# 87 300zx won’t start but cranks strong.



## Jadon Kerr 87 300zx turbo (Mar 31, 2020)

Good even, I’m the proud owner of a 1987 Nissan 300zx turbo. I love the car but after it sat for a winter last year it decided it doesn’t wanna start. I put the key in everything comes up (most of my dash seeing my dash power supply burned out) fuel pump turns on. Once I start cranking it’s strong lots of compression, engine is timed.
What I’ve replaced since. Whole Distributer system including cap and wires and plugs. Any advice would be much appreciated


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

You need to start with the basics. Confirm you are getting spark to the plugs. If you have spark, spray carb cleaner into the intake and see if the engine will fire on it. If it fires and then stalls out, this would suggest a fuel system problem. Check your fuel pressure and make sure it's within specs. Make sure you have enough gas in the tank and the gas hasn't gone stale. Disconnect a fuel injector and see if there is 12v power to it when the key is "on." Use a noid light in the fuel injector harness connector to see if the ECM is firing the injector while cranking. Of course, do this once you confirmed you don't have any rodent damage to the wiring and/or blown fuses or fusible links.


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## Jadon Kerr 87 300zx turbo (Mar 31, 2020)

Update: we messed around with it for a bit today and decided we’d check the distributor timing and sure as shit it was off. Tried to move it wouldn’t fire. Pulled the distributor right out rotated the gear on the bottom 180• re assembled and sure as shit she’s fired up


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## Jadon Kerr 87 300zx turbo (Mar 31, 2020)

So since


smj999smj said:


> You need to start with the basics. Confirm you are getting spark to the plugs. If you have spark, spray carb cleaner into the intake and see if the engine will fire on it. If it fires and then stalls out, this would suggest a fuel system problem. Check your fuel pressure and make sure it's within specs. Make sure you have enough gas in the tank and the gas hasn't gone stale. Disconnect a fuel injector and see if there is 12v power to it when the key is "on." Use a noid light in the fuel injector harness connector to see if the ECM is firing the injector while cranking. Of course, do this once you confirmed you don't have any rodent damage to the wiring and/or blown fuses or fusible links.


What do you know about turbos getting red hot on basic driving now, and also the back right on the exhaust manifold on the corner gets red hot as well. Any insight ?


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

Engine running super lean. There may be a major vacuum leak in the intake system.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Lean running would do it...or, restriction in the exhaust could do it as well. The turbo bearings and/or seals (leaking oil) could also do it, or a non-functioning EGR system. Now, if you just came off the highway and it's dark out and you notice the turbo glowing a little, that's not uncommon for turbos and it may be perfectly fine. 
As for the possibility of it running lean, that could be caused by a major intake leak, as mentioned already, which could be a stuck open EGR valve, split in the rubber intake ducts, restrictive fuel filter or failing fuel pump, a faulty oxygen sensor, to name a few.


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