# 300zx electrical issue



## eishiba (Sep 23, 2009)

Hopefully someone understands my jibberish. Ok so I have an 85 300zx turbo 5 speed. The alternator is down at the bottom on the engine on the passenger side. On the back of the alternator is a plug, a big nut and a small nut, each nut has its own connection to somewhere up top. The small nut has two black wires that come from somewhere up top and then are held together at the base close to where the nut is. One of these little black wires is broken, right at where they are both held together. I don't know if its a small rubber band or maybe a metal crimper of some kind. It isn't possible to access the other end, the end on the alternator to splice them together. I'm going to guess they will have to be spliced back together. What should I do?


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## i r teh noobz (Apr 26, 2007)

If I recall, its just a redundant ground with a capacitor in it. If you aren't having issues, you may just want to leave it alone.

Otherwise, solder is your friend.


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## eishiba (Sep 23, 2009)

i r teh noobz said:


> If I recall, its just a redundant ground with a capacitor in it. If you aren't having issues, you may just want to leave it alone.
> 
> Otherwise, solder is your friend.


The entire car doesn't start. The starter shoots out but doesn't spin the engine. I had the starter tested and its fine. The gear spins. All the lights work but the car won't start. The alternator is brand new. I had been fumbling around checking the alternator and while the battery was still connected when I touched that broken wire to the alternator is made a little spark.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

An alternator wouldn't cause an issue with a starter spinning and not causing the engine to turn. Most like cause for that is a stripped area of teeth on the ring gear, assuming the starter has been properly tested. You may want to drop the starter and look at the teeth on the ring gear to see if they are stripped/damaged. If they are, the trans will need to be removed and a new ring gear pressed on to the flywheel. As far as that capacitor, it was used to help reduce electrical noise from the charging system to the audio system; it had nothing to do with starting or charging the vehicle.


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## eishiba (Sep 23, 2009)

smj999smj said:


> An alternator wouldn't cause an issue with a starter spinning and not causing the engine to turn. Most like cause for that is a stripped area of teeth on the ring gear, assuming the starter has been properly tested. You may want to drop the starter and look at the teeth on the ring gear to see if they are stripped/damaged. If they are, the trans will need to be removed and a new ring gear pressed on to the flywheel. As far as that capacitor, it was used to help reduce electrical noise from the charging system to the audio system; it had nothing to do with starting or charging the vehicle.


If the gear on the flywheel was stripped wouldn't there be some kind of rubbing or slipping noise? The starter gear doesn't sound to me like its spinning at all. Only shooting out.


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## i r teh noobz (Apr 26, 2007)

You can still hear the starter motor spin when the ring gear is bad.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

If the starter drive is moving out to engage the ring gear but is not spinning, then the problem is with the starter. In either case the starter has to be removed. While it is out, is would be a good idea to turn the engine manually clockwise with a wrench on the crank bolt (removing the spark plugs will make this easier, but Z31 plugs are a bit of a pain to remove so the choice is yours) while inspecting the condition of the teeth on the flywheel.


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## eishiba (Sep 23, 2009)

I can't hear the gear spin at all. I hear it shoot out and thats it.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Have you tried to turn the motor manually? The only thing that would keep the starter from spinning is a locked-up engine. If the engine turns freely, then you need to replace your starter.


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