1987 200sx will not start

vividracing · 02-16-2012, 12:32 PM

The symptom you're describing is that the starter isn't getting power. Have you personally confirmed that the battery is good? I've had plenty of parts bad outta the box although never a battery. Check it out anyway. I'd bet that it's a problem with resistance, though. Make sure your connections at the battery are clean and tight. Bend the wires a bit in various spots. There should be no hard spots. The whole wire should be flexible, from end to end. Hard spots = high resistance = lower ability to flow current, which means less power at the end of the wire. Also, check the connections at the starter. Check voltage at the starter as well. Lastly, check all your grounds. You should have a battery to chassis ground, and chassis to engine ground. Make sure both are clean and tight at each end, with no hard spots in the cables.

I'd drop a cap full of oil into each cylinder as well. Also, crank the car with the fuel pump disabled for a few seconds to get some oil movin' around. Honestly I'd just tow the thing to your house. It's a 24 yr old car that's been sitting for 4 or 5 yrs. Definitely needs to be gone through before being driven.

280z/300zx · 02-16-2012, 02:01 PM

A car like this that has been sitting needs to have multiple things checked and done to it. The battery was the first thing but there is still tons more

-Gas in the tank. You should also drop the tank and have it cleaned. If the tank had gas sitting in it for all these years there is now a bunch of rust and debris that are going to clog the fuel lines and injectors

-Check to make sure the car is getting fuel. Check the fuel pump, change the fuel filter, and pull each injector to make sure that fuel will flow from each check point. Tank-to pump-to filter- fuel rail-injectors

-spark plug wires and spark plugs. If the wires are trashed or the plugs used up the car will not want to crank, or if it does not run properly. Plugs and wires are cheap, get a new set of all. You also need to do the cap and rotor, again cheap

-Replace the air filter

-check the starter, alternator, coil, battery cables, battery connections, ground wires, and pretty much any wires you see for corrosion or breakage. While your at it also check all vaccum hoses for similar

Aside from dropping the gas tank all of this is easy, cheap, and quick to do and should give you a good basis of the cars condition; as well as where you need to go next.

Some other things you might want to check out too are the MAF and ECU to make sure they aren't fried or corroded. Not to mention the TPS

02-16-2012, 12:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
vividracing The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gilbert, AZ Age: 39 Posts: 7,306 Drives: 350Z,370Z,GTR Rep Power: 40	The symptom you're describing is that the starter isn't getting power. Have you personally confirmed that the battery is good? I've had plenty of parts bad outta the box although never a battery. Check it out anyway. I'd bet that it's a problem with resistance, though. Make sure your connections at the battery are clean and tight. Bend the wires a bit in various spots. There should be no hard spots. The whole wire should be flexible, from end to end. Hard spots = high resistance = lower ability to flow current, which means less power at the end of the wire. Also, check the connections at the starter. Check voltage at the starter as well. Lastly, check all your grounds. You should have a battery to chassis ground, and chassis to engine ground. Make sure both are clean and tight at each end, with no hard spots in the cables. I'd drop a cap full of oil into each cylinder as well. Also, crank the car with the fuel pump disabled for a few seconds to get some oil movin' around. Honestly I'd just tow the thing to your house. It's a 24 yr old car that's been sitting for 4 or 5 yrs. Definitely needs to be gone through before being driven. __________________ Rocky @ Vivid ♦ 480.966.3040 x236 ♦ Rocky@vividracing.com Email, PM, or call me directly for aggressive The370Z.com member pricing!!!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
How to start	Jbernal15	Nissan 370Z General Discussions	13	03-31-2011 03:46 PM
cold start/push start	chops	Nissan 370Z General Discussions	21	02-14-2011 03:40 AM
3.0L NISSAN VG30E SOHC v6 ENGINE 1987-1989	zvnj	Parts for sale (Private Classifieds)	1	06-17-2010 11:51 PM
1987 Porsche 962 Akin Weaver 935 934 911 RSR IMSA	theDreamer	The Lounge (Off Topic)	10	06-17-2010 11:30 PM
1987 Porsche 944 S Black/black & 1974 Jeep CJ-5	ferrari_rich	Other Vehicle For sale	5	05-25-2010 12:54 AM

02-16-2012, 02:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
280z/300zx Track Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Nevada Posts: 689 Drives: 280z, 300zx, Vette Rep Power: 274	A car like this that has been sitting needs to have multiple things checked and done to it. The battery was the first thing but there is still tons more -Gas in the tank. You should also drop the tank and have it cleaned. If the tank had gas sitting in it for all these years there is now a bunch of rust and debris that are going to clog the fuel lines and injectors -Check to make sure the car is getting fuel. Check the fuel pump, change the fuel filter, and pull each injector to make sure that fuel will flow from each check point. Tank-to pump-to filter- fuel rail-injectors -spark plug wires and spark plugs. If the wires are trashed or the plugs used up the car will not want to crank, or if it does not run properly. Plugs and wires are cheap, get a new set of all. You also need to do the cap and rotor, again cheap -Replace the air filter -check the starter, alternator, coil, battery cables, battery connections, ground wires, and pretty much any wires you see for corrosion or breakage. While your at it also check all vaccum hoses for similar Aside from dropping the gas tank all of this is easy, cheap, and quick to do and should give you a good basis of the cars condition; as well as where you need to go next. Some other things you might want to check out too are the MAF and ECU to make sure they aren't fried or corroded. Not to mention the TPS