# 1990 300zx will not start



## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

i have a 1990 300zx with 165,000 miles on it. i've been having difficulties getting my car started. i would go turn my accessories on and everything would be ok. i'd go to start it, and my car would be completely dead! no click, no turn over......dead. it was suggested to me that i should change my battery, but my battery has tons of juice. i had it hooked up to another car to see if it would start, nothing happened. some people say it could be the ignition switch, others say its a faulty alternator. might not be either. could anyone shine some light on this situation for me?


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## Shadow Z (Jan 20, 2005)

well, around the same mileage, my 90's ignition lock cylinder went out, accessories would be on, but it wouldnt start the car. im sure its the lock cylinder.

if not it might be your alternator, but i doubt it.


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## BadBoy91 (Jan 21, 2005)

Check the starter relay. its located in the Drv's side fender well. Remove the tire and the Splash gaurd, should be right there. this is pretty comon


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

*reply from zcarobsession*

if it is the lock cylinder, would that prevent you from taking the keys out of the ignition? the keys are stuck, and it seems to me that when the car was started, the keys came out. its dead now, and the key release button seems to be stuck....or doesnt release the keys.


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## Shadow Z (Jan 20, 2005)

not really, mine did it sometimes but i dont think thats the case... you said your accessories turn on but the car wont crank atall or show signs of it. so im betting its the cylinder


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

*reply from zcarobsession*

well, the accessories would work only when i didnt attempt to start the car. once i attempted to start the car, everything would go dead, accessories included. the accessories would not work after attempting to start the car. im hoping that this problem has nothing to do with other problems i have with this car.........

high rpm's while driving, jumping mph gauge, seems like the car wouldn't shift outta second gear. higher gas mileage, but less power. stalling at stop lights(sometimes while driving). power steering would kick out....etc. i have a trouble code on my diagnostics, but thats been determined as faulty O2 sensors(i hope). yup, my car has a long way before it reaches full racing potential. i hope that i can fix it, i love my car, always have loved Z's.


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

Sounds to me like a bad/loose ground wire.


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## Shadow Z (Jan 20, 2005)

well i will tell you one thing for sure, you will have to replace or rebuild your tranny soon. 1990 auto trannys had alot of issues. mine did the same urs did, til one time on the freeway it would never leave 2nd. and mine went out around the same milage too. sorry buddy. 1k its gonna cost you, unless u do it yourself.


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

thank you shadow Z, as long as i know whats wrong with my car, i can fix the right things. my fear is fixing something that doesnt need attention, and wasting money. i will reply with news of my car once i've installed parts that i've ordered after the storm subsides here. [email protected], i will look into that, ill let you know......thank you.


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

i got the part in today and im gonna try it out(ignition switch). i've tried to look on search engines about how to install it, but no luck. can anyone gimme a hand?


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## Shadow Z (Jan 20, 2005)

hmm, i wish i could, but i had nissan do it for me, this was before i invested in a service manual and rebuilt my Z. ill look for my FSM and see if it say in there.


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## Shadow Z (Jan 20, 2005)

Hope this helps:

http://www.poctum.com/Z32/Z32.htm


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

question.......i took apart my ignition, and replaced the switch, nothing happened. but i noticed a small white box connected to my ignition which i believe to be my factory alarm. this alarm i thought was disconnected, but could it be this small alarm box preventing me from starting the car? i just bought a battery, so it couldnt be that. i noticed a red button inside the alarm box.....i pushed it, and my keys came out. i dunno, im just frustrated because i have no car. argh! by the way Shadow Z, that site helped a lot, thank you.


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## Spongerider (Nov 18, 2002)

Have you check your fusable links? They are next to the battery.


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

that is the small fuse box below my battery right? what am i looking for?


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## Spongerider (Nov 18, 2002)

ZcarObsession said:


> that is the small fuse box below my battery right? what am i looking for?


Yes, there should be a fusible link for the ignition. Pull it out check to see Ohm. If it's good you have Ohms and/or shake it and if it rattels then it's bad and you found your problems.


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## Shadow Z (Jan 20, 2005)

ok, sorry i didnt think about it before, but if it isnt your alarm thats preventing you from starting it, and ur cylinder is ok, then are you sure your tranny is all the way in P.. i noticed your Auto and sometimes its not slammed into park enough


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

i checked the links, all fine. i think i know what the problem is, but no idea how to fix it. i believe it is my anti-theft system. theres something wrong with the system, so its cutting all power to the car before i can turn it over. i removed the anti-theft relay, and went to start it. it didnt cut the power, but when i went to turn it over, it displayed "security" instead of cutting the power. i put the relay back, and the power was cut. anyone have this same problem? or any way i can fix it?


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

this car sux!!!!! i love Z's, but they are a big pain in the a$$ to fix. i read up on my theft warning control unit, and it told me to cut the 3rd wire on the 16-pin connector to cut the connection to the ignition switch so it wouldnt shut off. i did it, and went to start it up, it makes a weird noise when turning it over, then shuts off. there is also humming coming from where the starter is..............so maybe its the starter. what do y'all think?


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## Shadow Z (Jan 20, 2005)

i think u've delt with it long enough, spend 67 dollars and have nissan fix it.


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

i wish it was $67 dollars, the only nissan dealership around rips people off. damn, i might just have to part with it. either that, or find someone that does good work for cheap.


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## Shadow Z (Jan 20, 2005)

ill ask a few of my car alarm buddies


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## tbtppg (Aug 31, 2004)

*wont start*

I have a 90 N/A A/T also. I had this exact same problem last summer. I went to pick up my buddy to go to a autocross race , and in his driveway, the Z wouldn't start. !!! Had it towed to Nissan. They said it was the battery terminals. I thought they were full of S***. but $150 later , they were right.
This is a very complicated car. Sometimes things just don't make sense. As with any car, look for the cheap fix first. "When you hear the sound of hoves, think horses not zebras". Hope this helps.


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## ZcarObsession (Jan 21, 2005)

battery terminals huh? well, i thought it might be the alarm system, but ill try that. the accessories would work and everything up until you try to turn the car over? thats my dilemma.....i got the factory service manual, and im just stumped even with it. ill let you know when i find out something. thanks a lot.


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## CRDANN (Dec 29, 2005)

*Key Lock Solenoid*



ZcarObsession said:


> question.......i took apart my ignition, and replaced the switch, nothing happened. but i noticed a small white box connected to my ignition which i believe to be my factory alarm. this alarm i thought was disconnected, but could it be this small alarm box preventing me from starting the car? i just bought a battery, so it couldnt be that. i noticed a red button inside the alarm box.....i pushed it, and my keys came out. i dunno, im just frustrated because i have no car. argh! by the way Shadow Z, that site helped a lot, thank you.


I just had my Bose stereo replaced with a nice Sony CD/MP3/Acc deck and 4 Infinity Reference series 6 1/2" speakers on all 4 corners and a Sony Xplode Sub amp and 10" Infinity Sub in my '90 N/A AT 2+2 at Circuit City. I also had a keyless entry and remote start system installed. It sounded so great, I was
jazzed...until I tried to get the ignition key out!!! The little black keylock button felt jammed and would not push in. TTZ.com cites a few possible reasons for malfunction, as does Page AT92+AT93 of the factory Z Manual. I disassembled the plastic cowl around the ignition area of the steering column (6 screws and unsnap) and found this little red button and an electric solenoid just behind the black keylock button, at its base. There are two wires to this Keylock solenoid, one red with yellow and one red with blue stripes. By depressing that red button and simultaneously pushing in the black button and rotating the key to "off", the keylock released. To really fix it, you need to remove the cloth surface panel below the steering wheel. Those two wires lead forward then down behind the black plastic ventilation duct near the feet and have a snap connector over near the upper left footwell. Unsnap that connector, and no more stuck keylock mechanism!! Cutting the wires would do the same, but seems so irreversible. I have not found any negative consequences of disabling the keylock solenoid.


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## SHIFTVAX (Jan 15, 2006)

ZcarObsession said:


> i have a 1990 300zx with 165,000 miles on it. i've been having difficulties getting my car started. i would go turn my accessories on and everything would be ok. i'd go to start it, and my car would be completely dead! no click, no turn over......dead. it was suggested to me that i should change my battery, but my battery has tons of juice. i had it hooked up to another car to see if it would start, nothing happened. some people say it could be the ignition switch, others say its a faulty alternator. might not be either. could anyone shine some light on this situation for me?


WITH THE MILLAEGE, IT SHOULDN'T BE A TIMING CHAIN; CHECK FUSES,GROUND WIRES, FUEL LINE, AND MAYBE IGNITION ROD.


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## Spongerider (Nov 18, 2002)

SHIFTVAX said:


> WITH THE MILLAEGE, IT SHOULDN'T BE A TIMING CHAIN; CHECK FUSES,GROUND WIRES, FUEL LINE, AND MAYBE IGNITION ROD.


The Z32 does not have a timing chain it does have a timing belt.


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