[edison]

Hello to all!
I was in this site on the 3th or 4th of this mouth with a problem and got some good advise and would like to say thanks to all that tried to help.

Turns out I needed a new computer and the car started right up. My original problem was the car was starting with the first turn of the key, ran for 2 or 3 seconds and shutting off. When I changed the computer, the problem was solved.

However it turns out I have another one on my hands.

The car has been running for the last couple of days but I got in it today and try to start it and all it does is turn over. I looked at one of my injectors and it's leaking and pissing fuel out of the top of the injector. I guess what I am getting at here is what would make the injector do that? Do I need a new one or whats going on ?

The car was running so nice for a couple of days. You see guys, I just bought the car and its the first fuel injected car I have owned, therfore I don't know much about fuel injectors. I also don't know when was the last time the car had any kind of work like that if you know what I mean, but I am quite willing to do what ever it takes to make her as reliable as possible.
Anyway please get back to me about my injector problem and thanks again for the help the last time .

 

[yo2001]

You don't want that injector leaking . I've seem many dead EFI Z car in the junk yard with burn engine because of injector leak. you may be able to tighten the clamp but you should get rebuide kit and change out the injectors too.

 

[79-280-ZX]

yo2001 is correct, fix the leak fast, do not drive the car until you do.

Get a FSM for your vehicle you will need it to fix / diagnose your vehicle.

In the future, please, try to indicate the Year, Make and Model somewhere in your post each time you post. This info will get you better responses from people that know exactly what you have. Also, if you include some indication of where, on the planet, you are located you may get a response from someone who lives close enough to actually help you fix your problem.

Wayne Monteath
Masham, Quebec.

 

[JR]

Things to look for if you don't know much about injectors:
1) They should all look the same, have the same color plastic body and look about the same vintage. It's not a good idea to replace them individually (they should all be replaced), so if that's been done, you know something has gone wrong before. Problems could be in either the new ones or the old ones.
2) Injectors — and every other hose on a fuelie system — needs special high-pressure hose clamps. Regular 'slotted' hose clamps WILL NOT WORK and will cause leaks like you describe. If that's what's on your system, be very suspect of the work done because whoever did it didn't know what he was doing. Replace all clamps with the correct ones.
3) Fuel injection hose rubber sometimes goes bad, but the injector is still okay. (California's new 'cleaner' gasoline blend introduced about five years ago tended to eat rubber fuel components; within weeks after its introduction, my '82 ZXT developed fuel leaks all over the fuel system. I ended up replacing all fuel line and injectors.) You CAN replace the hoses only, although it's a bitch. You have to remove the fuel rail, remove each injector, cut the (pressed-fit) injector end of the hose apart and then replace the hose with one of exact length. Be sure to use ONLY high-pressure fuel injection line for this. Regular fuel line or vacuum tubing won't work. You will also need to buy more fuel-injection hose clamps to put at the injector end of the hose.
4) You can usually tell pretty easily if injectors are all working the same. When the engine is running, put the blade end of a long screwdriver on the injector body and the other end in your ear. All injectors should make the same clicking sound at about the same volume and the same frequency.
5) If your engine idles roughly and you suspect injectors, unplug one injector connector at a time and listen for any change in idle. If the idle gets even rougher, that injector is okay. If idle does not change with one of the injectors unplugged, that injector might not be working right. (It also might be the spark plug, though).
I'm not sure if injectors 'wear out' but I do know they get plugged pretty easily. Dirt in fuel system of course causes this, but I've seen it most often in cars that have sat for years and the fuel turns to varnish. Clogging causes their normal symmetrical spray pattern to come out more like a drippy shower head and results in decreased performance, rough idle and other glitchy problems. There is no way I know of for a home mechanic to test the spray pattern.
If you suspect that one or more injectors may be bad, you have two choices, get them cleaned, which costs about $15-$30 apiece (there are a billion places that do this, type 'fuel injector service' into any search engine), or buy new or rebuilt ones. Cheapest ones I've seen are made by Spearco and cost $16 apiece a couple of years ago. I have these in my '76 now and they seem to work fine. When I did my ZXT I put NAPA rebuilt injectors in. Car never ran quite the same, and I didn't track down why until after I sold it. Seems NAPA doesn't show different injectors for N/A Z cars and turbos. So I might have put N/A injectors in it. Oh well, live and learn.
In the long run, if you're like me, you will learn to love fuel injection. It's not nearly as "fiddley" as carburetors (unless you like fiddling, of course). Just make sure you have clean fuel and clean electrical connections on all your components.

 

[edison]

You are right my friend, I guess I should slow down a little.
The year of the car would be nice for sure, what part of the globe I' m from might be helpful also but anyway thanks for the adivice I will keep those things in mind when I am posting in the future.
By the way the car is a 1981 280 zx and I live in the Newmarket area of Ontairo. Like I say I will try to make sure that I include that bit of info the next time thanks again



matt -z
holland landing
ont. canada

 

[79-280-ZX]

Yuh see, that was not so difficult, eh!

You can get injectors from Canadian Tire (of all places) they had them for $77.03 each last year. I do not have the CTC part number but I could get it for you if interested.

Can you describe exactly where the fuel is leaking from? Maybe you only need new "O" rings, at about $7.00 for a set of six. (CTC of course)

Both of these products are from SMP / Bleue Streak. (that is how Labatt spells Bleue in Quebec)

What kind of clamps are on the rubber hose holding the upper part of the hose to the fuel rail? Solid stainless steel or gear clamps?

Is there a clamp on the bottom part of the hose near the injector? There should not be.

In any event you are only a Z'ed tank full of gas away, unless we get snow (I hate that 4 letter word)!

Wayne Monteath
Masham, Quebec

 

[edison]

This reply is for Jr.

Thanks for the info. Everthing you said is news to me when it comes to injectors but I will say that just looking at the wires on the top of the injectors they are cracked and the brass clips on the top are loose. I am not 100 pre cent where it is leaking out from but it looks like it is right on the top, right under or beside that brass clip.

I will take your advise when I do replace the injector, I will do them all. Like I was saying before I just bought the car and I do plan on keeping the car and making it as original as possible. I had a 1972 240 a couple of years ago that had a carb , by the way the car we are talking about now is a1981 280 zx non turbo.

I do like the cars and I have no plans of ever selling this one. Anyway this web site is great to be able to ask a quesion this way and get so much feed back . Well what can I say, I am new on the internet too. Anyways, thanks for your advise .By the way if you were going to do a total tune up on the fuel system what would you buy and how would you go about it? Thanks again

Matt-z
HollandLanding Ont .Canada

 

[alfred]

I was scanning the topics and found your problem with the injector. I have a 1981, 280ZX also. One of my injector's started leaking around the top last week, so I ordered a new injector and just came in from putting the new injector in. Kind of a pain in the ass the first time trying to figure out how to remove the fuel rail and all. But it is really not hard when you have done it once. Good Luck.
Lamar

 

[john cross]

Just nwanted to add my .02 to everyone's input. I just went through the process of addressing injector problems. I came out from work one day and tooka look under my hood. It is a habit formed from years of solving problems on my '78 Z-car. I was shocked to see a very fine stream of gas coming from the middle of one of the injector gas lines and pissing down on top of my engine. The whole engine top surface looked wet. I was scared. I went home that night and got to work. Luvkily, I had the Fuel Injection video from ztherapy to help me. I order new everything from Motorsport.

I guess my main input is only do what you need to do, but ther eis nothing wrong with the Full Monty, it is just a question of $$. I purchased new o-rings, injectors, etc. i ended up cancelling the injectors, based on $$. I also put the old o-rings back in , in the interest of time.

It is likely that you have a gas leaks from one or more of the fuel lines. So, you have to take it apart. You should replkace all of the lines, not just one. You will notice an increase in power, as I did, because more gas is getting to the cylinders. While you are at it, you may as well replafce the o-rings (small and large), because they are cheap. However, I would not replace the injectors unlkess you know they are leaking. If the injector itself is leaking (not the fuel line above it), the injector is done. ANd the ablove advice is correct, do not just replace one. Do 'em all.

However, it is likely you injectors are fine and it is just the gas lines that are leaking. If that is the case, you are better off to invest in new fuel harness connectors (what plugs into the injectors). They cost about $15 each and are well woprth replacing. I noticed a huge increase in power in my Zed and it just ran a lot better.

I still have a bit of an uneven firing in my engine, likely because some of my injectors are little off. That is a project for next year. I can live with it. The car is much safer, and a whole loit better than it was before. THe electrical problem fr outweighed the injector problem.

Good luck.