Cranked the 240Z
Today I decided to get the old 240Z going. Since we’ll be moving soon, I don’t want to pay for a rollback to come pick it up and move it for me, I want to drive it to the new house. So I hooked up some cables to my truck and to the Z and I let it sit and charge for a while (unfortunately I left my battery charger out in the rain and it just doesn’t feel smart to plug it in now). So after a while it got some juice and I was able to get her to turn over… but she wouldn’t start. Now she’s sat for at least 8 months if not a little longer, only been pushed out of the way when I mow the grass… so this isn’t totally suprising. I took the air filter off and sprayed some starter fluid into the carbs and with very little trouble she started right up.
Then the popping starts. It sputters and it acts like it’s going to die. I give it some gas and it goes POP and white smoke puffs out of the carbs. What is this? I’m not familiar with this. So I decided to go get my camcorder and video tape it for the Z forums for some advice. But by the time I got out there ready to record it’s warmed up and it’s not doing it anymore.
I drove it to a friends house and we caught up, hadn’t seen each other in a few months. After a couple of hours I go back out and hop in, it starts right up with no troubles. I drive to the end of his street and the engine cuts off. When I try to turn it back on… it won’t turn over. Bummer. So I called my friend and he came and jumped me off and followed me home. Think it’s time to get the alternator tested.
Here’s the video I recorded.
Saturday, January 12th, 2008