My Zeds Journey begins

Discussion in 'Non Technical' started by STocKi, Dec 18, 2015.

  1. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    Hello All.. I would like to start a thread on my car but if this is not the correct place to do so could a Mod shift me to the correct place please.

    I have just recently picked up a 90 TT Zed and have noticed some issues with it in the last couple of days.. I hope to settle my mind and have this car running as it should but I obviously need some help and guidance as I'm still 'fresh' but not an idiot so I know eventually I would be able to diagnose and perhaps help others in the future. So here goes..

    These are the things I'm noticing in the first couple of days from driving.. some issues may be worse than others but I hope the more experienced owners out there can lend me their thoughts on how to proceed...

    First thing I noticed was the boost gauge sits at zero.. and doesnt move..as soon as you turn the key.. it jumps to zero and wont budge..
    Likewise with the oil pressure gauge, it seems temperamental.. sometimes when I start it will hover between 2 and 4 and then drop to zero while I'm driving.. I have however seen it work as its supposed to a couple of times, that is, it will be around 4 and move higher as the throttle is pressed..

    My Temp gauge seems almost too quick to jump up to half way.. there is no real steady climb to normal temp.. after a minute or so it just seems to jump straight to midway. At the moment is seems to stay around 60% and when I have the aircon turned on and sitting in traffic it climbs only a little bit..maybe 70-75% normal?

    On my initial drive home along the freeway I started hearing a warning chime.. immediately looking at the cluster I saw no lights but then discovered that when I go beyond 105km/hr I hear the chime. as far as I'm aware the car has no over speed alert and therefore have no idea where its coming from.


    Drivers side door key lock is not working. my key just turns the barrel but it doesnt seem to catch onto anything. There does feel like theres tension when I turn the key left to right and it doesnt turn 360 degrees so I'm hoping that I dont have to change the whole barrel. I'm wondering could it be the key cylinder door lock actuator as I've read that these are prone to fail? I'm asking now as I would like to have some sort of idea before I take the door card off to have a look.

    On the second day, I started the vehicle for the first time and had the HICAS warning light on the dash.. it disappeared while I sat warming her up before I drove off.

    I will be looking at doing a service asap.. I dont like the oil colour at the moment and i dont have any equipment to check for codes or what not.
    Is there a member on the forums from PZP that I might be able to drop a line and see when and what type of service could be provided?

    So there it is.. The first few troubling issues I have on my mind, overall the car feels good. I seem to have feedback through my gearstick, my pedals have a bit of play but seem to work ok and the steering feels alright but I can not be sure untill someone with more experience tells me how it really should be.

    Thanking in Advance :zlove:
     
  2. skintsaint

    skintsaint New Member

    I had this, top up your power steering fluid, but use Dextron III ATF. If you top it up and the light comes on again within a few weeks you may need to look at replacing the steering pressure hose.

    Regarding temps, mine normally sits at about 60%.

    PZP are pretty good for a service, know their stuff.
     
  3. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    Cheers mate.. thats actually one level I have not checked yet. My driveway is on a steep(ish) climb and maybe that was the cause from sitting overnight. I will be checking it shortly

    I will be contacting PZP in the next couple of days to organize a viewing :)

    ..one more thing I forgot to mention is the stench of fuel when I start her up..its almost dizzying. But again.. I wouldn't know where to begin looking.
     
  4. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    I've just finished talking to the previous owner and he is admirant that the warning chime at 105Km/hr is Normal. I have never read or heard about a factory speed warning sound from anybody before... hell, I had a 92 300zx auto that had no such warning sounds. Is this a normal feature on the TT manuals or should I stay with my instincts in thinking She's trying to tell me something is wrong?
     
  5. graysonvario

    graysonvario New Member

    Welcome to the forum mate
    I disconnected the chime by pulling the cluster out as soon as i got home from buying my car. Driving from syd to the Sunshine coast QLD with that dam faint BING noise drove me nuts.

    skintsaint is right about the HICAS light and the fluid level. I did the same and fixed my problem.

    As for the key, I'm currently having the same problem when you work it out let me know or vise versa.

    Regarding the temp Gauge it has 3 resisters built into it, when it reaches a certain temp the needle moves up to a certain point. and then again up to half way when its fully warmed up. The third resistor takes it all the way to the top and buy that time well...... its pretty much cooked.....
    (feel free to correct me anyone if this is not correct)


    With any new purchase of a zed, if you do not know the previous owner or its history it's best off to grab yourself a 100k service kit for piece of mind. That way you have yourself a good platform so start your build if you intend to.

    Good luck mate and be sure to keep us up to date
     
  6. Blissfully

    Blissfully U wot m8

    All imported 300zx's will have the chime at 105kph. Aus spec do not. Check out our tech section - there is guide there that will show you how to remove the chime.
     
  7. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    mate thankyou so much for your input.. So the chime is indeed a normal feature?... phweew. Now I'll have to find the thread (if there is one) of how to remove it lol But atleast I know now its not something trying to warn me (except speeding!)

    Yeah its annoying to be opening the car from the passengers side all the time.. if only I had a missus it may be useful and score me some brownie points but it looks like I have no choice but to pull the door card and have a look. I'll keep you updated :)

    The timing belt service is the plan because I've heard too many different stories from the previous owner. The actual owner is his Girlfriend and he 'inherited' the vehicle from her.. apparently its a one owner vehicle once it arrived in Aus.. There are some items on the car that suggest this is true but he couldnt tell me for sure %100 that the 100K service was done or not.
    This is the reason why I wish to see PZP.

    --really have to work out how to thank peeps on this forum--

    Thanks again :cool:
     
  8. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    Cheers Bliss.. you beat me at posting mate.. I will be checking that section out :)
     
  9. Blissfully

    Blissfully U wot m8

  10. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    Looks like I know what I'll be doing this week end mate lol..

    just spent the last three hours or so reading about various things..

    - Oil pressure senders
    -Boost gauge diagnostics
    - A-Z of Zed overheating
    - and more importantly ECU diagnostics
     
  11. CARZ

    CARZ Member

    This fixes the door lock problem for good!
    https://conceptzperformance.com/Cart/description.php?II=8365
    Nissan having made this part with plastic is a good example of in-built obsolescence... Wouldn't bother pulling the door card off to have a look until you've got one of these or you'll simply be pulling the door card off twice. Some people just fit a remote central locking kit instead of replacing this part
     
  12. scottyoz1962

    scottyoz1962 Active Member

  13. gmbrezzo

    gmbrezzo Moderator

    Welcome to the nuthouse STocKi.
    These "problems" you are running into are the norm here.
    We all go through these. All part of the slow descend into insanity and zero savings.

    The "chime" for some reason I always get the urge to order a packet of peanuts like on the plane. A sports exhaust drone usually drowns out the chime. LOL
    These guys are giving you good advice.
    Temp gauges and oil pressure senders are notorious for not being accurate that is why most fit after market gauges.

    If your worried about the temp a good coolant system flush and service would serve you well, as well as a new thermostat.
    These cars are all about preventative maintenance, not fixing problems as they arise, though some previous owners neglect this.
    This might help you out, a Mechanical Check List
    It could help build a history of the car and what else you need to do.
    Have fun and look forward to reading how things are progressing.
    Oh one last thing, professional servicing can be expensive on theses cars. Be prepared.
    its not like they will rip you, but as all of us know, to get to the part you need to replace you have to remove seven other items first to get to last bolt. Patents is your friend.
     
  14. gmbrezzo

    gmbrezzo Moderator

    Get that fuel smell problem sorted, or at least have good insurance.
    The problem is probably what we call "the bastard hose".
    Its a connecting hose between the two fuel rails under the throttle cable linkage, behind the timing belt covers.
    Check all your fuel hose connections and tighten if possible.
     
  15. MikeZ32

    MikeZ32 das Über member

    You probably need new fuel hoses throughout the engine bay. Get that sorted ASAP.

    As for the boost gauge, 3 reasons I can think of why it isn't working:
    - the vacuum hose for the boost sensor is split and the sensor isn't reading any boost
    - the sensor itself is faulty
    - boost leak and the car doesn't build boost (least likely since it'll drive like an absolute pig if this is the case)

    The oil pressure gauge: it's common for old oil pressure sensors to read 0 once car warms up. Mine did that, it would work when it's cold and the oil is thick. Once the oil heats up it drops to 0 and never moves again. Solution is to replace the oil pressure sender from under the engine.

    Lastly that water temp gauge is notoriously inaccurate. You need to get someone with ECU talk to plug it in and see what the actual temperature is which the ECU sees.
     
  16. scottyoz1962

    scottyoz1962 Active Member

  17. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    Thank you for your input guys;) After spending a few hours last night reading the tech section I know now what I'm experiencing is the norm and will be actively canceling out the problems one by one.

    I see why they call it the 'bastard hose' quite fitting lol
    This morning I walked around the car and noticed the smell mainly from the passenger side. Popped the bonnet and sniffed around like a hound while inspecting hoses and clamps.. the strongest area of smell is around the fuel filter.
    Around the bastard hose location it didnt smell abnormally.. there is a slight fuelish smell but not as potent as from the fuel filter side.. I will be purchasing a new filter next week and some suitable hose to begin replacing what I can

    I did read last night about the boost gauge common issues and I had a look at the hoses but nothing is obvious in the way of split hoses so I'm guessing at this stage before I give all the conections a good clean that its the sensor itself. I will be taking pics later today and posting them here.. maybe someone will see something that I dont.

    I agree with you on e the OPS sensor. From what I've read, I have the tell tale symptoms of this sensor failing. The gauge seems to work when cold but then dies off of warm engine is at operating temp and just hangs at zero.. another item to be placed on the christmas list ;)

    Thanks to all so far for your contributions and time to write.. If there is a moderator reading this, may I PLEASE be able to post pics now and could you please explain how I can 'Thank' those that are giving me advice.

    I'm off now to give her my first vacuum and wash.. happy days :zlove:
     
  18. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    Cheers mate.. I will be tackling this hose and others as soon as my wallet recovers..lol
     
  19. scottyoz1962

    scottyoz1962 Active Member

    As soon as your wallet recovers ? :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: ,,,,,,,,,, hate to poopoo on your dreams, no such thing as wallet recovery when owning a Zed. It's cheaper owning 2 wives.

    But on a serious note, make sure you get the right fuel hose and clamps, don't skimp or it'll burn you literally. Best time to do those is when you do a full plenum pull, maybe organize a tech day at your place, plenty of food, drinks and bikini girls will ensure a lot of help :D . Even if only a couple of very knowledgeable lads show up, trust me you'll learn more and get more done in one day than you could on your own in a month.
     
  20. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    I am most definitely up for a tech day.. I was planning on a introduction to the club bbq but I think a tech day would be much needed also.. some Portuguese style meat on spit and plenty of Corona and drinks would be abundant.. just not sure on the bikini aspect.. but I do know a few..:p

    ..Should I begin a new thread for the Tech day? I would obviously need to purchase the goodies (for the car,not food) first and be sure I have all that is needed before the day.

    The fuel smell is most certainly coming from the passenger side, I've been cleaning and what not today and turned the car on ignition a couple of times but it hasnt been started today yet, but just standing outside the car with the bonnet down you can smell it.
    Ive just gone around so far and re-tightened all the screw clamps that I'm able to reach but it still very fragrant.
     

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