Rough running, ECU & Wire Harness

Asked by Leigh Aug 15, 2012 at 12:38 AM about the 1986 Nissan 300ZX Base

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

My 300ZX began running VERY rough (car shaking), would not go past idle and would then shut down. Pressing the accelerator pedal had no effect. The shop, after testing it advised my that I need a new ECU AND wire harness. (I had a similar problem a few moths ago which was traced to an air mass sensor)
Is this type of problem indicative of a bad ECU and Wire Harness?  Is it worth repairing? (I was quoted $1,600.00 for labor and if I can get the parts they would be about $1,000.00. ) (the car has about 340K miles on it)  Thanks.

3 Answers
24,735

aztec626bf answered 12 years ago

With that many miles I would be cautious putting that kind of money into it. The problem could be an ECU and or wire harness. When vehicles get this old wire connectors and connections start to corrode and give problems. This might be why he is talking wire harness.

1 people found this helpful.
Mark helpful
225

Veinticuatro answered 12 years ago

I have a similar problem on my 1990 TT but it only happens after I drive around for about 20 minutes so I was told it could be the coils or the gas pump...your car is probably a different issue since it does it all the time...I am probly binging it to th eguy who rbuilt my engine since he knows these cars very well and will avoid me from spending money on ramdom things....on e advise I can give you is that these car are so old that you dont spent money on them by the book value but becasu eyou love these cars like I do....These cars are timeless classics and when I drive mines around I turn more heads then any of the new cars right now...plus they are super fun to drive when they are running how they should.

4 people found this helpful.
Mark helpful

Your Answer:

Related Questions

  • Rough running, ECU & Wire Harness 3 Answers

    My 300ZX began running VERY rough (car shaking), would not go past idle and would then shut down. Pressing the accelerator pedal had no effect. The shop, after testing it advised my that I need a new ...

    1986 Nissan 300ZX Base

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • Z31 non-turbo running rough 4 Answers

    Car idles and runs rough

    1985 Nissan 300ZX

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • Rough Running 23 Answers

    ok so i have my 91 nissan 300zx turbo with 100,000 miles on it and im a nissan tech so i should be able to figure this out but im sumped anyways, so im wondering if anyone has any ideas? ok so my car ...

    1991 Nissan 300ZX 2 Dr Turbo Hatchback

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • ecu problem???? 1 Answer

    85 300 zx auto turbo does not want to idle (rough) maf checked out ok ecu replaced works well for awhile then right b ack to the same problem. car does not want to go despite pressing down gas pedal....

    1985 Nissan 300ZX 2 Dr Turbo

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • rough idling 2 Answers

    1986 300ZX Turbo. Finally passed smog, had problems at low speed, ran rich. Now, it idles rough, and actually died a couple of times. Never had this problem before. New battery, and starter put in a...

    1986 Nissan 300ZX 2 Dr Turbo

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

300ZX

Looking for a Used 300ZX in your area?

CarGurus has 5 nationwide 300ZX listings and the tools to find you a great deal.

Postal Code:

Shortcuts

Search Nissan 300ZX Questions

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    dandyoun
    Reputation
    410
  • #2
    Jamie Staples
    Reputation
    400
  • #3
    macevanscb
    Reputation
    350
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Chevrolet Corvette
26 Great Deals out of 1,005 listings starting at $11,995
Used Ford Mustang
53 Great Deals out of 1,256 listings starting at $4,995
Used Nissan Skyline
1 listing
Used Toyota Supra
4 Great Deals out of 66 listings starting at $49,988
Used BMW 3 Series
76 Great Deals out of 1,183 listings starting at $1,995
Used BMW M3
7 Great Deals out of 96 listings starting at $15,995
Used Porsche 911
10 Great Deals out of 326 listings starting at $20,988
Used Chevrolet Camaro
26 Great Deals out of 347 listings starting at $10,500

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.