Nissan_GXE_won't start

By mous on 12/26/08 11:18am
7 Comments

1.6L Won't start.
Plugs replaced.

3 time in 36 months.
Always cold at time of failure.
Jan 2000 Dec 2000 Jan 2001

Things eliminated.
Gas put in nearly empty tank.
Plugs (already but yes again replaced later after oil dropped into cylinders for compression check)

Fuel pump is within spec and fuel comes out of the OUT side of the under hood filter.

Plugs have aroma of gas and cab/choke type spray
Airfilter is clean (relatively new)

Symtom began after turning car off(RUNNING FINE) Thursday night. Friday morning after 15degrees temperature outside would not hit a lick when ignition turns engine over.

Mileage is 80K
ECU is apparently functional since plugs fire when dangled onto engine.

Motor turns at NORMAL speed when cranking.
Starter sounds normal.

Car was one quart low on oil but that has been replaced.

Any ideas on a new path of elimination?

Comments

3 times in 36 months... that

Submitted by Veelix on 8/19/08 2:36pm.

3 times in 36 months... that can be rough to diagnose if it isn't happening while being tested. The gas o the plugs would have me suspecting a flooded engine, which can happen at 15 degrees. If the problem is still occurring, try to start it with the accelerator push all the way to the floor. Don't pump it, just hold it down. If it starts, you may want to have the coolant sensor circuit for the ECU checked.

I only smelled gas on the

Submitted by NissanGXE_wont_start_please_help on 8/19/08 6:14pm.

I only smelled gas on the plugs faintly after doing what you suggested with the gas pedal and with the mechanism under the hood while someone else turned the key to start to roll the engine with the starter.
We removed the air filter and squirted some carb/cleaner type stuff (ether) into the intake there and it was getting into the cylinders because I could faintly smell that as well after removing the plugs again.

A rag was placed over all 4 plug holes while engine turned and it did infact attempt to suck the rag down all 4 holes so vaccuum is happening as well as compression although at first compression was low until the bits of oil were applied to the top of the pistons.

Distributor cap and rotor were also replaced yesterday just to test. Neither produced results. Apparently they were not it either.

I suspect something electronic too, but am at a loss for a shade-tree way to test it. I have no fancy NISSAN ISSUED TEST EQUIPMENT that a local repair shop would have.

The first time it happened NISSAN replaced the ECU but they didn't find anything wrong, they just replaced it with the Updated ECU and somehow it began working again.

The second time it happened they just said it was FLOODED. Well...maybe, but this was after many attempts to start the thing...I would presume ANY car would be having too much fuel or appear to at this point. They replaced some foulded plugs they said.
OK...from my MX days I say OK. fouled plugs are too much fuel not enough fire and useless unless you happen to have a pack of matches handy. And after we got it back it worked fine again....with only ONE other time when it happened in the summer of last year.
(2000) Where it died on a bridge. (A bridge that is called the Fishing Bridge because it was never finished) So we are 4 hours from home fishing on the Gulf Coast and it won't start. Two hours later it started grudgingly. Then it was fine afterwards. It must have been 95 that day.

Not sure why it does this but it appears to be timing related. The timing chain was checked and that although it has SOME slack in it but not enough to be concerned with at 80K miles since it should be good for 200K miles according to the Nissan Tech.

Nissan is working on it now, but this puzzles me to no end. I want to solve it. This is one of those that can be solved with a "I GOT IT WORKING AGAIN BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I DID" type fixes but I want the real solution...this being the third time I feel I need it.

Thanks for the reply.

Any further suggestions?

test

Submitted by Dave on 8/19/08 9:25pm.

test

Update: Car is at the Nissan

Submitted by NissanGXE_wont start on 8/20/08 6:50am.

Update:

Car is at the Nissan Shop for the third day.
They followed my suggestion for putting oil on top of the cylinders and they got it started. Compression went back up they said.

They are still puzzled as to why it checks out but still has trouble. When I find the answer I will post it.

Car is running

Submitted by NissanGXE_wont start on 8/20/08 8:01am.

Car is running again.

Injectors were cleaned. Timing chain is making a rattling noise a bit.

Nissan said it was flooded again. They said they see a lot of Sentras come in that are flooded and that they seem to have quite a problem with that model car.

Anyone want to by a Used Nissan Sentra with 80K miles?
Cheap! :)

THE SAME THING HAPPENRD TO

Submitted by car8 on 8/20/08 3:02pm.

THE SAME THING HAPPENRD TO MINE THEY CHANGED EVERYTHING IT ENDED UP BEING THE THOTTLE POSITION SENSIOR HAVE THEM CHANGE THAT AND IT WILL WORK

Thanks, after reading the

Submitted by NissanGXE_noise on 8/21/08 6:09am.

Thanks, after reading the Chiltons book yesterday I was suspicicous of that very thing. Since they were soooo sure it was flooding and that was the only electronic thing that had not yet been eliminated that could cause that.

Thanks for the reply! Out of curiousity, how much did it cost you (APPROX) to get it replaced? is it USER-replaceable? Or is it an ALL_DAY item?

Jim (jdixon@communigroup.com)