cuz it's way too fast for 300hp. - Make sure its hooked up. You can get a cheap gauge to temporarily hook up and mount it on the hood. Gauge cluster could be bad, etc.

Things that are broken but I know what to do: Corrections appreciated
1: Hicas is gone and just wobbling around...I have a removal kit. - This sounds bad
2: Mismatched rear tire widths, which is bad for the vlsd
3: Brake warning light is on...one of the wires to the reservoir is cut - Brake fluid level wiring being disconnected won't throw the light. There's a procedure for running the diagnostics on the ABS system.

[david_12121]

I got quite a bit done in the time it took you guys to respond.
One was joining a FB tech group.

1: No fuses I am 90% certain that there are cut cables down there...spent a lot of time on it with a multimeter and a wiring diagram.

2: it's just one side...a high chance of it being the turbo

3: it was the eng cont fuse that was blown. Fixed but is inaccurate!
---
3: this was also caused by the eng cont.

thanks for the response though!

[ThisIsSparTTa]

FWIW, it will help if you break up your issues into more manageable chunks in the future instead of tossing them all into one mega-thread. It makes it difficult to discuss one issue, because there is so much to be discussed. Similarly, any complete response would come off as a wall of text.

I'd disagree with smoke on one side and turbo being the only cause, but it sounds like you have it all figured out now.

[david_12121]

Well this mega tread is barely getting any responses, so I assume a single question would get even fewer but sure, let's give it a shot since you seem to be the only active member on here.
1: problem solved...cables cut for hazard and turns (ran new ones)...fogs had blown lamps, which I didn't expect both to be blown. Reverse was also not working, due to missing harness on the bottom of the trans!!!
2: I'll list symptoms:
-bad idle, sits at 1200, sometimes dips down to 1100 which causes a pretty bad shake.
-smoke at idle, used to be just one but now I can't tell...it changes
-insane smoke when boosting at high rpm
-117k

Tell me what you think it is, and go by the easiest to check stuff first if you don't mind!

[nissanfreak12]

Have you done a power balance test? Have you ohmed out your injectors or checked fuel pressure? Do you have a boost leak?

All those will cause what you are experiencing. Also check the connectors and make sure they are not corroded.

SparTTa hit it right one the head, break your post to smaller questions. When you start with a ton of issues most people will start reading, get about half way done and move on to something else, especially if they are not sure what exactly you are asking. This is a good size forum with very knowledgeable people, but you also have to remember, the z is a small community compared to Hondas or Subi's. They are also way more expensive to maintain and older technology, so people want them but don't want the hassle of the problems. I personally believe that's what makes us a better community, cause we are all stubborn, lol!

[nissanfreak12]

BTW, welcome and introduce yourself if you already haven't. Get some pics up.