SteveJ

Thank you for mentioning that. The ones that were shorted to ground were the 10 AWG white/red at either end of C-5. It is curious that two wires that are independent from each other, as far as I can tell, are both shorted. Of course, there could be some previous owner shenanigans at play.

If you come up here, you could take her to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame (https://www.facebook.com/georgiaracinghof/). No visit to this area is complete without it. Just ask @240260280 or @Captain Obvious. That place really outshines the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coke COMBINED!

That's probably over a 7 hour drive each way, but I suppose it could be done.

So in case anybody is curious... I went over to @lefty7126's house today. We tested for continuity between the fusible links holder and the negative cable of the battery. Unfortunately, as I suspected, we found continuity. I moved down to the shunt, unplugged it, and found continuity between the downstream side (away from the fusible link) of the wiring harness and ground. I traced through the wiring diagram for the white/red wire, and we continued to diagnose. First we removed the connection to the alternator. No change. Then we removed the C-6 connector on the engine to dash harness. Still no change. Next we disconnected the C-5 connection. That broke the short. There are two white/red wires on C-5. One goes to the ignition switch, and the other goes to the headlight switch. I disconnect both switches. Each end of both wires had continuity to ground. That was our stopping point for the day. Lefty's dad is going to pull the dash, and I'm going to return over Labor Day weekend. I believe the dash was out before, and maybe some wires got pinched on the re-installation. It's always good to meet a fellow enthusiast who is willing to get his hands dirty. @Jeff Berk, I looked at the build date of the car. It's 10/74, making it a "late" 260Z. Some components were rearranged from the early 260Z. The split-loom in the photo actually covers AC lines. There are some other wiring issues to sort out in the car, and those will be easier to deal with once the dash is out. The car looks to have good bones, too, so it should be a good starting point for Lefty's projects. @Pat Carr, we ended up going to a great no-name restaurant co-located with a Mexican grocery store.

Well, I fast-forwarded to the end. To my disappointment, there were no robot women at the end.

Nice breakdown in the video. Good diagnostics starts with a good problem description. When you had it isolated to the switch, you and I could both see how it needed to be tested. Once you isolated the component, you could find the root cause. That's exactly how it's done. Not once did I notice you wanting to "throw a part at it" to fix a problem. Hell, even I have been guilty of that many times.

Do a visual inspection, looking for damaged insulation or signs of melted tape on the harness. If the problem is with the switch, you should be able to see it grounding out either against the switch body or the ground wire (orange arrow in the attached image). The pins that have color are the only ones that should not be grounded during normal operation. If I understand you correctly, you should check the pins at the green and blue squares for continuity with the ground wire and switch body when you press the washer button. You can disconnect the 9 wire connector and ground wire to test.

Yes, that's John Morton behind the wheel, and he's still got it, too. He placed 6th (and the first Z car) in a field littered with IMSA Porsches. Just look at the entry list for class 4A: http://www.mazdaraceway.com/sites/main/files/file-attachments/7-27-2017_rmmr.pdf Of course, not all of those cars were running last weekend, but there were more Porsches behind him than in front of him.

It has a Magnaflow muffler, no resonator, 2.5 inch exhaust with MSA headers. After driving in the mountains, I found I need to run 93 octane in it. The 90 octane ethanol free just doesn't cut it.

I did the Xenon air dam on my 260Z along with stainless steel bumpers. There is a version of the Xenon air dam for the 280Z that doesn't have the lower turn signals.

Ouch

At Laguna Seca for the Pre-Historics

The Georgia Z Club held a Gumball Rally today. For the rally, you are given a set of vague directions and questions about various landmarks along the way. For these drives, it is VERY helpful to have a navigator. My wife declined to attend, so I just showed up at the beginning, found out the end point, and went on my own drive. Good fortune was with me today as I had some nice uninterrupted stretches going out and coming back to allow for some spirited driving. It was a good Z day. By the way, if you make it out for ZCON in Atlanta next year, you can drive these roads, too.

I want to say this sounds similar to the problems @Redwing was having two years ago that eventually ended up with replacing the AFM and ECU.

Does Canadian spec mean that when you press the horn button, you hear a voice yell out, "Oh, sorry!"?

If that is regular wire, all I can say is DON'T DO IT! You need to use fusible link wire of the proper gauge, otherwise you risk burning up your wiring.

And THAT is why you need to get the fusible links I posted the part number for and do testing before installing them so you don't blow out more.

That's not all. If you notice, the main wiring harness is wrapped in a split loom. That makes me think someone has "worked" on it. I think some components were re-arranged in the engine bay when the "late" 260Zs were produced. Things like this are why I like to put my hands (and test equipment) on a car rather than guess online.

First get replacement fusible links. I would suggest having backup links as well. You need Nissan part numbers 24161-A0100 and 24161-28500. You should be able to give those numbers to the parts department at Gwinnett Place Nissan or Stone Mountain Nissan. If neither dealership will help you, you could order them from http://www.courtesyparts.com. In a pinch, you can get the black and green links from http://www.zcarparts.com or http://www.zcardepot.com, but you will pay more. After you get the replacement fusible links, don't install them. Find the addresses for the best BBQ and best Mexican food places near you. Invite me over to assess what's going on with your electrical system and take me to lunch afterward. Oh, and have a 6 pack of Diet Dew bottles on hand. Don't get the regular stuff. I only drink diet. I can pencil you in for the weekend of the 19th. That should give you enough time to get the fusible links and have a fully charged battery. I'll show up with the proper diagnostic equipment, and I will probably be able to get your car running or give you a pretty good idea of why it won't run. By the way, I like to get off to an early start so I can be done before the heat of the day. Also, go to the downloads section here and download the factory service manual: http://www.classiczcars.com/files/category/12-260z/ You should also download a wiring diagram. Here is where you can find one: http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/electrical.htm. Download the GIF file of the 260Z wiring diagram. If you want to take me up on my offer, send me a PM with your first and last name, address and phone number.

There was a good discussion on this subject a while back.

http://www.classiczcars.com/store/ - If you want to support this site and keep it online http://www.carpartsmanual.com 24013-N3600 2 SEATER 2+2 SEAT ER MANUAL 24013-N3601 2 SEATER 2+2 SEAT ER Neither source would describe the difference between the two.

http://xenonzcar.com/s30/VIN.html

Give me enough notice. I might be able to go with you.

I had to dig up this old thread. Today at Caffeine and Octane (Atlanta's version of Cars and Coffee) a guy parked behind me with a 240Z. In the engine bay was a 2010 Camaro V6. He said he had to shave the oil pan to get it to clear on the bottom. Unfortunately, the pan material will soak in some oil, and he said the new welds were weeping some oil. So, it will definitely fit. I think the center console had to be modified to fit the manual transmission. Sorry, no photos now, but he doesn't live too far from me. If he starts showing up to club events, I will get some photos.

Yes, you should be able to jumper the contacts at the connector. I'll try to see if I have any video or photos of when I cleaned the switch.