Questions and Answers

Datsun 510 Dies In Drive Q. 1972 Datsun 510 1600 engine automatic transmission, has new distributor, timing chain and gears, carburetor rebuilt. When car is put in gear, reverse or drive, it will move about ten feet and die. If you stall test it the engine does not die, only if the car moves any suggestions? Thanks, Mike

A. I'll be honest with you, I have never seen a Datsun 510 do this and I have owned three of them. The 610 and 710 had the same engines and transmissions and I never saw any of them do this either. They had some funky control systems on those things too, so it could be anything.

I guess I would want to eliminate the possibility of an ignition problem first. Run a fused jumper wire from the battery positive terminal to the coil positive terminal and drive it. If it keeps going, you know you have an ignition problem. If not, you have a fuel supply problem. Probably the fuel pump.

Once we know what's being lost, it will be that much easier to find the cause.