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Comments
Right after, the car died. Now it won't crank at all. Everything else inside seems to work (lights, radio, and dashboard)
I turn the key to the Run position everything but the odometer works (odometer reads all dashes, ------ )
Turn the key to Start position and Nothing. Will not crank, not even a relay click. This all happened instantly after the cleaning.
I was driving it 10 minutes prior to that. I've since replaced the 8 year old battery, but still no difference.
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated, Thanks.
And I've had No starting issues prior to this. It always worked fine.
Now I can't even get it out of Park. Turn the key to the Run position and apply the brake. It won't come out of park. I use to be able to do that.
With the Odometer reading all dashes, ( ------- ), and not being able to get it out of Park, makes me wonder if the ECM took a voltage spike or something.
Like I said, I was driving it 10 minutes before this, with No prior problems at all.
It just had a lot of corrosion build up on the battery, so I clean it with a wire brush and a little baking soda and water. That took about 5 mins, then I jumped in, to move it, and found this. Thanks again...
My daughter owns a 1989 nissan stanza. It is her first car, and is used to get to school and her part time job. The car has 150,000 miles on it, but is in very good condition for it age. During the last three weeks, we have had a problem on two occasions with it starting. The engine turns over fine, but it will not start. On both occasions, the car had been driven about 5 miles, cut off for a short period of time, and would not restart. Also, maybe just coincidence, but on both occasions it has just been filled up with gas. When it happened today, I raised the hood and proceeded to look for loose connections, etc. I removed both coil wires from the distributor cap, and it is getting voltage up to the cap, with the ignition key on, according to the meter I checked it with. I removed a plug wire from one of the intake plugs and had her to crank the engine, but didn't show any voltage coming out of the wire. We tried about 15 times to get it to start with no results. I had her to cut the key off, and while I was looking around the engine for something else to check, I heard a metallic click, like a relay closing. I had her to try it again, and the car started up. We cut it off, and restarted it about 15 times with no problems. Auto electrical systems is not one of my strong points. I thought about carrying it to the shop, but I am afraid with an intermittent problem such as this, they would not be able to track it down, and would charge an arm and leg trying to find it. I really need to get this fixed before it leaves her stranded. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!
I am having the exact problem with my 1995 Nissan Maxima.Look under 1995 Nissan Max hard start and Nissan Maxima problems for details of what I am going through. Maybe we will find a solution soon...
My daughter owns a 1989 nissan stanza. It is her first car, and is used to get to school and her part time job. The car has 150,000 miles on it, but is in very good condition for it age. During the last three weeks, we have had a problem on two occasions with it starting. The engine turns over fine, but it will not start. On both occasions, the car had been driven about 5 miles, cut off for a short period of time, and would not restart. Also, maybe just coincidence, but on both occasions it has just been filled up with gas. When it happened today, I raised the hood and proceeded to look for loose connections, etc. I removed both coil wires from the distributor cap, and it is getting voltage up to the cap, with the ignition key on, according to the meter I checked it with. I removed a plug wire from one of the intake plugs and had her to crank the engine, but didn't show any voltage coming out of the wire. We tried about 15 times to get it to start with no results. I had her to cut the key off, and while I was looking around the engine for something else to check, I heard a metallic click, like a relay closing. I had her to try it again, and the car started up. We cut it off, and restarted it about 15 times with no problems. Auto electrical systems is not one of my strong points. I thought about carrying it to the shop, but I am afraid with an intermittent problem such as this, they would not be able to track it down, and would charge an arm and leg trying to find it. I really need to get this fixed before it leaves her stranded. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!
It is an intermittent problem, but you've already identified a key symptom.....which was a relay that clicked. Had the no-start problem, but then a relay clicked and worked fine. Many cars have a relay which is turned on by the ignition switch, and supplies the main 'ignition' power to the vehicle. Could be this relay is bad.
I would suggest you also check the status of your battery, and corrosion on the terminals. Should have 13+ volts, and an auto-supply store (pep boys, autozone,etc) will verify that your alternator and battery are working as needed. You should visually check the battery terminals for corrosion, clean with baking soda and wire brush if needed. If you had low voltage, the relay might not have enough voltage to turn on.
Someone with electrical schematics could zero right on what relay it might be, and where the relay is mounted.
I tried it again every few hours for a couple of days when, finally, it started up, and drove about 40 miles as if nothing happened. Drove fine nearly every day until I pulled up to a stop light and the engine died; just as if I had run out of gas. Wouldn't re-start. I sat there a minute and it started but quickly shut down. Then it started and I got home, a couple miles away, just fine.
Today, I drove it 10 miles with no problems.
Someone tries to tell me it's the fuel pump but I have trouble understanding how I can drive so far on a bad fuel pump. Not that I would know. The car has not been driven very often, lately, and the air conditioning is running through all this. I had two sensors replaced, recently, when the the engine acted in a "halting" manner, jerking as I drove, then failing to start. These were replaced six weeks previous.
What's said is, as I said, it runs beautifully when it runs. Any ideas?
fliter.Has spark but will not start
thanks
jbabb
- You checked for spark, and have it
- You should check compression on the cylinders, that will eliminate timing belt or valve/headgasket problems (assuming you have good compression in each cylinder)
- If above checks out, then it must be you don't have fuel right yet.
as of yet.And also car has less then 70,0000 miles on it After going to town and stoping by to see a freind the car would not restart.So the car sat for a little while until we could get to it. Is there a relay within the FI system that could of gone bad?
My fuel gage was pegged so I installed a different speedometer/gage assembly from a 2003 P.A., salvage yard purchase. At this time I also changed the factory radio to a factory radio that has a C.D. player. It appears that the fuel gage and radio function just fine. The problem is that now when I turn the ignition to on, all of the system check light activate, but when I turn the key to start all the display goes out and there is no attempt to start the car. Next I walked the original fuel gage counter-clockwise back to empty and reinstalled the original speedometer cluster. The same symptoms exist, but the fuel gage works. Is there an issue with the Pass key III security system? Please share any thoughts! Thanks much, Dave
* digg
Sounds like it is running a rich mixture, which allows it to start when cold....and is giving you the gas smell when it's hot.
Check for loose battery terminal connector, or corrosion. Suspect battery side of cables first, but also look at where the positive connects to the starter, and where the negative ground connects to the frame or block.
If you can get it running, go to an autoparts chain and have them do a battery and alternator load test. This will confirm that the alternator is putting out the correct voltage and current, and the battery is holding the charge okay.
If all that checks out, then check that your ignition switch isn't bad. A vehicle 13 years old has had a lot of starts and key dangling.............
This past winter, has been the worst winter of them all...
I have had to charge/jump start my car every single morning and night for the past 3 months!!! I don't have the money right now to fix whatever the heck is wrong with it. I just want to know what it is, so i can start planning to get it fixed. Either that... or I'm contemplating selling the piece of junk for $2000 even though I paid $10,000 for it.
Please, Please help me!!!
Okay, sarcasm aside, excuse me, but I cant' see why a competent mechanic could not easily do the following:
1. load test your battery
2. bench test the alternator for output/shorts/belt tension/etc
3. test the car for a battery drain using a voltmeter.
4. Test starter amperage draw with a heavy duty ammeter/tester.
This is Mechanics 101. I think your problem is not insisting on DATA to support the opinions of people who are advising you.
Car ran fine turned off and now it just spins the engine no spark or gas
The lights and the radio both come on fine, but when I turn the key to start the engine, I hear nothing but a single click and no other sound. Nothing else happens. I'm at a loss to figure out what to do and how I can repair this. I replaced the battery 6 months ago when it died then, so I'm fairly certain the battery itself isn't the issue. Could it have something to do with the starter? I have no idea. Also, I know there is plenty of gas in the car as well.
If anyone could help me find the solution to this problem I would be really grateful, I'm kinda worried because I rely on my car for a lot of things up here, particularly getting home when I need to because my parents are rarely able to come get me. If it comes to getting it repaired by professional mechanics, then I think I'm done for, because I don't have the money to pay for the $100+ that I assume I'd get charged, or the tow to get it to the mechanic in the first place. Any help would be much appreciated!
I'll speak generically, because I don't have electrical schematics for your vehicle, but it would surprise me if it was somehow different. When you turn the key to start position (assuming security is all met), a 'start' relay or solenoid on the starter motor gets energized (the solenoid is nothing more than a relay), that is called the 'primary' winding. That winding creates a magnetic field, which pulls down an armature, making a connection between a set of 'secondary' points. Those higher current secondary points connect the battery voltage to the starter motor. The starter motor should spin, engage the flywheel, and turn over the motor so that it starts.
You have to figure out whether the problem is either the relay, or the starter motor. Hang a test wire on the terminal of the starter motor, and monitor the voltage with a digital voltmeter.
- If you have 13ish volts on that terminal, and the starter doesn't turn, then you know it's a starter motor problem. Replace the starter motor.
- If you don't get the required voltage, then either the relay isn't being told to energize or turn on, -or- it's properly energized but the secondary points aren't connecting. Hang a test lead on the primary to the relay. If when you turn the key the voltage to the primary goes to 13 volts, then the relay or solenoid is bad. If you don't get 13 volts to pick the relay, then back up into the ignition switch to make sure it is making the correct contact.
Looking at your starter would tell you whether it is just a starter motor and the 'relay' is up in one of the fuse terminal blocks.....or whether the starter motor has a solenoid hanging off the side of it. You could potentially also ask an autoparts store whether it has a solenoid, or there is a separate start relay.